Thursday, January 30, 2020

Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Renaissance Essay Renaissance is a French word that literally means â€Å"Rebirth† and is referring to the rebirth of learning in northern Italy after there was hardly learning in the middle ages. During the Renaissance, there was a great renewal of education and ancient times. But, the Renaissance was more than just studying works of ancient scholars; it influenced sculpture, architecture and painting. In Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the mysterious smile reflects the newly emerging Renaissance values of Humanism and The Renaissance man. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Renaissance. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. ) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†) Humanism was a new philosophical outlook that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth. For example some human achievements and concerns were the study in philosophy, culture, human needs, desires, and experiences. Humanism not only influenced the Renaissance, it also assisted the creation of art during the Renaissance. For example most of history’s famous painters lived during the Renaissance. In Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, humanism is shown by her mysterious facial expression, which gives an indication that she’s keeping a secret. Humanism was key to the Renaissances success in art and learning because it got peoples minds off religious beliefs and allowed them to focus on human values like artwork. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Humanism. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†) The Renaissance man was a major title during the Renaissance and almost every man wanted this title. The Renaissance man is a flawless individual who tried to master all areas of study. For example Leonardo da Vinci was considered a Renaissance man because he was a musician, architect, sculptor, painter, scientist, engineer, mathematician, geologist, inventor, cartographer, anatomist, botanist and writer. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was an example of Leonardo da Vinci’s title of a Renaissance Man because this artwork showed how talented he was by creating her mysterious smile. Today, the Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile is being debated why Leonardo da Vinci made it that way. The Renaissance man is a value of the Renaissance because this encouraged more scholars to learn and study so they have something to earn. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Renaissance Man. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†) In Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the mysterious smile reflects the newly emerging Renaissance values of Humanism and The Renaissance man. The realizations of the Mona Lisa demonstrated how much art had changed compared to the middle ages. Renaissance art was a huge contribution to the Renaissance and in fact expressed the values of it. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†)

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Continued Importance of Books Essay -- essays research papers

Many people don’t realize the potential of books. It is a highly emotional even when a serious book collector takes a well bound book of favorite content into his or her hands; it is as though they are holding and cherishing an invaluable and exquisite piece of art. Books have been an issue of many of religions and even militant factions and yet, they remain today providing us with places to go, an escape from reality, and higher knowledge. First and foremost, books are free voyages to anywhere in the world. You can open a book and with the flick of your eyes and the will of your imagination, be where ever the book takes you. If the book is about Ireland, then you can read about the country as though you were there and the only limitations as to how real it may be, is your own imaginatio...

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Life vs Death: Euthanasia

The word euthanasia is of Greek origin, which literally translates to mean â€Å"happy or good death. † However, since the beginning of the 19th century, euthanasia has become associated with speeding up the process of dying or the destruction of so-called useless lives. No longer true to its literal meaning, it is now a practice of deliberating causing or assisting in someone†s death. Because it constitutes murder and is immoral, euthanasia should not be legalized in the United States. Almost everyone who attempts suicide or asks for assistance in their death do so as a subconscious cry for help (What†s Wrong With Making Assisting Suicide Legal? ). These people want to hear they are loved, not that someone is actually willing to assist in their death (Johansen). Many of these people have emotional and psychological pressures, which can cause them to choose euthanasia as a way to solve problems. Many are either depressed or dependent and are incapable of making well-informed decisions in that state of mind (Euthanasia:Answers to Frequently Asked Questions). The main concern for those who ask for euthanasia practice should be to give them emotional and spiritual support for their problems (Euthanasia : Answers To †¦ ). Tis type of counseling and assistance has proven to be successful. A study done on 886 people who had attempted suicide and been helped showed that only 3. 84 percent had gone on to kill themselves 5 years later. Another study showed that after 36 years, only 10. 9 percent had killed themselves (What†s Wrong With†¦ ). If euthanasia became legalized, it would be administered for those who are mentally unable to choose what is best, when they could instead be helped. Many who are in favor of euthanasia may say that a request to be killed is only justified when a doctor thinks a patient does not have a â€Å"worthwhile life† (Gormally). However, no one can judge the worth of a person†s life. â€Å"As a society, we are coming to understand that mere preservation of the flesh is not the highest value†. Many times it is the family of a patient who determines whether or not they live a worthwhile life depending on if they can participate in â€Å"normal† human relationships (Euthanasia Opposing Viewpoints 103, 117). Those who support euthanasia strongly believe everyone should have control over their own life and death and many who give â€Å"requests for euthanasia may indicate†¦ they are positively asserting their desire to control events† (The Case For†¦ ). However, the religious aspects to this issue support a different view. Religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam hold life as sacred and believe it is a gift from God (â€Å"Euthanasia† Funk&Wagnalls). If the gift of life is from God, then only God can decide when that life should end, not someone else assisting in a death. Euthanasia is also considered immoral by these religions because the 10 commandments prohibit murder, which is essentially what euthanasia has become (â€Å"Euthanasia† Britannica). When many are suffering from a disease, they would rather die a dignified death than suffer tragically from the disease (The Case For Voluntary Euthanasia). Euthanasia activists claim euthanasia is â€Å"death with dignity†, even though the methods in which the deaths are carried out are anything but dignified. This can be supported by the euthanasia cases of Dr. Kevorkian, the â€Å"Doctor of Death† (Johansen). Dr. Kevorkian has used carbon monoxide to gas people to death, and has also had bodies dumped in empty vehicles in parking lots ( Euthanasia : Answers To†¦ ). Another example of how euthanasia killings are not dignified can be shown by the first televisioned mercy killing, which aired in March 1995 in Great Britain that caused the spark for the euthanasia controversy. The man who allowed cameras to be present at his death was a 63 year old patient of Motor Neurone Disease. Over 13 million people watched as he received a lethal injection by his doctor (Pratt). When these killings can be displayed for the public to see, they can not be considered dignified, especially by the means in which these deaths occur. If Euthanasia practices become legal, it would only legitimize these degrading practices. â€Å"Most elderly don†t fear death as much as they fear the pain and suffering†¦ † that may come along with it (Euthanasia Opposing Viewpoints 136). Because of this, some justify the euthanasia practice as a way to alleviate uncontrollable or intolerable pain that is placed on a patient. Even so, deaths by euthanasia are not always painless. Even a passive act of euthanasia such as the withdrawal of life support, food and water, can cause a slow and painful death (Euthanasia : Opposing Viewpoints 39). Death is also not the only solution for pain control. In fact, pain control has been perfected in the science fields, so that most pain can be eliminated completely or greatly reduced. Even though doctors are supposed to help control pain, many have never had a course in pain management and don†t know what to do (Euthanasia : Answers To†¦ ). Better education should be provided to health care professionals in order to help heal a patient, not harm them, or even kill them. Though euthanasia is illegal in most countries, where it is widely practiced, such as in the Netherlands, it has sometimes become involuntary on the side of the patient. Euthanasia is held accountable for 15 percent of deaths in the Netherlands, where patients actually fear being checked into hospitals (Johansen). Many times involuntary euthanasia occurs because the patient is incompetent to make decisions. Even though the patient may have written in advance a living will, a will in the United States that allows a person to make decisions on the type of treatments they would want if they were ill, a proxy can override these decisions. A proxy is usually a relative or friend of the patient that can make decisions for them if they are incapable of communicating on their own. This person could then cause the death of a patient, even if it is a passive act of euthanasia which is not doing something that is necessary to keep a person alive (Pratt). If euthanasia were practiced legally in the United States, it would become involuntary to the patient and possibly cause a larger percentage of deaths than it already does, as it has in the Netherlands where it is commonly practiced. It is also said that euthanasia would be for those dying from an incurable disease or intolerable suffering (â€Å"Euthanasia† Funk&Wagnalls). However, there is no real definition for an incurable or terminal disease, especially since modern medicine has lengthened life spans. Some say a terminal disease is a disease that can cause a death within 6 months, while some who are claimed to be terminally ill may not die for several years (Euthanasia : Answers To†¦ ). In 1976, the New Jersey Supreme Court gave permission to the parents of comatose Karen Ann Quinlan to remove her from the respirator that was keeping her alive. Even though she was expected to die immediately, she began to breathe on her own and lived another 9 years (Euthanasia : Opposing Viewpoints). Because of cases such as this that show fault in the definition for terminally ill, euthanasia activists change the term terminally ill to hopelessly ill or desperately ill. The definition used for hopeless condition includes those with physical or psychological pain, physical or mental deterioration, or a quality of life unacceptable to the patient (Euthanasia : Answers To†¦ ). With such broad definitions for the term, hopelessly ill could include mostly everyone. The legalization of euthanasia would entirely contradict the medical practices that were established in the Hippocratic Oath, an oath over 2500 years old. Medical students, upon completion of medical school, must vow : I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgement, but never with a view to injury and wrongdoing. Neither will I administer poison to anybody and when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course (Euthanasia Opposing Viewpoints 97). Even though neither the laws nor medical ethics say everything should be done to keep a person alive, the oath forces medical professionals to make a promise to help the sick (Maier). Doctors should be highly enough educated in order to make the best decision for each individual patient. Even if a person requests assistance in their death, it does not give the doctor enough reason to say euthanasia would be the best choice for that patient (Gormally). â€Å"Poisons†, as stated in the Hippocratic Oath, are not to be administered even though many mercy killings now are committed with â€Å"double effect. These are high doses of medicine that may kill a person faster (The Case for†¦ ). A high dose of a medicine is as much of a â€Å"poison† to a body as carbon monoxide, another means of carrying out the death, is. If euthanasia became accepted in the medical professions, it would be an immoral practice that would contradict its origins. For those who are pro-euthanasia, the laws pertaining to euthanasia are considered to be government mandated suffering. The other side to this argument is that these laws are not intended to make anyone suffer, but are instead created to prevent abuse and protect patients from bad doctors (Euthanasia :Answers To†¦ ). There is no actual provision in the legal systems for euthanasia. It is either considered murder or suicide in the United States (â€Å"Euthanasia† Brittanica). It can be a tough situation because on one hand doctors who force treatment against wishes can be charged with assault (Pratt), while if nothing is done to prolong life or if life-support is withdrawn, criminal charges can be also be brought on (â€Å"Euthanasia† Britannica). In the Netherlands, doctors can assist in a euthanasia death even though it is illegal without the possibility of prosecution and there, euthanasia has become out of hand (Pratt). With the legalization of euthanasia in the U. S. , laws and policies would be changed so that rights that would be given to others in order to intentionally cause the end of a life (Euthanasia :Answers To†¦ ). It would become an uncontrollable practice. Instead of legalization, laws on euthanasia should become stricter. Euthanasia has become a problem in the United States that would only become worse if it were legalized. Legalization of euthanasia can not be justified when there is no real determination for the definitions of many terms that play a major role in the euthanasia issue. The practice of euthanasia also carries out undignified deaths that are immoral. It has no benefit to the medical society and contradicts all medical ethics. Assisted suicide has also become involuntary, unsuccessful, and uncontrollable in other countries. For these many reasons, euthanasia should not become legal in the United States.

Monday, January 6, 2020

5 Classic and Heartbreaking Slave Narratives

Slave narratives became an important form of literary expression before the Civil War, when about 65 memoirs by former slaves were published as books or pamphlets. The stories told by former slaves helped to stir public opinion against slavery. The Most Interesting Slave Narratives The prominent abolitionist Frederick Douglass first gained widespread public attention with the publication of his own classic slave narrative in the 1840s. His book and others provided vivid firsthand testimony about life as a slave. A slave narrative published in the early 1850s by Solomon Northup, a free black New York resident who was kidnapped into slavery, aroused outrage. Northups story has become widely known from the Oscar-winning film, 12 Years a Slave,  based on his searing account of life under the cruel slave system of Louisiana plantations. In the years following the Civil War, about 55 full-length slave narratives were published. Remarkably, two more recently-discovered slave narratives were published in November 2007. The authors listed wrote some of the most important and widely-read slave narratives. Olaudah Equiano The first noteworthy slave narrative was The Interesting Narrative of the Life of O. Equiano, or G. Vassa, the African, which was published in London in the late 1780s. The book’s author, Olaudah Equiano, had been born in present-day Nigeria in the 1740s. He was taken into slavery when he was about 11 years old. After being transported to Virginia, he was purchased by an English naval officer, given the name Gustavus Vassa, and offered the opportunity to educate himself while serving as a servant aboard ship. He was later sold to a Quaker merchant and given a chance to trade and earn his own freedom. After buying his freedom, he traveled to London, where he settled and became involved with groups seeking the abolition of the slave trade. Equiano’s book was notable because he could write about his pre-slavery childhood in West Africa, and he described the horrors of the slave trade from the perspective of one of its victims. The arguments Equiano made in his book against the slave trade were used by British reformers who eventually succeeded in ending it. Frederick Douglass The best-known and most influential book by an escaped slave was The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, which was first published in 1845. Douglass had been born into slavery in 1818 on the eastern shore of Maryland, and after successfully escaping in 1838, settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. By the early 1840s, Douglass had come into contact with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and became a lecturer, educating audiences about slavery. It’s believed that Douglass wrote his autobiography partly to counter skeptics who believed he must be exaggerating details of his life. The book, featuring introductions by abolitionist leaders William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips, became a sensation. It made Douglass famous, and he went on to be one of the greatest leaders of the American abolition movement. Indeed, the sudden fame was seen as a danger. Douglass traveled to the British Isles on a speaking tour in the late 1840s, partly to escape the threat of being apprehended as a fugitive slave. A decade later, the book would be enlarged as My Bondage And My Freedom. In the early 1880s, Douglass would publish an even larger autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself. Harriet Jacobs Born into slavery in North Carolina in 1813, Harriet Jacobs was taught to read and write by the woman who owned her. But when her owner died, young Jacobs was left to a relative who treated her far worse. When she was a teenager, her master made sexual advances on her. Finally, one night in 1835, she attempted to escape. The runaway didn’t get far and wound up hiding in a small attic space above the house of her grandmother, who had been set free by her master some years earlier. Incredibly, Jacobs spent seven years in hiding, and health problems caused by her constant confinement led her family to find a sea captain who would smuggle her north. Jacobs found a job as a domestic servant in New York, but life in freedom was not without dangers. There was a fear that slave catchers, empowered by the Fugitive Slave Law, might track her down. She eventually moved on to Massachusetts. In 1862, under the pen name Linda Brent, she published her memoir Incidents in the Live of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself. William Wells Brown Born into slavery in Kentucky in 1815, William Wells Brown had several masters before reaching adulthood. When he was 19, his owner made the mistake of taking him to Cincinnati in the free state of Ohio. Brown ran off and made his way to Dayton. Here, a Quaker who did not believe in slavery helped him and gave him a place to stay. By the late 1830s, he was active in the abolitionist movement and was living in Buffalo, New York. Here, his house became a station on the Underground Railroad. Brown eventually moved to Massachusetts. When he wrote a memoir, Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself, it was published by the Boston Anti-Slavery Office in 1847. The book was very popular and went through four editions in the United States. It was also published in several British editions. He traveled to England to lecture. When the Fugitive Slave Law was passed in the U.S., he chose to remain in Europe for several years, rather than risk being recaptured. While in London, Brown wrote a novel, Clotel; or the President’s Daughter. The book played upon the idea, then-current in the U.S., that Thomas Jefferson fathered a mulatto daughter who had been sold at a slave auction. After returning to America, Brown continued his abolitionist activities, and along with Frederick Douglass, helped recruit black soldiers into the Union Army during the Civil War. His desire for education continued, and he became a practicing physician in his later years. Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project In the late 1930s, as part of the Works Project Administration, field workers from the Federal Writers Project endeavored to interview elderly Americans who had lived as slaves. More than 2,300 people provided recollections, which were transcribed and preserved as typescripts. The Library of Congress hosts Born in Slavery, an online exhibit of the interviews. They are generally fairly short, and the accuracy of some of the material can be questioned, as the interviewees were recalling events from more than 70 years earlier. But some of the interviews are quite remarkable. The introduction to the collection is a good place to start exploring. Sources Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project. Library of Congress, 1936 to 1938. Brown, William Wells. Clotel; or, The Presidents Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States. Electronic Edition, University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2004. Brown, William Wells. Narrative of William W. Brown, A Fugitive Slave. Written by Himself. Electronic Edition, Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001. Douglass, Frederick. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Wilder Publications, January 22, 2008. Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. Kindle Edition. Digireads.com, April 3, 2004. Douglass, Frederick. The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region. The Library of Congress, 1849. Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Paperback, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, November 1, 2018.