(H) No matter today or in the past, art tells us about ourselves and what we are thinking. (T) It is evident that thought is portrayed in art whereas it is able to capture philosophy as it transforms from era to era. (MS1) In the Dark Ages, St. Augustine's concept of an ugly and sinful world was portrayed in Old St. Peter's Church. (MS2) Neo-Platonism arose in the Middle Ages, giving the belief of a good inside of each human being, symbolically shown in Gothic art where light is the main focus. (MS3) Finally in the Renaissance, we have a rebirth of past ideas from Islam presenting to us new tools to make even better pieces of art.
The math skills introduced by the Muslims will contribute to the beauty of architecture. Brunelleschi was able to take Giotto's technique of linear perspective and perfect it with this math. Unfortunately, he did not publish his findings and left that to Alberti. The contributions of these mathematicians were the reinforcements of the amazing building created such as the Great Mosque of Samara. It is a proportional minaret that is 52 meters tall, which requires a lot of complicated math to plan and structure. As a mosque, it was a religious place for prayer but structurally, it was built with careful planning and complicated calculations. Thus, here we see a perfect blend of religion and the math of science.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Mini Midterm Outline
I. Intro
II. Dark Ages
A. St. Augustine
1. ugly, sinful, evil, dark outside
2. must hope to remove faulty impressions of sensory knowledge to attain divine wisdom
3. must rely on Church/God to achieve enlightenment
B. Romanesque - Old St. Peter's
1. 320 CE in Rome
2. Roman used Basilicas as courtrooms (secular)
3. architectural features (vaults, ambulatory, nave...)
4. symbolic of ugly/simple appearance = our physical world and beautiful internally = God's world
5. stole from Greek pagan temples, thus a double purpose - destroying the Greek pagan ideas and using them to build up the Christian worship
T. 1033 - the people realize that Jesus is not coming back and thus explore the world for answers.
III. Middle Ages
A. Neo-Platonism
1. Plotinus says that we don't need outside sources to achieve enlightenment
2. body = agent/prison of soul
3. St. Augustine states we only need to depend on ourselves b/c God is w/in us already thus we have the power to be enlightened
4. a piece of God's soul lies w/in us = universal goodness (happiness)
5. new-Plato but still following Allegory of the Cave
a. physical body is prison to our good souls
b. grace of God breaks our chains and free us b/c we pursue the truth (small streak of light)
B. Abbey Saint Denis (1140-1144) & Abbot Suger
1. Abbot Suger = Neo-Platonist
a. didn't believe that reading the Bible could allow one to reach divine revelation
b. b/c at that time period, most were illiterate thus use art to allow them to reach divine revelation
2. designed a new style -- Gothic Architecture for the Abbey St. Denis (1st Gothic cathedral)
a. main idea = LIGHT
b. Rose window - brings in light
c. flying buttresses - allows support to make larger clerestory windows
d. stained glass - told stories, gave a sense of awe to the ones praying inside
e. vaults - (4/6 partied) allows support
T. Instead of just having science and religion separate , now used to support each other
IV. Renaissance
A. Rebirth of past philosophers & intro of Muslim philosophers
1. Aristotle, Averroes, Avicenna
2. reject Neo-Platonism b/c science and logic are tools to understand God and his creations.
B. Thomas Aquinas
1. tried to use logic/reasoning to prove the existence of God
C. Quran Quotes
1. "The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of martyrs."
2. explaining how serious they are about studying the world
3. believe that to know the world would bring them a step closer to God (look at creations to know about the creator)
D. I-Search - Architecture
1. Math came from Islam to make proportional buildings of perfection
2. The Great Mosque of Samara
E. Brunelleschi
1. used mathematics to prove logically the concept of linear perspective
2. this knowledge contribute to the architectural developments
V. Conclusion
II. Dark Ages
A. St. Augustine
1. ugly, sinful, evil, dark outside
2. must hope to remove faulty impressions of sensory knowledge to attain divine wisdom
3. must rely on Church/God to achieve enlightenment
B. Romanesque - Old St. Peter's
1. 320 CE in Rome
2. Roman used Basilicas as courtrooms (secular)
3. architectural features (vaults, ambulatory, nave...)
4. symbolic of ugly/simple appearance = our physical world and beautiful internally = God's world
5. stole from Greek pagan temples, thus a double purpose - destroying the Greek pagan ideas and using them to build up the Christian worship
T. 1033 - the people realize that Jesus is not coming back and thus explore the world for answers.
III. Middle Ages
A. Neo-Platonism
1. Plotinus says that we don't need outside sources to achieve enlightenment
2. body = agent/prison of soul
3. St. Augustine states we only need to depend on ourselves b/c God is w/in us already thus we have the power to be enlightened
4. a piece of God's soul lies w/in us = universal goodness (happiness)
5. new-Plato but still following Allegory of the Cave
a. physical body is prison to our good souls
b. grace of God breaks our chains and free us b/c we pursue the truth (small streak of light)
B. Abbey Saint Denis (1140-1144) & Abbot Suger
1. Abbot Suger = Neo-Platonist
a. didn't believe that reading the Bible could allow one to reach divine revelation
b. b/c at that time period, most were illiterate thus use art to allow them to reach divine revelation
2. designed a new style -- Gothic Architecture for the Abbey St. Denis (1st Gothic cathedral)
a. main idea = LIGHT
b. Rose window - brings in light
c. flying buttresses - allows support to make larger clerestory windows
d. stained glass - told stories, gave a sense of awe to the ones praying inside
e. vaults - (4/6 partied) allows support
T. Instead of just having science and religion separate , now used to support each other
IV. Renaissance
A. Rebirth of past philosophers & intro of Muslim philosophers
1. Aristotle, Averroes, Avicenna
2. reject Neo-Platonism b/c science and logic are tools to understand God and his creations.
B. Thomas Aquinas
1. tried to use logic/reasoning to prove the existence of God
C. Quran Quotes
1. "The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of martyrs."
2. explaining how serious they are about studying the world
3. believe that to know the world would bring them a step closer to God (look at creations to know about the creator)
D. I-Search - Architecture
1. Math came from Islam to make proportional buildings of perfection
2. The Great Mosque of Samara
E. Brunelleschi
1. used mathematics to prove logically the concept of linear perspective
2. this knowledge contribute to the architectural developments
V. Conclusion
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The Four Idols of Francis Bacon
As the power of the Catholic Church decreased, it was soon left them with only the educational system to rule over. A new philosopher would rise and attempt to take even this power away from them. Francis Bacon argued that to continue the old education system the Catholic Church instilled upon us would lead to idolatry or the worst sin. He grouped these into four categories:
1. Idols of the Tribe - This was pertaining to our human nature and how we respond to a distinct change. We start to jump to conclusions and think about reasons for our environment to change. We seem to need a reason for everything that is strange to us. Also, our previous knowledge adn opinions about various subjects may play a role in the different types of excuses we would use to justify why a certain detail is strange to us. Instead of jumping to conclusions, Bacon is encouraging us to study why things are changing to explain a strange event.
2. Idols of the Cave - This section is referring to the Allegory of the Cave. In the Allegory of the Cave, the ones that teach are the ones in power, thus they will teach what they want. For example, textbook companies print in their books only the information that make their government appear as the good one defending themselves. In the past, it was argued why certain countries cut out events that make them "look bad" by re-writing their history. This effects the opinion of the child reading only from that source. This is an example of how what one is taught is what one learns and based on this previous knowledge, biased conclusions are formed. Thus those that teach are the controllers of the future. If the Church was in charge, then they would teach them to follow the Bible and ignore everything that contradicted it (science would be one). Thus the Church would slowly gain back its power.
3. Idols of the Marketplace - The language of an argument can twist the idea around to mean what it does not mean. The Church utilized their mastery of language to twist the meanings of several concepts to their power. Since most of Europe was uneducated, the Church used this to rise up and be seen like a leader. For example, the aphorisms Jesus taught had different ways to interpret them such as the way he spoke about millenarianism. Certainly, many philosophers formed their conclusions of his aphorism and warned the world that the end of the world was soon to come. Thus by purifying one's soul and following the church, one would be saved and enter Heaven where they achieved eternal happiness. This instilled fear and led to the accumulation of the Church's power.
4. Idols of the Theatre - This is similar to the example i used in the Idols of the Cave where the countries re-write their history in their books as to teach their citizens only what they are proud of. The Christian West picks and chooses certain scholars to fit their teachings and are thus causing us to biased. Again, previous knowledge affects our conclusions about certain subjects.
1. Idols of the Tribe - This was pertaining to our human nature and how we respond to a distinct change. We start to jump to conclusions and think about reasons for our environment to change. We seem to need a reason for everything that is strange to us. Also, our previous knowledge adn opinions about various subjects may play a role in the different types of excuses we would use to justify why a certain detail is strange to us. Instead of jumping to conclusions, Bacon is encouraging us to study why things are changing to explain a strange event.
2. Idols of the Cave - This section is referring to the Allegory of the Cave. In the Allegory of the Cave, the ones that teach are the ones in power, thus they will teach what they want. For example, textbook companies print in their books only the information that make their government appear as the good one defending themselves. In the past, it was argued why certain countries cut out events that make them "look bad" by re-writing their history. This effects the opinion of the child reading only from that source. This is an example of how what one is taught is what one learns and based on this previous knowledge, biased conclusions are formed. Thus those that teach are the controllers of the future. If the Church was in charge, then they would teach them to follow the Bible and ignore everything that contradicted it (science would be one). Thus the Church would slowly gain back its power.
3. Idols of the Marketplace - The language of an argument can twist the idea around to mean what it does not mean. The Church utilized their mastery of language to twist the meanings of several concepts to their power. Since most of Europe was uneducated, the Church used this to rise up and be seen like a leader. For example, the aphorisms Jesus taught had different ways to interpret them such as the way he spoke about millenarianism. Certainly, many philosophers formed their conclusions of his aphorism and warned the world that the end of the world was soon to come. Thus by purifying one's soul and following the church, one would be saved and enter Heaven where they achieved eternal happiness. This instilled fear and led to the accumulation of the Church's power.
4. Idols of the Theatre - This is similar to the example i used in the Idols of the Cave where the countries re-write their history in their books as to teach their citizens only what they are proud of. The Christian West picks and chooses certain scholars to fit their teachings and are thus causing us to biased. Again, previous knowledge affects our conclusions about certain subjects.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Galileo had a Daughter?!
Although we acknowledge Galileo, most of us have never heard about the daughter, Maria. Yes, Galileo had a daughter and she is who we owe for the knowledge of motion and other concepts that Galileo had formulated. Sister Maria fulfilled the typical daughter's role and even more. She cooked, did his laundry, and even made his medicine. Without her medication, he probably would have died at an early age and never would have been able to accomplish the concepts we credit him for today. During the Bubonic Plague, she even meshed herbs together and made them a pill utilizing honey as edible glue to protect her father from the sickness. Even when the inquisition summoned him, she persuaded him to confess and just say what the Church wants. This saved him from imprisonment but he was put under house arrest where he spent his time measuring motion. Without her, even if Galileo was able to discover, document, and make conclusions, he would have never been able to publish his books. She had little education but was a humble reader of Galileo's doctrines. She helped make comments, took things out and put other things in. She was Galileo's editor.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Aquinas' Five Ways - The Best and the Worst
As discussed in class, St Thomas Aquinas was the first Christian priest to start Scientific Revolution. He attempted to prove that by using reason correctly, one would be brought closer to God. Unfortunately, his proofs were loose and errors were abundant.
I think his worst proof was the First Way : the Argument From Motion. This explained that since everything must have a mover to start the action, then there must have been one unmoved mover and this was God. As Will pointed out in class, Aquinas is "begging the question" by stating his argument already assuming that it had been proved. It also brings up the question, who moved God?
Aquinas' best one would probably be the Fifth Way : The Argument from Intelligent Design. I find that it is rather hard to think that a clump of atoms just exploded to make the universe according to the Big Bang theory. I find it a little easier to think that there is a super being above watching over us. it seems like a security blanket and sometimes even a scapegoat for us to fall back on. So, i don't really know how to argue how the universe was made because it does seem like nature has its way to work.
I think his worst proof was the First Way : the Argument From Motion. This explained that since everything must have a mover to start the action, then there must have been one unmoved mover and this was God. As Will pointed out in class, Aquinas is "begging the question" by stating his argument already assuming that it had been proved. It also brings up the question, who moved God?
Aquinas' best one would probably be the Fifth Way : The Argument from Intelligent Design. I find that it is rather hard to think that a clump of atoms just exploded to make the universe according to the Big Bang theory. I find it a little easier to think that there is a super being above watching over us. it seems like a security blanket and sometimes even a scapegoat for us to fall back on. So, i don't really know how to argue how the universe was made because it does seem like nature has its way to work.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
St. Augustine's Philosophy and the Essence of Gothic Architecture
In the same sense that St. Augustine was able to present to us his philosophy, Suger's modified church gave us the Gothic style. Both of these revolved around the idea of Light. To St. Augustine, our bodies were similar to that of the allegory of the cave. It was a dark and sinful prison to our souls. These souls were the bright slit of light that was able to travel through the dark cave. It freed the souls from their prisons and led them to a perfect realm. This would be God's realm where happiness was eternal. This idea of an evil shell and a beautiful core would be what joins St. Augustine's philosophy with that of Gothic Architecture. The essence of Gothic Style would be Light. The large clerestory windows of stained glass welcomed the sun into the church. In addition to the biblical stories told in the windows, the beautiful colors of the stained glass gave a special effect towards what time of day it was (i believe, symbolic to God as the light and so as the sun came closer, the effect would change meaning one is closer to God). This sparkle is what compared to the beauty of the inside and the ugly of the outside, whether this was pertaining to a person's soul and body or the world of God in a church. This showed that through one's faith, they would be freed from their bodies and enter into a world of peace and happiness.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Fallacies of Hitler's Mein Kampf
There are several fallacies in Hitler's Mein Kampf or "My Struggles".
"Each animal mates only with one of its own species." Here Hitler is using animal species as an analogy to the human race. He is pointing out that the species of animals only mate with their own kind. This aspect is true for the majority of the species but not to several animals such as the tigon or liger. But Hitler is not referring to the subspecies of humans (since there are none), he is trying to justify his opinion of differernt races. He is sayingt that since the majority of animals do not interbreed, we also should not mix our cultures either because of the differences in our skin complexions.
"The only difference that can exist within the species must be in the various degrees of structural strength and active power, in the intelligence, efficiency, endurance, etc., with which the individual specimens are endowed." Here, Hitler states that different species have their strength and intelligence thus referring to different races and their own measures. I presume he is trying to imply that all the other races are inferior to him and because their skin color determines theur intelligence, physical strength, and endurance. But this is only an opinion agreed by the majority of humans and Hitler here states one's skin color is the reason for their weakness.
"Each animal mates only with one of its own species." Here Hitler is using animal species as an analogy to the human race. He is pointing out that the species of animals only mate with their own kind. This aspect is true for the majority of the species but not to several animals such as the tigon or liger. But Hitler is not referring to the subspecies of humans (since there are none), he is trying to justify his opinion of differernt races. He is sayingt that since the majority of animals do not interbreed, we also should not mix our cultures either because of the differences in our skin complexions.
"The only difference that can exist within the species must be in the various degrees of structural strength and active power, in the intelligence, efficiency, endurance, etc., with which the individual specimens are endowed." Here, Hitler states that different species have their strength and intelligence thus referring to different races and their own measures. I presume he is trying to imply that all the other races are inferior to him and because their skin color determines theur intelligence, physical strength, and endurance. But this is only an opinion agreed by the majority of humans and Hitler here states one's skin color is the reason for their weakness.
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