Western North Carolina Blog

The Scientific Revolution is known as the era in time during the 16th and 17th century in which new ideas of science and math questioned the legitimacy of religion. Scientists were providing ideas and proofs of those ideas that were too obvious and evident to ignore. But the views and beliefs of the Church were so solidly grounded that when doubted, people of the Church and men of God would treat it as blasphemy, punishable to full extent. Scientists were punished for these acts against the church and trying to replace the truths of the Bible with the accusations of man and what they think to be knowledgeable decisions. People of this time were both enraged and intrigued with the words of these scientists and philosophers, not only because of the reasoning but because of the interest of human nature. The Marxist historian and scientist J. D. Bernal said that “the renaissance enabled a scientific revolution which let scholars look at the world in a different light. Religion, superstition, and fear were replaced by reason and knowledge”. Because people are so different in everyway, the arguments and opinions from each group of people caused major controversy. People fought over this issue when it was first brought upon them and arguments of this kind are still brought up today. To either believe that we were created by chance and coincidence or to believe that we were created by a higher being; a God. Through everything, the Scientific Revolution brought new meaning and new ideas to why we, as humans are the way we are.

Since we wrote our discussions on different topics I obviously learned new things from yours. I thought that you did a very good job and I thought that your post was very interesting. You did a good job writing this post. I thought that part about treating some scientific ideas as blasphemy was very interesting.

Nice post Sterling, i agree with you that the struggle between science and religion continues even today. I hear the controversy of evolution quite regular. Science is all about the proof, and religion about faith. The two will always have controversy between them when looking at certain issues.

I think it will always be a hidden thought in the back of everyones head as to how people were created. How to some people go against their beliefs of being created by God if that’s what they strongly feel, but how can people ignore hard facts and proof that it is possible that people were not created by God, that evolution is real and continues to grow. I find it hard to ignore facts but I also know how important it is to have beliefs and to stick to them.

I learned a lot from your post. The Scientific Revolution was a learning time, they accomplished so many things. I think that it is amazing how at that time they were so devoted to the church and religion but they started thinking that humans were created by scientific things instead of God.

Great post! I particularly liked the last part, relating the era of the Scientific Revolution to today. Because, the scientific revolution helped shape the way the world is today. Without it happened, we would not have all the modern technologies and knowledge we have today. Such as the modern conveniences of a washing machine or television.

The popularity of YouTube has made it possible for anyone to become a media publisher and can make an average person suddenly famous for a day. It seems that every week another video is posted that becomes a popular topic among friends and family members. Some of these videos are taken of other people with or without their knowledge. Consider the following scenario: You are on your way to school one day and are having a conversation with someone in your carpool that is getting rather animated. You are momentarily distracted when someone in the back seat makes a funny joke in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. You turn around to speak to the person and the next thing you know you have jumped the curb and hit a stop sign. Meanwhile, a friend driving by who witnessed the accident thought it was funny and filmed the accident with her cell phone. She posted the video on YouTube with the title “Lousy Driver Alert!”
What is the likelihood you would know this video existed on YouTube?
Should the motorist who filmed the accident be required to get your release before posting the video? Why or why not?
Does this scenario violate any guidelines provided by YouTube?
If you became aware of the video, what would you do?
Should someone be allowed to capture video of you without your knowledge? If you answer no, how could society police this action?

What is the likelihood you would know this video existed on Youtube?

I would guess that unless it became popular in your community or on Youtube you probably wouldn’t know of it’s existence. The likely hood of stumbling across it is possible but in my opinion unlikely. It can sometimes be hard to find something that you know is on Youtube.

Should the motorist who filmed the accident be required to get your release before posting the video? Why or why not?

I think that out of respect the person should. Especially if the video makes it clear as to who you are.

Does the scenario violate any guidelines provided by Youtube?

After looking around on the Youtube website all I could find is some information saying that you must own the copyright or proper rights to upload a video.

If you came aware of the video, what would you do?

Personally I doubt it would bother me too much if somehow if became famous enough to make some money, I would appreciate a fair share for being the “star” of there video.

Should someone be allowed to capture video of you without your knowledge? If you answer no, how could society police this action?
This is tough, if I say no I can’t think of a way that someone could police it. If I say yes, people that this happens to might find it offensive and have no way of defending themselves. I would prefer to say both. Perhaps you could be filmed without your knowledge, but afterwards, I would expect people to have to right to say I do or don’t want this video made public. Any video made public with out consent would be an offense worthy of a small fine and the video removed. Above all I would hope that people could be respectful of each other in these sorts of things.

What is the likelihood you would know this video existed on YouTube?
Incredibly small. As YouTube’s site states “48 hours of video are uploaded every minute, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day.” Of course, not everything becomes popular, but unless the video tagged my name into the title or description, I’m almost 100% sure I wouldn’t see (unless it hit over 10 million views overnight).
Should the motorist who filmed the accident be required to get your release before posting the video? Why or why not?
No, although it would be very courteous. I’m pretty sure that its not illegal to videotape someone as long as you don’t make a profit off it.
Does this scenario violate any guidelines provided by YouTube?
YouTube wants you to own copyrights to anything you upload… but like that ever happens. Under that pretense, the tons of videos will be in violation of using background music. Simply saying “I don’t own this music” doesn’t make any difference (although it sure seems to).
If you became aware of the video, what would you do?
I would probably laugh, comment on the video, and maybe message the uploader.
Should someone be allowed to capture video of you without your knowledge? If you answer no, how could society police this action?
I don’t believe in a violation of privacy. That being said, I shouldn’t be able to control what another person videotapes while I am in public. Another huge reason not to oppose this, is that it simply can’t be enforced. Its ridiculous to think that. Even if a video is removed from YouTube there are plenty of other sites that would allow the upload. But there is a fine line between something private and public.

I’m sure if the video became a viral hit then it would make its way around school and you would eventually hear about it.
I dont really think it should be required because in a way it could be viewed as someone using there right to freedom of speech.
There are plenty of videos like this on youtube and I dont think there is any law against it
It wouldn’t really bother me as much as someone else. I’m really easy going and everyone makes mistakes.
I don’t see any problem with it.

The likelihood of me knowing a video of me exists on Youtube would be slim to none especially if I rarely talked to the person.
Yes, I think if you are in any type of video the person recording it should have your consent to publish it in any way because that invades your privacy and could possibly harm you or your reputation.
I’ve never read the rules for youtube, I barely get on so I’ not familiar with much on there.
I would probably be mad because they were suppose to be my friend and they went behind my back and published my wreck without telling me. It wouldn’t be as bad if they would’ve told me and put a different title.
I think it should be allowed, but have your consent to publish it anywhere.

What is the likelihood you would know this video existed on YouTube? I don’t get on Utube very often, so it is unlikely that I would know the video existed unless someone I know made me aware of it.
Should the motorist who filmed the accident be required to get your release before posting the video? No, in this situation I don’t think they should. However, if you could clearly see the driver’s face I think a release should be required. Why or why not? In my opinion, this situation happened in a public place and the motorist recorded the video from a distance. It does not indicate that the driver of the vehicle was identified, therefore I don’t think this video should be that big of a deal.
Does this scenario violate any guidelines provided by YouTube? Utube’s guidelines just state that you need to have the copyright. In this situation, the motorist took the video so it is her footage.
If you became aware of the video, what would you do? If I became aware of the video and knew the person who took it, I would probably ask them to remove it. However, if they refused, there really isn’t anything that can be done.
Should someone be allowed to capture video of you without your knowledge? If you answer no, how could society police this action? Although I feel like being filmed without your consent is an invasion of privacy, I also feel that it depends on the situation. Unless the material is something private, I don’t know of any way it could be enforced. Legally if the law required Utube to make sure that every video had releases signed by anyone filmed, I think it would have to be enforced on other social media sites as well. For example, www.peopleofwalmart.com is one site where embarrassing photos of people in Walmart stores are taken and uploaded to the site without their knowledge or consent. If you ever need a good laugh, check it out. Although I’m sure some of the people on it might be offended if they knew. I know I would be, but then again I wouldn’t go in public dressed like some of the people you see on the site either.

You have recently purchased the newest version of a web authoring software application which costs over $700, but you feel it is well worth it because of all the great features. Your friend also wants to use the same software but can’t afford it. Your friend asks you if he/she can borrow your discs to install the application on his/her computer. You check the software terms of use and find that this is illegal. What would you do?

Most software that is worth that much money will come with a type of built in protection to prevent piracy. I’m pretty sure most of the time, it involves using a serial number/code that sends a message to an anti piracy server each time the software is launched and when the software is used without a key, or there are multiple uses going on, the software won’t work. So, honestly, I doubt that anyone would sell software at $700 and not protect it. I would be perfectly fine with allowing my friend to come over and use my computer for a few hours if he just needed to use the software for a bit.
If it was possible that this software could be easily pirated, I probably wouldn’t have bought it myself.

Another post, with a quite different approach:

It would be hard because $700 is a lot of money but first I paid for it and it is illegal so I would make up a story about how I lost the disk or tell them my dog scratched it too bad to be read. I totally understand the whole not being able to afford stuff and would want help too but there is a line here somewhere.

My response:

I would have just told my friend its illegal to share the application, and I could lose my copy of the software if they found out I had shared it. It would be more trouble than its worth to lie about my dog eating my homework.

Other responses to this post:

I think I would have to be like you and tell a story as to why I couldn’t let them borrow the disc, but I would be afraid they didn’t believe it and I would have to come up with another reason.

Police “Did you give them the disc?” Me”After I installed the software I couldn’t find the disc officer!” Friend “I took the disc from my friend” Case Solved and Closed lol

I think the truth would be easier because in the end you would be the one taking the risk by letting them use it, any friend should be able to understand this.

Yes the truth would be the best plan but I know me and when it comes to money I am used to not having it or having to do without things I need because of it and that makes me more compassionate to those who also do not have. I would rather lie to them in a way that them from thinking I was an awful friend and yet still keep me out of trouble.

The effects that the Black Death had on Europe, and quite possibly the world at this time were devastating and multiple. There were many different impacts in each aspect of life for these Europeans. The impact that the Black Death had on the European economy was severely significant. The price of agricultural produce dropped dramatically, which caused danger in the world of aristocracy because the sign of a man’s wealth was how much land he owned. Also, wages were increased because of the loss of population and the chance of death so high. The European population took a huge toll because of the Black Death. The Black Death took out more than one quarter of Europe’s population and this caused a huge decline in society. The Black Death is known by and called one of the most major diseases in history and most of the reason why is because between 1348 and 1351 more than one million men, women and children died in England. The Black Death inspired a greater piety and religion in Europe gained a lot of attention in this time period. This is because of all the deaths and the rising rate of mortality in Europe. Because the Black Death had no mercy and death comes for everyone, there was a shortage of priests in Europe but since the ordinary men viewed the priests as more holy because of their relationship with God, their faith in the church started to fade. So instead, they began to long for a more personal relationship with God. In conclusion, the Black Death had a radical impact on Europe in many different ways.

What impact did the Black Death have on Europe?
The bubonic plague had a severe impact on Europe, killing over a third of the population in an area that was already weakened by war, famine, a struggling church structure. The plague decimated the workforce. In most places, it took over 100 years for the population to bounce back.
As the plague tore through Europe, entire cities were wiped out. Several groups were blamed for the spread of the plague, most notably the Jews. They had a low mortality rate which was probably due to the better sanitary conditions instructed by their religious laws. This would seem to have had a positive effect, but would later come back to strike them as this seemed to implicate them as having something to do with the plague. Many believed that they had poisoned the water and many Jews were killed for this untruth.
After four years of almost constant death, the plague subsided, but a ravaged population was left behind and the shortage of workers would forever change the way people look at business. The lowest class, the serfs, was most affected by the plague due to unsanitary conditions and close contact with those who were infected. The resulting low population of serfs caused their overseers to change their policy and pay their workers and give them better living conditions. The shortage of workers had given the serfs the upper hand. After several years the lords tried to revert back to their old policies which caused a surf revolt, resulting in the permanent improvement of life for the general population. Sometimes the lords would even rent out their lands to who, in return, would either pay for the land or give the owners part of the crop. This change marked the weakening and eventual demise of feudalism in Europe.
Manufacturing also increased. Turning away from the more risky pursuit of farming to the creation of new products, people created a whole new industry. Metalworking was advanced, and architecture and engineering reached new levels of intricacy.
The Black plague was obviously a disaster, but it would later indirectly cause many social improvements and laid the foundation for modern government.

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, really making an impact in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Figures for the death toll vary widely by area and from source to source as new research and discoveries come to light. It killed an estimated 75 million–200 million people in the 14th century. Because 14th century doctors were at a loss to explain the cause, Europeans turned to astrological forces, earthquakes, and the poisoning of wells by Jews as possible reasons for the plague’s appearance.
The governments of Europe had no obvious response to the crisis because no one knew its cause or how it spread. The ways of infection and transmission of diseases was little understood in the 14th century; many people believed only God’s anger could produce such horrific displays. And that’s why many people turned against the church because they couldn’t understand why God would do that to them. There were many attacks against Jewish communities. In August 1349, the Jewish communities of Mainz and Cologne were exterminated. In February of that same year, the citizens of Strasbourg murdered 2,000 Jews.
While there were families in England that rose in status following the Black Death, there
were undoubtedly those who fell. During the plague, a wealthy family with a large land holding
could be wiped out with a couple of unlucky deaths. With the death of some heirs of a family, a
large portion of the wealth could fall into the hands of the widows. Each heir’s wife would be
entitled to one-third of her husband’s income until she died. Due to the plague, this was
not uncommon, and within a few generations a family would not only lose their fortune, but also be
at risk of the family line disappearing.

The Bubonic Plague, commonly known as Black Death, negatively affected Europe in a number of different ways. The outbreak of Black Death was transmitted to humans from fleas, and considering the poor state that many Europeans were living, bathing, diet, clothing and shelter were not of the highest quality. Black Death was extremely contagious, and that is a leading contribution to why this epidemic resulted in the substantial number of fatalities that it did. Unfortunately, one-third of Europe’s population was swept away due to the Bubonic Plague. Conflict arose amongst Europeans, particularly peoples’ view and support lost towards the Church, leading them to develop their own sense of religion, or new pietism. Although there were negative effects of the Black Death, such as the dramatic fall in population and uprising conflicts between those who survived, there were positive outcomes as well. Following the demise of Black Death, the medical education and knowledge improved. New ideas, the introduction of new methods of medicine and treatment began to be taught in medical schools. The Latin population began to replace some of the European populace, therefore expanding exposure to medical information and thus treating a greater expansion of patients. Aside from a scientific point of view, the economy was significantly affected as well. As the number of people was far less than prior to Black Death, there was a deficit in workers, wages, and productivity. Contrarily, land was more readily available now for those struggling from agricultural farming, so they could take advantage of the land no longer authorized by those who died from the Bubonic Plague. Conclusively, Black Death greatly impacted the status of Europe economically, socially and culturally through both progressive and destructive means.

The Black Death, a cloud of death that loomed over Europe for years, what was the impact of this plague? According to our text book on page 258, cities were overpopulated. This allowed a breeding ground for any illness that hit. With the Black Death being an air borne bacteria and the population leaving so close to each other, the plague was able to spread quickly thinning the population by killing many. This population decrease even affected the rural areas. Farmers and their laborers were decreased by the Plague. This caused the farms to fail and crops died making it harder for farmers to provide for themselves. In response some peasants and land owners tried to take an easy way out by just abandoning their farms instead of fighting to keep them alive. When some of the peasants left without their master wanting them to, the landowners fought for legislation to pass that required the peasants to stay and work for lower wages. Parliament passed a law like this in England. In France, the government passed a law increasing the direct taxes on the peasants. This caused the peasants to revolt against the government causing an uprising. After the plague; however, the demand for different skilled industries increased greatly due to the plague taking out over half the skilled artisans in the cities. This opened up work for skilled artisans encouraging rural farmers to move to the cities to learn the skilled trade allowing them to build their families back up from what they were when the plague hit.

Between the years of 1000 and 1300 Europes population doubled, which meant there was more people than there was food or jobs. The average life span of a European at this time was 35 years and during this time people would starve before the end of their 35 years. In 1348 European people were suffering due to overpopulation, economic depression, famine, bad health, and unsanitary living environments which lead to the bubonic plague. The plague attacked it’s victims by reaching the lungs which immediately made it extremely contagious because people would cough, sneeze and wheezing on others. There have been many blames to the cause of the plague but it was rats that bore on ships that traveled from Asia into Europe. Consequences of the plague were great, whole villages were lost, families were falling apart and people were just dropping dead. Due to the rapid depopulation, labor supply shrunk and value of land and property declined drastically. Peasants were ordered to stay on their masters land and wages and cost were dropped to pre plague levels. This is something that help the cities rebound. After the plague, the laws broke through beyond the cities which made the landlords and nobles integrate into urban life.

Joan of Arc is widely considered to be a fascinating character in history. But, a debate rages over just how effective a military commander she actually was…indeed, as to whether she was actually a “commander” at all (or just sort of an inspirational figure). So…which is it? Inspirational figurehead or great leader? Both? Neither?

Born on January 6th, 1412. Her parents names were Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle. They lived in a small village in France. The events that took place during her childhood led up to everything that took place in her life, including her death. There had been a war going on between France and England before Joan was born. They had called a truce. But the French Royal Family, had an internal war going on that left it easy for the English to re-invade France. Count Bernard VII of Armagnac led the “Orleanist” or “Armagnac” faction. Joan later referred to him as one loved by God. Duke John-the-fearless of Burgundy, was their rival. He led the “Burgundians”. Phillip III, the son of Duke John-the-fearless captured Joan of Arc, who handed her over to the English. Later, a pro-Burgundian who’s name is Pierre Cauchon, a clergyman and supporter of Phillip III arranged Joan of Arc’s conviction and trial.

Diplomats failed to keep the truce between France and England. King Henry V had rights to the French throne, and he decided to invade and take his rightful throne. He invaded France in 1415 winning the battle of Agincourt on October 25th. In 1417, the English returned conquering Northern France, and gained support from the new Duke of Burgundy, Phillip III. It took Phillip III until 1420, to recognize King Henry V and his rights to the throne.

When Joan was 12 yrs old she had her first vision, 1424. She described the visions of Angels and Saints, along with verbal communications. Stating that she could see and touch the angels and saints in her visions. They were so real and alive. On two occasions, 2 other people saw the figures in which Joan of Arc had seen. The angels and saints that she saw were St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Margaret of Antioch, Archangel Michael, and sometimes Gabriel. On some occasions she would see larger groups of angels. In 1422, the archangel Michael was chosen to be a patron saint to the French Military. Before 1428, Joan of Arc said that the saints and angels in her visions had been telling her to go to France and run out the Burdundians and English, while saying that God supports Charles on the throne. That God had taken pity on the French population because of how much suffering they had went through during the war. When she had the visions as a child, they merely told her to go to church, and be a good girl. But as she grew up, they started telling her to go see a commander to be escorted to the Royal Court. Later, she tried to tell the English that God, the King of Heaven, father of Jesus Christ supports Charles VII’s claim to the throne, and that they needed to go away and leave the French alone. That didn’t work out so well for Joan, so she had to resort to using a different approach. She had armor made that fit her body, a banner with 2 angels on either side, and a picture of “Our Savior” holding the Bible. She expelled the prostitutes from the camps, which in return, reformed the troops.

Her death was tragic. They tied her to a pilar where everyone could see her. The only thing she asked of them, was for a cross. A sympathetic English soldier made her a small one out of wood. They brought a crucifix from the church and a priest held it up to her until the flames started to rise. Eyewitnesses say that she screamed in a loud voice ” the Holy name of Jesus, and implored, invoked the aid of the saints of Paradise”.

I feel like she was BOTH. I think she was a fearless leader, who was is an inspiration to all of us. I believe she did see visions from God. I believe if she hadn’t been captured that a lot of things would have happened that would have made her even more a part of history. The French and English were afraid of her. They were afraid of her visions, and her fierce capabilities when it came to fighting.

Responses:
I really enjoy reading your post. I enjoy the part about her vision of see heavenly people. To this day there are people out there who are afraid of people who see vision. If the vision is against you I guess you would want to destroy the person who is having these visions so they cannot tell more about the vision to other. When she had this vision of France I am sure they wanted to shut her up and the best way for them is to kill her. Some time those who follow Christ has to die in this life time but they believe that they will have a better life when they go to heaven. To her she did not die in vain.

Nice response! It was very informative and the way you had it laid out was presented very well! I didn’t do my response on Joan of Arc so my knowledge isn’t very broad but your response helped me understand it in a deeper level. From your response, I agree with you that Joan of Arc was both a great leader and inspirational figure!

It is interesting to see how much of an inspiring person Joan of Arc really was. During that time period it would have been absurd for a female to take on command of so many people and even allowed in politics/war. However, that isn’t even the most astounding part! She was only nineteen when the war was over and she claimed victory over several lands. She did not only stay true to herself but her religion as well. I really liked reading your post on her, it is very informative!!

Location-Based Services (LBS) available for GPS-enabled telephones have opened new doors to managers who want to keep a watchful eye on their mobile workers. Service agreements are available with a company’s cellular provider to log employees’ movements, including enabling tracking when the employee has entered or exited a predefined region (called GeoFencing) and to send an alert when a specified speed limit has been exceeded.

While LBS has obvious safety benefits (such as locating a mobile worker who may be lost or in need of assistance), is there a point at which an individual’s right to privacy is at risk with this technology? If yes, where would you suggest this tracking technology has the potential to invade an employee’s privacy? Assume you are a manager at a company that subscribes to LBS. How will you address any privacy issues raised by your employees about the data you will receive from the mobile device?

If i were a manager i would be sure my employees knew the power of LBS and the consequences of doing something wrong. If my employees were using work phones given by the company i would tell them that it is for strictly business and personal phones are for their own choosing. I would explain to them what would happen if they were caught using the work phone for non work use. I think LBS is a great invention because you can never be sure if your employees are on track all the time or if they are wasting time and using work materials for the wrong reasons.

An individual’s right to privacy is not stated in the Bill of Rights, it is only implied and it only applies to invasions of privacy made by state or federal government agencies through things like illegal search and seizure. Employers can and do monitor their employees. Many companies monitor employee e-mail usage. People are being paid for their time at work and employers have a right to expect productivity and good conduct on the company’s behalf in return. To address a privacy issue I would clearly state to employees our monitoring policy and they could choose to exercise their perceived right to privacy from an employer by not working at this particular company.

While on company time, an employee should not expect a right to privacy while ‘on the job.’ A mobile worker should be just as responsible for their time and actions as a fixed employee. If a mobile worker is using company owned materials (vehicle, phone, etc) then whatever they use those materials for should be open for review and inspection. If a mobile worker is using their own materials (vehicle, phone) then while they should be held accountable for their actions while on company time, I do not believe that their personal belongings should be subject to invasion of privacy by their employers.
With that said, an employer should be open and direct with their employees about their expectations especially in regards to privacy. It’s their responsibility to make sure there are no ‘grey areas’ and an employee should address any concerns they have about their rights.

I think that when an employee joins a company they are agreeing to that company’s particular rules and guidelines. If a company chooses to use LBS then its really up to the company. When an employee is on company time, I do think they have a right to monitor them. However, I do think the employee should be aware of each aspect that he is being monitored. A business can cross the line when they monitor employees that aren’t on company time. Its an invasion of privacy when the worker isn’t still clocked in. As a manager I would put forward the truth, and then for anyone who was still unsatisfied, I’d let them know that as an employee it is the companies job to know what you’re doing.

I think one of the struggles that businesses have had to work through is what constitutes “privacy” while at work/on company time. With the incredible advance in technology, it’s both a blessing and a curse. Businesses need to evaluate the issue on their end and have a responsibility to educate their employees. Employees need to evaluate their privacy standards and make sure they understand the position of the employer. Good post

My favorite Renaissance artist is Michelangelo. Throughout time there have been many people who have left their mark of greatness for the world to see today. Michelangelo is one of the best examples of such greatness. During his long life he accomplished more than most artist could in a hundred life times. He played a major role in the Renaissance and helps to make great advances through his works. He mastered many different aspects of art. The two that he was most known for was painting and sculpting. Michelangelo is really famous for his one painting in the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. I believe that Michelangelo was very religious person for him to paint nine scenes from the Old Testament, which three scenes each of god creating the world, the stories of Adam and Eve and Noah and the flood. The reason why Michelangelo was so different from the other artists is because he possessed the ability to carve or paint people in their real moods.
I know that Michelangelo true passion is sculpture but his painting of the Sistine chapel was so supreme. Michelangelo did not want to paint the Sistine Chapel but with the Pope’s pleading Michelangelo gave into him and started on the chapel in 1508. It took him 4 years and when he was done he was exhausted. Michelangelo was also a great thinker. He was able to figure out how to paint the painting by him constructing a unique scaffolding system. It held workers and materials and he would start high up the walls of the chapel in order that Mass might still be celebrated below. He often had to bend backwards and paint over his head. That position often hurt his neck and gave him back ache; his arm would burn painfully and according to him, screwed up his vision. The design was his, the sketches and cartoons for the frescoes were all of his hand, and did the vast bulk of the actual painting by himself. I would love to lie down in my bed and wake up in the morning see Jesus and his angles coming down from heaven to take us home. With Michelangelo gone now I don’t believe I would be able to get his great work of art above my bed to wake up to. I love his painting, I feel he was a genius; superhuman painter and his religious painting brings love and warmth to my heart.

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One of my favorite artists that is very well known is Sandro Botticelli. There are a great many philosophers, artists, musicians, and writers. Among all of these great renaissance figures, I think Sandro Botticelli was an interesting person. He was an Italian painter in the Early Renaissance Era. His famous works include The Birth of Venus, The Adoration of the Magi and the Primavera. I am most familiar with The Birth of Venus. I have seen this art in a couple of people’s houses, buildings and many other places. His works are influenced by Lippo Lippi, an Italian painter of the Italian Quattrocento.
He had a pretty typical, laid-back life style it seems. He became an apprentice when he was fourteen under Fra Filippo Lippi, who influenced Sandro Botticelli’s paintings. A couple of years later, Sandro had his own workshop where he could freely express his artistic abilities. Later in his years, he became recognized by high officials for his astounding works of art. People like the pope called for him and hailed his talents.
I personally think The Birth of Venus is creative, though it does seem a little inappropriate. It depicts the goddess Venus being originated from the sea, floating on a shell. Sandro’s style is one of idealistic imageries. He paints inaccurately and draws pictures of physical bodies. He’s so creative, though, and that’s why I like him.
In regards to Botticelli’s later private life, he never got married. It does seem a little ironic doesn’t it? He says that marriage gives him nightmares. Funny man!

Now, Martin Luther

I had originally planned to write about my favorite artist, Leonardo, but people already have and I want to do something different. So I decided to pick my favorite thinker from the Renaissance era and that would be, Martin Luther. I feel that a lot of people may not know who this is only because when we think of Martin Luther, we think of Martin Luther King or Martin Luther King Jr. who were prominent figures during the civil rights movement. But this Martin Luther from the renaissance time was a prominent figure for religion.
Martin Luther, a preacher, teacher, theologian, and priest, was, in my opinion, one of the most exceptional people in European history. He created a great impact on the additional expansion of Christian religion and European philosophy as well. He also contributed to the critical regard at a traditional holy Catholic Church which was considered to be a dependable representative of the almighty God. Martin Luther got a doctorate and began to teach theology but he didn’t agree with the papal policy and theology. He was shocked by the corruption within the Catholic Church and criticized the efficiency of pardons particularly in his “95 Theses”. As a result he was condemned and excommunicated but still he continued to develop his theological ideas.
He didn’t support the authority of the Catholic Church and said that the only religious authority was the Bible and individual reason. His view on theology, bible and Christian religion in general was quite different from that of the Catholic Church. He found a new sense of the righteousness of God which he understood not as active righteousness, that is adjudged by God on the basis of human’s works, but as passive righteousness that is received from God who makes sinners just. In short, he believed that salvation is a gift of God`s grace, received by faith in God`s promise to forgive sins for the sake of Christ`s death.
I like martin Luther because he wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed and he did whatever it took to get his point across, to have people understand what he was saying. He changed Christianity for lots.

Who is your favorite artist or thinker from the Renaissance era? Explain your choice.

For me a true Renaissance person was talented in more than one field and their influence extended beyond their own time and situation. Galileo Galilei was just one of these extraordinary people. He was an astronomer, physicist, mathematician, and philosopher. His contributions played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. He has been called, “Father of modern observational astronomy,” “ Father of modern physics,” and “Father of Modern Science.”< /span>
He improved the telescope and his observations of astronomy supported Copernicanism, which brought in the revolutionary idea of heliocentrism – that our galaxy revolves around the sun and not centered on the Earth as had been previously accepted. This viewpoint led to him being tried for heresy by the Roman Inquisition in 1615. He was forced to recant his position and was placed on house arrest for the rest of his life. He discovered the four largest satellites of Jupiter, which were named in his honor.
During the time that he was under house arrest he spent his time working on one of his highly regarded works, Two New Sciences, which gave a summary of his work on kinematics and strength of materials. It was this work that earned him to be regarded as the “Father of Physics”.
“Father of Modern Science” was earned because he was one of the early pioneers of using the Scientific Method. His theory was that the laws of nature had mathematical properties that could be applied. He preferred doing his own experiments and recording his observations instead of accepting traditional explanations. Some of the conclusions that he reached were quite remarkable. Others were not successful; however, the null hypothesis is an important factor of the scientific method.
This is only a small representation of his contributions to society. Hopefully, enough to whet your appetite to discover more, which Galileo would have thoroughly approved of doing!

Who is your favorite artist or thinker from the Renaissance era? Explain your choice.
My favorite renaissance artist would have to be Raphael Sanzio. He lived a very short life only living to be 38 years old, which limited his number of paintings. He was a pupil of Leonardo da Vinnici early in his career. I can only imagine what it would have been like to lean art from such a man. He painted many portraits early in his career of the Madonna which is said to have been from Leonardo’s influence. He later did some amazing works inside the Vatican palace. He is best known for these works that decorate religious buildings in Rome. Near his death he painted some powerful religious work such as The Transfiguration. I consider Raphael my favorite artist of this time period just because of the feeling his art seems to possess. He is one of those artists that when you view his art you can actually feel it. His art has great detail and feeling and he influenced many artists to come. I have also read that like Leonardo, his art had some hidden symbols and messages, which to me just make it more interesting. There were many great artists in the renaissance era, which makes it hard to pick just one. This was an era that has defined art even to this day. Raphael is known as one of the greatest artists of all time, and his work has appealed to generations from his time to ours, I think that is what truly makes an artist great.

Explain the major points of Machiavelli’s political philosophy. Are they still relevant today?
Machiavelli’s world-renowned book, The Prince, provided tyrannical advice to leaders and provides considerable controversy to this day. Machiavelli was not only the greatest political philosopher of his day; he was an incomparably popular nonfiction writer. He lived during the Renaissance and his works are still read today, an incredible accomplishment.
The Prince is a guidebook for how a leader can maintain and control power. Machiavelli claims that the only thing that should matter is the result: whatever the ruler does to accomplish his goal does not matter– no matter how immoral or tyrannical. He states there are three virtues that leaders must practice: to act boldly, to protect their power, and to appear unwavering while being flexible.
The Prince has provided inspiration to a plethora of readers: from Hitler to Samuel Adams. There is much controversy over whether this book was actually meant to encourage tyranny; considering how Machiavelli was an outspoken republican and believed strongly in the rights of the people. The book could possibly serve as a warning to the populace, how to avoid tyranny and protect liberty. Another theory states that Machiavelli might have written this book to lead tyrants to their downfall through bad advice. Historians generally agree that he had a more Western view of politics, mainly due to his book The Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius. This book demonstrates his highly republican views– that citizens have their own right to preserve liberty and avoid corruption, and that self-government is the best way to preserve prosperity and security.
Machiavelli’s works are still relevant in today’s political world. The Prince warns of tyrants who would destroy liberty, while The Discourses demonstrates how to preserve liberty. Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams looked to Machiavelli for inspiration for our Constitution, though dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini have abused Machiavelli’s knowledge. Today, the term Machiavellian describes political deceit. It seems that at some time or another, all political parties call their rivals Machiavellian. If Machiavelli was most well-known for The Discourses, this would actually be a compliment.

Very nice post Michael. I always enjoy reading your posts. You have me wanting to read these books. Makes you wonder if our government still go by these books or if they have their own ways of doing business. Apparently whatever our leaders are doing, is NOT working. Hitler had his own way of doing things. He thought he was GOD and that he was going to change the world and make it his. Thankfully that did not happen. I learned a lot from your post. I did not know anything about Machiavelli. Thanks!

Machiavelli focuses on principalities; his basic plan was to convey how principalities can be best governed and preserved. Given the nature of hereditary principalities Machiavelli believe that they are easier to maintain than new principalities because of hereditary prince does not have rule much differently than before. This is a good book. I agree that political parties do fight dirty and also believe that they are their rivals. If only we could get along, that’s want parents try to teach their children. This is a good post, I enjoy seeing your point a view on the book.

I’ve never read his book, The Prince. I guess if it’s a world-renowned piece of literature, I’m going to have to get some information about this and read it. Wow! I never knew Hitler was inspired by Machiavelli’s book. Maybe it was a bad thing that Hitler read this book because he probably received ideas that made him want to carry out tyranny. Neat and well-written post; good job.

I found your post informative. It seems that Machiavelli had some very good points. I cannot agree that with his philosophy that “the ends justify the means.” I hardly think that it speaks badly of his ideas that some crazy men like Hitler and Mussolini corrupted his teachings. In my opinion, that is like blaming the Beatles for Charles Manson. In both cases, these individuals made their own choices. It did seem to me that he wanted to return to the politics of the Greek polis and have a democracy instead of a monarcy or theocracy.

As a manager for a multinational firm, you need to assign a new salesperson to the Asian region to combat flagging sales. Laura, one candidate, has been a sales representative for the North American region for seven years; has a master’s degree in business administration; and was a foreign exchange student in Hong Kong for two years during college. She is extremely competent, knowledgeable, and confident and has consistently been a top performer at the company since she was hired. Adam, the other candidate, has been with the North American region for four years but before that served three and a half years as a sales representative for the European region of a well-known competitor. He is qualified, with a master’s degree in business and considerable experience in international assignments, but his performance has not been quite as stellar as Laura’s. Neither candidate speaks any Asian languages. Sometimes women are not as willing as men to take assignments in foreign countries due to family obligations and other personal reasons. Second, women are typically not as successful as men in foreign assignments because certain cultures tend to view women as inferior to men. And women are more likely to be subjected to discrimination or sexual harassment than men are. You have to decide today. Do you send Laura or Adam?

This is a tricky decision. Laura is above and beyond all of the qualifications. It sounds as if Laura is 100% dedicated to her job and whatever it takes to succeed. Laura has lived in Hong Kong before and should know how the culture works and what to expect. She is described as competent, knowledgeable, and confident, which I think sums up everything the job requires. She would be competent because she has proved to be so in her job. She would be knowledgeable because she knows the area. She would be confident because of the previous statements, and she would need to be in order to overcome the stereotypes against women in Asia. Based on the facts we have been given about Laura, I don’t see why she wouldn’t be the perfect candidate for this possibly difficult job. I also think it is important to send a woman, and not just go with the obvious choice of Adam because the safe choice isn’t always the best choice for the company or the employee. Also, while cultures have different views on working women, and they are serious issues, how will they ever change if we don’t bite the bullet and try to change the stereotypes? Laura shouldn’t be discounted just because she is a woman.