In “The Dark Night of the Soul,” Richard Miller attempts to find the purpose of the humanities. Miller argues that the humanities give access to the best ideas of human beings. He discusses the positives and negatives of literature, from the common idea that reading is a sure way to improving one’s quality of life, to the unintended consequences of taking the ideas of others to the extreme. If the written word can be used for both good and bad, then what is the purpose of the humanities?
The humanities are made up of disciplines that make up human culture, from law, history, philosophy, literature, and the fine arts. Through these fields, important knowledge from the past can be passed through the generations, adding to the wealth of human knowledge. Students spend countless hours in libraries, trying to acquire knowledge through the writings of others. This has happened for generations, as Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Meek young men grow up in libraries, believe it is their duty to accept the views, which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote these books.” (Emerson, 2) This is the side of humanities that is most conducive to creating a better tomorrow. Liberal arts are not to be taken as fact, or the only view on such a complicated and multi-viewed world, but the liberal arts are there as a food for thought, a way to spark new minds with the same vigor as those before, to create their own knowledge and to understand and discover the world around them. But what are students exposed to in these libraries? An example of typical readings found by students in university libraries may be Jean-Jaques Rousseau’s A Social Contract. In his famo...
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Miller, Richard E. "The Dark Night of the Soul." Ways Of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. Bartholomae, David. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin, 2011. 420-443. Print.
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Literate arts is what makes the world more creative and everlasting with inventions. Mae Jemison once said,“The difference between science and the arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin even, or even different parts of the same continuum, but rather, they are manifestations of the same thing. The arts and science are avatar of human creativity.” Literate arts are a way for us to express ourselves; they are ways of communication such as poems, songs, or artistic works. In a transcript
CONTRIBUTIONS The Ancient Greek contribution ranged by the 1900-133 BC, however its influence on the Western Literate Society lasts to this day. As the Greeks expanded their empire, they spread their ideas to other countries, while also borrowing from other cultures. During this period of time, the Greeks made many significant and long-lasting contribution to our modern culture in Philosophy, Art, Democracy, Drama, Math, and Science. These givings of important ideas, inventions, and structures have had
According to E.D. Hirsch, to be culturally literate is to possess the basic information to thrive in the modern world. It is the "grasp on the background information that writers and speakers assume their audience already has." In his book, Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, Hirsch sets forth 5,000 essential words and phrases of which each person should be knowledgeable. The list ranges from idioms to mythology, from science to fairy tales. Why has this list prompted a notable
Literacy Given the current state of technology, a researcher should have little difficulty in finding relevant definitions that embody a spirited understanding of underlying technical and societal interactions that craft a view of the technically literate person. As an exercise, extracting the common elements from various experts’ definitions of technological literacy should result in a generalized perspective that would provide a foundation supporting further literacy definitions for aspects of technology
The Renaissance was a time of rebirth, as its name entails. In Italy, more people were becoming literate and more books were being printed. More scientific discoveries were being made and therefore more theories were being published. In this time of intellectual prosperity, art also made a great leap. Perspective was the main change during this time period, and throughout the years, starting around 1400, it became more involved and more intricate. Eventually artists were so adept at using it, that
(Davies 291). However, these descriptions he refers to do not capture the true essence of the Middle Ages of Europe, which were a continuation and a formation. They were a continuation of old Rome in race, language, institutions, law, literature, arts, and in cultures independent of Rome. Nevertheless, the Middle Ages were not merely a continuation; they were the formation of our world. Many modern-day historians argue that the so-called Dark Ages were a period of ascent rather than of descent
apart quite distinctively. Greek art was created and based on an idealized figure, erasing any imperfections a person might have while Roman artists had a much more realistic outlook and tempered the idealistic Greek influences, and tailored their art into more realistic versions of their subjects, even emphasizing the subject’s unique imperfections while still looking dignified and impressive. Augustus was a very intellectual man and a proficient ruler who knew that art was a great way to communicate
five theses. It was his way to show the protest against the “business” made on religious people: the Holy Roman Empire was earning money on selling people indulgences. Martin Luther got the support of German princes, who were on the same side, but with different motives (they wanted to get autonomy). Luther was the great part of reformation, his influence was immediate, and people listened to him. One of the immediate effects of reformation can be observed in the development of that times writers
Dummy Edition The term “Gothic” was coined by Italian Renaissance writers who blamed what they considered to be the non-classical ugliness of the art and architecture of the time, to the northern tribes of Germanic barbarians known as Goths. Baron Wolfgang van Schreck’s ancestors had invaded the Roman Empire and destroyed what was considered to be the “true” art of the time; walls that were much too high and thick, arches that were too steeply pointed. The Gothic school of architecture, which included
Researchers have found that music from different cultures mimic the culture’s language in the aspect of the pitch changes most 0ften used in the music. The music style in each culture is affected by society and what the cultures believe in. Music is an important part of an individual’s way of life for many people in different cultures. Music is created by about any sound and rhythms from anywhere around the world. The word music derives from the Greek word ‘mousike’, meaning art of the muses. The significance
In Asia, Hinduism and Buddhism are two very large religions with very many common ideas of how to live their life. In India for example, most of the people living there are Hindus. They do not believe in just one God, there are multiple Gods. Brahma is the creation God who created earth from a universe that already existed. Hindus believe life is a cycle. Time is a cycle. When the world goes under a new world will be created by Brahma. After you die you will reborn again in a higher or lower level
Fifty years ago almost to the day one of America's most beloved presidents was assassinated while campaigning on the campaign trail in Dallas. Prior to this traumatic even President Kennedy had made one of the most beloved inaugural addresses the country has ever herd a president speak. This speech is made memorable by historical changes called for by Kennedy, the diction and phrases used, and the literary tools that he used on that cold January day. Although the speech was only thirteen minutes
Rationale The syllabus for creative arts is comprised of five components; visual arts, dance, drama, music and media. The art components help individuals understand how meaning is made. Arts provides ‘opportunities for personal expression, enjoyment, creative action, imagination, emotional response, aesthetic, pleasure and the creation of shared meaning. (NSW K-6 Creative Arts syllabus, 2006) Through participation in arts students become more engaged and active in their learning, provides a forum
think of ancient Egyptian art, we think of deteriorating stone statues, bits and pieces of old architecture, and faded paintings of animals in dark caves and caverns. All of these ancient ruins are part of what shaped Egyptian culture back in the times of Dynasties. Their artwork not only revealed so much of their religion, rituals, and culture, but it also served as a basis for developing and advancing art. The Colossal Head, found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was one of the many early
The Importance of Live Theatre Education Teaching and watching the art of live theatre is often overlooked in schools, yet there are numerous reasons why taking theatre classes or watching live theatre serves an academic and social boost to students. A typical high school’s graduation requirements consists of four years of English, three years of math, science, and social science, and one to no units in the arts. The arts in general are overlooked in schools even though being involved in theatre