Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
the influence religion had on western civilization
the influence religion had on western civilization
the influence religion had on western civilization
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: the influence religion had on western civilization
Western Humanities
The Western Humanities covers a broad scope within the world as me know it today. Many of the influences and inspirations that many claim to motivate them to make continuous advancements are from a basis of our past. Whether it is art, literature or social movements we as a civilization must always look at our past as a blueprint. Our history is our blueprint for life. I think the purpose of studying the Western Humanities is to take a look at our past. No matter what race color or religion a majority of our countries’ people are a descendent of the Western world. Its almost like looking as a very large family tree and learning about it. There are many reasons that can be put together to define the actual meaning of humanities. Western Humanities, to me, can be found within the fine arts, geographical distribution, and religious influences. Overall, these factors have come together to give everyone across the world their history, known as humanities.
First of all, the fine arts have impacted our world with so much inspiration. These influences can be seen everywhere from the streets of France to the art galleries of New York City. You may have even read a poem written in a particular form. The fine arts have been a form of expression since the beginning of our civilization. One of the first known civilizations was an area known as Mesopotamia. Through this area an expression of art may be found in moldings and sculptures. As the west evolved so did these forms of expressions. Everything from the tools and thoughts to the materials used and the meanings behind them. A lot of meanings may have been in response to worshipping gods and warriors. As I look at today’s world not much has changed with our expressions. The materials used may be different yet the emotional desire behind the expression may well be the same. Today we use things such as computer generations, pop music and controversial literary works. The main focus of all of these examples is to express ones art. Art has been said to be within the eye of the beholder and that art was vandalism. Well, I admire the vandals. There are many great sculptures and poets from the Greek world to the Renaissance periods that it is no wonder that the influence carried throughout the rest of the western world. It seemed that with each...
... middle of paper ...
...arting to inspire one another with its structure. The buildings were not the only effects of religion but so were wars, laws and many political scandals. It is almost unbelievable to learn that faith was such a solid reason for many misunderstandings. Even the misunderstandings within faiths, especially Catholicism. I was amused and almost possessed a sense of comfort when a faith was simply based on the gods of thunder or goddess of love. I feel that I understand the many different religions now that I have seen them unfold to what they have become today.
In summary, the Western Humanities influenced many of today’s thoughts and expressions. The study of humanities has greatly impressed me. I have always been intrigued with political, geographical and art factors. The culmination of these teachings has explained why we are who we are today. The values and ideas of each of these factors continuously improved our world. Improvement is not necessarily defined as doing everything better but advancing. Although the western world experienced many trials and tribulations there are still many that have yet to be undergone for our civilizations “family tree”.
Shiffman believes that the drop in interest in the humanities results in the inability of students to have clear bearings amid life’s uncertainties. He believes that only by studying the humanities will students be able to introspect and recognize that endless achievement may not add up to a meaningful life (Shiffman 5). However, Shiffman fails to realize that this form of reflection need not be done solely by those majoring in the humanities. It can be done by all who try, their fields of study are no limitation. In fact, it may be this same reflection that leads to an individual’s decision to prioritize practicality. Not all those who choose the practical path are doing it for themselves. Many may do it for their families, as a safe and stable means of supporting their loved ones. Others may take this opportunity to give back to their community through the ways they are most skilled. Instead of pursuing a single interest in a certain field, they choose to follow their various callings. Doing solely what an individual loves is a self-centered view of the world. While it is important to chase happiness, it is also important to reflect on what one is doing to spread happiness to the rest of the world. One must find something that they are good at, and put that into the world. They should contribute to others and help the world be better, in addition to following their passions. An individual’s acts of service may just become one of their many passions.
In “Dehumanized,” Mark Slouka argues that children’s education has become an instrument of production in math and science that will in result benefit the economy. Slouka believes that courses in the humanities are important in children and young adult’s education because it will create a foundation for the democratic society. As a business major, I believe that math and science are the subjects that will create more prosperity for our economy in the long run, but the humanities should be looked at as equally important. The humanities are extremely important for college level students to learn, but young children as well because it creates the foundation for who each person is as an individual. If the humanities are taught at a young enough age, it is believed that the way children will think could be changed, meaning that they will have a more of an understanding for compassion for others and will be more accepting when they grow older. I also believe that the humanities should be taught at the college level to
The western worldview grew out of ideas that were brought about by the Black Death, the humanist movement, and religious reform. The Black Death killed most of Europe’s population, opening spots for jobs and spots to move in the feudal system. This caused people to think out of the box, it also helped people see that everyone had something in common king or serf. The humanist movement also had a key role that helped people see the bigger picture. Last but no least the religious reform also played a key role. After new ideas came from the humanisms people questioned things they hadn’t before. These are the three main topics for the growth of the western worldview.
What is ‘Art’? Does the term describe a tangible object, experiential event, process, technique, medium, or creative skill? Does it imply attractive decoration, pleasant arrangement, and sound financial investment - or can art provoke, be unattractive, make people uncomfortable, and be fleeting? Today, Art is subjective, open to interpretation and encompasses the spectrum of the visual, literary, dance, and musical humanities - often overlapping one another. As such, Art and its practice can be all of the above and more. Post World War II, Modernist theories were waning and a general dissatisfaction was building in the United States and other westernized countries that ultimately led up to the cultural and social revolution of the 1960’s. The period also parallels a rise in relative wealth and subsequent mass consumption of commodities, education, and cultural activities within all the socioeconomic classes. Personal expression became acceptable and art practice exploded to include multiple fields of activity that Rosalind Krauss likens to “an extraordinary practice in elasticity”. Interest in ecology, performance, process, alternative materials, a loosening of social mores and experimentation with altered states of reality contributed to the rise of what is now known amply as Postmodernism. Civil rights, the anti-war movement, rise of feminism, and a political movement left of center created egalitarian entrances for many into various fields of study including Art. Nevertheless, similar to the current state of Western Civilization, not everyone appreciates an open multiplicity of voices often differing in viewpoints from safer, more conservative ones. It is in this context that artists Robert Smithson and Richard Serra bega...
Humanities have been shaped by various prominent personalities whose contributions have revolutionized numerous areas in the study of humanities. These intellectual and philosophical icons set the foundation for a richer understanding of the humanities.
As I said before, math and science are important, but the humanities are just as important, if not more. “The humanities, done right, are the crucible within which our evolving notions of what it means to be fully human are put to the test; they teach us, incrementally, endlessly, not what to do but how to be” (Slouka). This quote taken from “Dehumanized” defines and truly puts Slouka’s beliefs into the perspective of what the humanities should teach students and how they should be taught, which I agree with fully. I believe that without the humanities, we, as humans, would all be the same and there would be no room to be different from one another. Whether it be by our culture, religion, or interests, not two people are alike. Individuals should not be bred into being something that they do not want to be or even like Slouka argues, students should not be a “capital investment” for the future of the economy. Students should be investing in themselves to express who they truly are, rather than being something that the economy expects them to
Before we can talk about humanities, we must first define the word “Humanities”. Humanities are the investigation of human beings and their culture and their self-expression. We are going to discuss how humanities reflect changing concepts of nature and human beings in different historical periods. Human beings in today’s society are not aware of the history of people. In just about every area that we participate in on a daily basis, the humanities of our ancestors contributed to that area. The reason we study the different parts of the humanities is to get a better understanding of where human beings have been and where we need to go. The more we study the further we can go and improve the future based off the past.
Education in the humanities may bring a better outcome of understanding the process off everything that happens in our society. Students are able to learn more about the past cultures which is very beneficial for them. It does not only give them an idea of how the past was, but rather help’s them analyze what can be useful in their present. Students also have the capability of learning skills that will allow them to succeed in their future careers. All this learning comes from the aspect that humanities shows skills that students will
Throughout history, Western civilization has been an emerging force behind change in foreign societies. This is the concept that is discussed in the article the West Unique, Not Universal, written by Samuel Huntington. The author makes a very clear thesis sentence and uses a variety of evidence to support it. This article has a strong very convincing point. The thoughts expressed in this article can be related to a lot of events throughout history.
The Western culture has evolved over a span of several years with various civilizations specializing in specific aspects of life or nature. In essence, Western civilization dates back to the BCE periods when Ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Rome reigned. Each of the Western civilizations came with a clear lineage that portrayed such attributes as property rights, free market economy, competition, personal freedoms, and innovation (Perry, 2013). Besides, the western civilizations came at different periods with some of the attributes evolving or remaining unchanged throughout the lineage. However, the non-western civilizations contributed towards such attributes to a given extent, primarily because of the interactions among
... Else, is essential to human existence,” (Gopnick). I agree with Gopnik, because asking why there is value in studying the humanities or pursuing a liberal arts education is like asking why there is value in breathing. History, literature, languages, philosophy, religion, music, anthropology, and art are all essential to understanding why humans are the way we are. If the humanities were not essential to our understanding of other human beings, then why are there so many blog posts, letters, Facebook posts, and Tweets being written in defense of the humanities? It is because we are human. It is essential that we should study the humanities so that we can know ourselves, the past, and the future. Because I value being well-rounded, compassionate, analytical, creative, and balanced, I value the humanities. Because I value the humanities, I take the path less traveled.
I want to suggest that the very ground on which Plato and many since have dismissed the humanities is in another view the basis for the enduring and vital importance of the humanities today. It is worth remembering that problem solving – the activity prized above all others at an institution such as MIT – is made possible only through the prior activity of problem making. Problem making begins with the recognition that there are questions that have yet to be asked, latent possibilities that remain unexplored. And this, ultimately, is where the humanities may have most to offer us. What may seem like the mere multiplication of “uncertainties” and “doubts” might equally serve as a conduit to new thoughts, fresh insights, and creative solutions.
Human’s have always struggled to express themselves. Art, is considered by many to be the ultimate form of human expression. Many assume that art has a definition, but this is not the case. Art, it can be said, is “in the eye of the beholder.” This simply means that what you consider art, someone else would not. Art is part of a person’s internal emotions, which signifies why different people see art as different things. Every type of culture and era presents distinctive and unique characteristics. Different cultures all have different views of what art can, and would be, causing art itself to be universally renowned throughout the world.
Sayre, Henry M., Discovering the Humanities: Culture, Continuity & Change. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.
Education is the opportunity to learn and grow in your community, society, workplace, and even inside you. Education, quoted from Jon Spayde, a well-known interviewer and editor in his article titled Learning in the Key of Life, is about power: the power to know about the world around you and the people near and far from you. Education is culture, passed down from one group of people to another. We learn about these people through the humanities. Earl Shorris, a teacher for lower-class students quoted in the article Spayde wrote, said to his students on the first day of class, "You've been cheated. Rich people learn the humanities; you didn't. The humanities are a foundation for getting along in the world, for thinking, for learning to reflect on the world instead of just reacting to whatever force is turned against you" (60). What a powerful statement Shorris shared with his students. But why are the humanities a foundation? What foundation is Shorris talking about? And what constitutes the humanities? This foundation is the basic understanding of other cultures, and the ability to relate to many different types of people. This can be difficult to achieve, but education has the humanities to help. The humanities can be defined many different ways. The Readers Digest Dictionary defines the humanities as: the branches of learning (as philosophy, arts, or languages) that investigate human constructs and concerns as opposed to natural processes (as in physics or chemistry) and social relations (as in anthropology or economics) (652). This was the third definition of the word. The definition defines the humanities the best, as we know them today. But Spayde has another very interesting way to define t...