Ap European History Essay Example for Free

Ap European History Essay After reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to discuss the meanings of the term renaissance. You should be able to explain the economic context for the Renaissance, the new status of the artist in Renaissance Italy, and the meanings of the terms humanism, secularism, and individualism as applied by scholars to the Renaissance. Also, you should be able to explain how the Italian Renaissance affected politics, the economy, and society. Finally, be able to elaborate on the evolution of medieval kingdoms into early modern nation-states, and the spread of Renaissance humanism northward. Chapter Outline I. The Evolution of the Italian Renaissance A. Economic Growth as the Basis of the Renaissance 1. Venice, Genoa, and Milan grew rich on commerce between 1050 and 1300. 2. Florence, where the Renaissance originated, was an important banking center by the fourteenth century. B. Communes and Republics 1. In northern Italy the larger cities won independence from local nobles and became self-governing communes of free men in the twelfth century. 2. Local nobles moved into the cities and married into wealthy merchant families. This new class set up property requirements for citizenship. . The excluded, the popolo, rebelled and in some cities set up republics. 5. By 1300 the republics had collapsed, and despots or oligarchies governed most Italian cities. C. The Balance of Power among the Italian City-States 1. City patriotism and constant competition for power among cities prevented political centralization on the Italian peninsula. 2. As cities strove to maintain the balance of power among themselves, they invented the apparatus of modern diplomacy. 3. In 1494 the city of Milan invited intervention by the French King Charles VIII. 4. Italy became a battleground as France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Emperor vied for dominance. 5. In 1527 the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V sacked Rome. II. Intellectual Hallmarks of the Renaissance A. Individualism 1. Renaissance writers stressed individual personality, greatness, and achievement, in contrast to the medieval ideal of Christian humility. B. Humanism 1. The revival of antiquity took the form of interest in archaeology, recovery of ancient manuscripts, and study of the Latin classics. 2. The study of the classics became known as the â€Å"new learning,† or humanism. 3. Humanist scholars studied antiquity not so much to find God as to know human nature and understand a different historical context. 4. Humanists derided what they viewed as the debased Latin of the medieval churchmen. C. Secular Spirit 1. The secular way of thinking focuses on the world as experienced rather than on the spiritual and/or eternal. 2. Renaissance thinkers came to see life as an opportunity rather than a painful pilgrimage toward God. 3. Lorenzo Valla argued that sense pleasures were the highest good. 4. Giovanni Boccaccio wrote about an acquisitive, sensual, worldly society. Renaissance popes expended much money on new buildings, a new cathedral (St. Peter’s), and on patronizing artists and men of letters. III. Art and the Artist A. Art and Power 1. In the early Renaissance, corporate groups such as guilds sponsored religious art. 2. By the late fifteenth century individual princes, merchants, and bankers sponsored art to glorify themselves and their families. Their urban palaces were full of expensive furnishings as well as art. 3. Classical themes, individual portraits, and realistic style characterized Renaissance art. 4. Renaissance artists invented perspective and portrayed the human body in a more natural and scientific manner than previous artists did. B. The Status of the Artist 1. Medieval masons were viewed as mechanical workers/artisans. Renaissance artists were seen as intellectual workers. 2. The princes and merchants who patronized artists paid them well. 3. Artists themselves gloried in their achievements. During the Renaissance, the concept of artist as genius was born. 4. Renaissance culture was only the culture of a very wealthy mercantile elite; it did not affect the lives of the urban middle classes or the poor. IV. Social Change A. Education and Political Thought 1. Humanist writers were preoccupied with education for morality and virtue. 2. Baldassare Castiglione’s The Courtier (1528) presented an image of the ideal man as master of dance, music, the arts, warfare, mathematics, and so on. 3. Daughters of the elite received an education similar to sons and a few went on to become renowned painters or scholars. 4. In The Prince (1513), Niccolo Machiavelli argued that politics could not follow simple rules of virtue and morality—that it ought in fact to be studied as a science. B. The Printed Word 1. Around 1455 in the German city of Mainz, Johan Gutenberg and two other men invented the movable type printing press. 2. Methods of paper production had reached Europe in the twelfth century from China through the Near East. 3. Printing made government and Church propaganda much more practical, created an invisible â€Å"public† of readers, and stimulated literacy among laypeople. C. Clocks 1. City people involved in commerce had a need to measure time. 2. By the early fourteenth century mechanical clocks were widespread in Europe. . Mechanical clocks and precise measurement of time contributed to the development of a conception of the universe in measurable, quantitative terms. D. Women and Work 1. Early modern culture identified women with marriage and the domestic virtues. 2. Women were involved with all economic activity connected with the care and nurturing of the family, as well as working outside the home. 3. Women during the Renaissance worked in a variety of businesses—for example, sailmaking—and even in a few isolated cases managed large enterprises. Wealthy women were usually excluded from the public arena and instead managed their households. E. Culture and Sexuality 1. Women’s status in the realm of love, romance, and sex declined during the Renaissance. 2. Writers such as Castiglione created the â€Å"double standard†? women were to be faithful in marriage, while men need not be. 3. Penalties for rape in Renaissance Italy were very light. 4. In spite of statutes against â€Å"sodomy,† generally referring to male homosexuality, Florentine records from the fifteenth century show a lot of homosexual activity going on, usually relations between an adult male and a boy. F. Slavery and Ethnicity 1. In medieval and Renaissance Europe many Slavic, Tartar, Circassian, Greek, and Hungarian slaves were imported. 2. Beginning in the fifteenth century the Portuguese brought many black African slaves into Europe. 3. Within Africa the economic motives of rulers and merchants trumped any cultural/ethnic/racial hostility toward Europeans. They sold fellow Africans into slavery apparently without qualms. 4. Africans did not identify themselves as â€Å"black,† but as members of more than 600 different tribal and ethnic groups. 5. Black slaves were an object of curiosity at European courts. 6. The Renaissance concept of people from sub-Saharan Africa was shaped by Christian symbology of light and darkness? blacks represented the Devil. Race did not emerge as a concept until the late seventeenth century. V. The Renaissance in the North A. Northern Humanists 1. In the late fifteenth century students from northern Europe studied in Italy and brought the Renaissance home. 2. Thomas More (1478–1535) of England argued that reform of social institutions could reduce or eliminate corruption and war. 3. The Dutchman Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) was an expert in the Bible and Greek language who believed that all Christians should read the Bible. 4. Francois Rabelais (1490–1553) ridiculed established institutions such as the clergy with gross humor in Gargantua. 5. Flemish artists came to rival the Italian Renaissance painters. VI. Politics and the State in the Renaissance (ca 1450–1521) A. Centralization of Power 1. Some scholars have viewed Renaissance kingship as a new form, citing the dependence of the monarch on urban wealth and the ideology of the â€Å"strong king. In France Charles VII (r. 1422–1461) created the first permanent royal army, set up new taxes on salt and land, and allowed increased influence in his bureaucracy from middle-class men. He also asserted his right to appoint bishops in the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. 3. Charles’s son Louis XI (r. 1461–1483) fostered industry from artisans, taxed it, and used the funds to build up his army. He brought much new territory under direct Crown rule. 4. In England Edward IV ended the War of the Roses between rival baronial houses. 5. Henry VII ruled largely without Parliament, using as his advisers men with lower-level gentry origins. 6. Henry’s Court of the Star Chamber tried cases involving aristocrats and did so with methods contradicting common law, such as torture. 7. Although Spain remained a confederation of kingdoms until 1700, the wedding of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon did lead to some centralization. Ferdinand and Isabella stopped violence among the nobles, recruited â€Å"middle-class† advisers onto their royal council, and secured the right to appoint bishops in Spain and in the Spanish empire in America. . Popular anti-Semitism increased in fourteenth-century Spain. In 1478 Ferdinand and Isabella invited the Inquisition into Spain to search out and punish Jewish converts to Christianity who secretly continued Jewish religious practices. 9. To persecute converts, Inquisitors and others formulated a racial theory? that conversos were suspect not because of their beliefs, but because of who they were racially. 10. In 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain.

Kants categorical Imperitave applied Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kant describes the categorical imperative as â€Å"expressed by an ought and thereby indicate the relation of an objective law of reason to a will that is not necessarily determined by this law because of its subjective constitution.† In other words, a categorical impetrative is a command of morality that applies everywhere at all times no matter what, without exception. Kant describes two forms of imperatives, hypothetical and categorical.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kant defines the hypothetical imperative as â€Å"an action is good for some purpose, either possible or actual.† The hypothetical imperative that Kant describes is a situation that prescribes an action as a means to get a particular end. In this imperative, inclination is allowed to play a role in your motives. It states action is good for some purpose, either possible or actual. Rational human beings may use appropriate means and ends that are based needs or wants. It is these actions that Kant considers to be hypothetical imperatives. Next, when Kant defines the categorical imperative he states that, â€Å"the action is represented as good in itself, and hence as necessary in a will which of itself conforms to reason as the principle of the will.† He is generally saying that a categorical imperative is an ends that is a means only to itself and not to some other need, desire, or purpose. The categorical imperative may be based on an â€Å"end in itself.† Duties can be classified under categorica... Kants categorical Imperitave applied Essay -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kant describes the categorical imperative as â€Å"expressed by an ought and thereby indicate the relation of an objective law of reason to a will that is not necessarily determined by this law because of its subjective constitution.† In other words, a categorical impetrative is a command of morality that applies everywhere at all times no matter what, without exception. Kant describes two forms of imperatives, hypothetical and categorical.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kant defines the hypothetical imperative as â€Å"an action is good for some purpose, either possible or actual.† The hypothetical imperative that Kant describes is a situation that prescribes an action as a means to get a particular end. In this imperative, inclination is allowed to play a role in your motives. It states action is good for some purpose, either possible or actual. Rational human beings may use appropriate means and ends that are based needs or wants. It is these actions that Kant considers to be hypothetical imperatives. Next, when Kant defines the categorical imperative he states that, â€Å"the action is represented as good in itself, and hence as necessary in a will which of itself conforms to reason as the principle of the will.† He is generally saying that a categorical imperative is an ends that is a means only to itself and not to some other need, desire, or purpose. The categorical imperative may be based on an â€Å"end in itself.† Duties can be classified under categorica...

Message vs. Style in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Essay

â€Å"The message is more important than the style†. I totally disagree with this statement in the context of Things Fall Apart as I believe that in this particular work, the message is of equivalent importance to the style; to have a particular writing style whose sole purpose is found in informing readers as to the purpose to the message, and then to NOT have a message, would be useless, whereas having a message to tell readers, WITHOUT such a writing style as is necessary to allow them to absorb the purpose, would again be useless- therefore the message and writing styles are equally important in this story, as one cannot do without the other. In this case, the central message of Things Fall Apart, that African culture is complex, can only be absorbed by readers if Achebe’s writing style, which incorporates the use of dialogue, conflict, proverbs, diction and setting, allows them to develop such recognition of cultural complexity- the author cannot merely instruct th e reader to believe that the culture is indeed complex, and still expect the reader to believe as such without question. Firstly, Achebe makes ample use of dialogue as a component of his writing style to carry forth the message of a culturally complex society. For example, Okonkwo’s conversation with Obierika as to the Oracle’s desires in Chapter Eight introduces significant cultural elements to the readers. Okonkwo argues that his participation in the murder of Ikemefuna was justified, but Obierika contends otherwise, declaring that Okonkwo’s actions are of the kind for which the earth goddess, Ani, â€Å"wipes out whole families†. In the conflict between their different views we see the strong influence exerted by their religion on each person, and also acquire recognition of significant religious elements, namely the Oracle and the earth goddess. That Okonkwo and Obierika should have differing opinions about the Oracle’s religious intentions indicates the presence of complex perceptions of the same religion. This complexity in religious perceptions then implicitly suggests to readers an inherent complexity in the religion itself, for without such complexity differing religious perceptions would not occur. Religion is a core component of culture, as clearly the culture of a society must not contradict the religious views held by that same society, and having a complex religion as a component of culture in turn suggests that the culture of the society must be complex as well. Dialogue thus serves to carry forth Achebe’s message that African culture is complex. At the same time, in the suggestions of complex culture found in dialogue, we see how Achebe’s style of writing encourages readers to gradually reach a perception of his central message on their own, which is important in that the readers must themselves perceive such cultural complexity through development of their own thoughts on the issue- exactly as Achebe intended. To have a dialogue without any inherent message would also make such dialogue purposeless, as Achebe could not possibly describe an overarching purpose to that conversation. This shows how dialogue as a component of the writing style gives such a writing style an importance equal to that of the message; without dialogue being employed as such, readers cannot acquire knowledge of the message, whereas if there was no message, then dialogue would have no purpose. Dialogue as a component of the writing style thus creates a situation where the style is of equal importance to the message. Secondly, traditional African proverbs, a significant element of Achebe’s writing style, are used to highlight cultural complexity. An example would be Okonkwo’s declaring that â€Å"a child’s fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm† in defence of his participating in the murder of Ikemefuna. He argues that he did as such due to the Oracle declaring that Ikemefuna would have to be killed. That proverbs can be casually used in dialogue to illustrate various points, such as the above proverb serving as a defence for one’s actions, is an indication of a highly-developed language. A society’s culture is based upon its language, for language serves as the primary medium of communication between humans in a society, and as such readers recognize that language is an important component of culture, therefore having a highly-developed language would thus suggest that society is culturally complex. Proverbs being thus used in Achebe’s writing style have therefore led to the subtle formation of such a suggestion to readers, which in turn allows readers to follow through on that suggestion, and thereby reach the conclusion that African culture is complex is nature- this being the exact message which Achebe is trying to bring across to readers. Proverbs being a component of Achebe’s writing style, we can see how they contribute to the carrying the message of cultural complexity across. However, such a writing style also finds its primary purpose in carrying a message; therefore without such a message of cultural complexity, the proverbs would lose their meaning. In this sense, we can safely state that the writing style, through its encompassing the use of proverbs, is of equal importance to the message. Thirdly, Achebe’s choice of diction also plays a very large role in his writing style. Throughout the story, the narrator refers to the housing for Okonkwo’s wives as Obi, court messengers as Kotma, and characters use traditional welcomes such as Nno. That such traditional African words should appear throughout the story, interspersed with all the English words, gives readers the impression that such words cannot be simply translated into English. This then suggests to us that language in the society must be very highly developed, for such words do not have a counterpart in the English language, despite the vast vocabulary of the latter. Indeed, I had to refer to the glossary in the book for the English translations of such words. When readers make such inferences, they cannot help but come to the conclusion that the Africans cannot be culturally primitive- to have such a highly-developed language must in turn suggest a highly developed culture, which is exactly the message Achebe is trying to bring across. Thus Achebe’s choice of diction greatly aids his writing style in carrying the message across to readers, who realize from such implicit suggestions the central message of this work. Indeed, if Achebe did not wish to have a message of cultural complexity, it is plausible that such traditional African words would not appear. Thus we can see how the success in carrying the message across is highly dependent on the writing style, and the shaping of the writing style itself is highly dependent on the type of message being carried across; the message and the style are equally important. Lastly, Achebe’s description of the various settings in which events take place play a part in shaping his particular writing style. The setting of Ezeudu’s funeral in Chapter Thirteen is an example of how the setting as a component of Achebe’s writing style serves to carry forth the message of cultural complexity. Ezeudu’s funeral was a â€Å"warrior’s funeral†, and now and then an â€Å"ancestral spirit†, or â€Å"egwugwu†, would appear â€Å"from the underworld†. From the description of this setting, readers are able to more readily appreciate the complexities of traditional African culture; that their culture incorporates a strong, pagan belief in the existence of supernatural beings, the â€Å"egwugwu†, and a similar belief in the existence of an underworld. This places emphasis on a major religious component in their culture. Ezeudu’s funeral being considered as a â€Å"warrior’s funeral† also allows us to acquire insights into the importance of a particular social class, the warrior class, in their society. The setting has thus contributed to readers being able to recognize two major components in African culture, the former being religion, the latter being a social component. That these two different components should become so elaborately intertwined in this one ceremony is evidence of a complex culture. The reader, in reviewing the description of the setting, thereby acquires knowledge of the central message of cultural complexity which Achebe is trying to bring across, without Achebe having to explicitly declare as such; this clearly shows how Achebe’s writing style of placing information from which readers have to make their own inferences has led to our understanding the message of the novel. Without such a description of the setting, readers might not have been able to absorb this message. On the other hand, without a message, the description of the setting would be useless, as the purpose of such a writing style would be to enlighten readers as to a particular message the author wishes to convey. Therefore I believe that writing style and the message are of equal importance. In conclusion, I believe that the writing style and the message are of equal importance, as the former serves as the vehicle for the latter, whereas the latter exists to give the former purpose. Neither can do without the other, and therefore their interdependence lends them equal importance.

Dangerous sports Essay

According to personal expediencies many hobbies and interests are come and gone, but always dangerous sports and its news always had a large presence.Formula one and Heli Skiing are two of world famous and very dangerous sports, both sports have the impact and the interest around the world. Formula 1 is originated by Britain over 60 years ago and Britain already won many world titles from this sport therefore people have a high interest in this game even though this sport is very dangerous. Fatal accidences are common in Formula 1 racing, in 2002 world championship grand prix â€Å"Aytona Senna† the world famous Brazilian Formula 1 driver crashed in front of massive crowed during the race and dead on the spot. This accident’s impact in many countries to reconsider about this sport and its standers. Even after this accidence there were much fatal accidence happen in Formula 1 racing but still this sport is very famous among whole world. Heli Skiing is also famous and ver y dangerous sport, according to this sport’s history even very experience skiing players also can get serious damage or even fatal accidences during this sport. Recently world famous Michael Schumacher had ski accident and still fighting for his life and Schumacher knew that this sport is dangers but according to many articles shows that its danger makes Michael Schumacher’s interest to this sport. According to above two sports shows that dangerous sports have a major drawbacks and also in some cases it cost human life’s but my personal view argue that if all the dangerous sports can be done with high standards. For instance Formula 1 not causing much accidence after 2006 as compare to 1960 to 2002. Therefore dangerous sports also shows that with setting safety measures and appropriate high standards even very dangerous sports can be done without causing any incidence. The risks can be lessen and these sports are highly populated by more than a decade therefore cannot agree with the statement. Humans are always like to get high risks and most of high risking sports will get famous within no time therefore rather than discouraging those sports can help to lessen accidence and can increase the level of standards.

Presidency of Andrew Jackson essays

Presidency of Andrew Jackson essays Jackson was a man of the people, and he strongly felt that the common man was the power behind government. There were many different aspects that mirrored Jackson and American nationalism. Many factors, including his personality, his policies, his actions, and the way he mirrored American nationalism changed America into what become less of an aristocracy and more of a democracy to benefit the common man. Jackson was a man of humble background. In his time, a man that was born in a cabin was looked upon highly, and some of those with more noble upbringings actually apologized for not being born in more humble surroundings. Jackson was a brash, strong-willed man. He first got his fame in 1815 when he defeated the British Army at New Orleans with his untrained militia. Then in 1818, he violated Spanish territory without any authorization and hung 2 Spanish subjects for supposedly aiding some of the Indians that were being hunted. He lost the election for presidency in 1824. He finally got his presidency in 1828. Most of his votes came from the West and South. When he was in office, he made it clear that he would get his way. He was labeled "King Jackson the First" by some and he expanded the power of the President. He supported a strong national government and used his power to get what he wanted. He vetoed 12 times in his 2 terms in office. His presidency was one of violence, and a sort of monarchy rule. He was truly a man of the people. He also ignored many of the decisions made by the Supreme Court. Another thing was the Jackson had a strong personality and was well liked they supported him because he was a man of the people. He didn't make his view clear many times, but still received support from the people. Violence was a thing that he used also to get his way. A person was either for him or against him. Jackson usually implemented what he wanted personally, not what was good for the people. For e ...

Pro gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pro gun control - Essay Example The essay dwells upon pro gun control, its advantages and disadvantages. To ensure that the regression models used for the study were valid, diagnostics were employed on the regression statistics used. In particular, the LIML regression models used for the study were tested for â€Å"multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity, outliners, normally distributed errors, and non-linearity† and were deemed to have adequately passed the test. In other words, the LIML regression model used was tested for possible conditions that may invalidate the results and was deemed to have passed the applicable tests or regression diagnostics. The LIML regression was applied on 39 cities covering Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and countries on other continents. The sample of cities in Altheimer’s 2010 study includes cities from developing, as well as developed countries. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether the sample of 39 cities used was a random sample, purposive, or a convenient sample. Further, no US city was included in the sample. However, the data covered by Altheimer in 2010, was â€Å"the most far reaching comparable crime victimization data† as of 2010. Based on the foregoing, what appears reasonable to conclude is that the case for gun control continues to rest on good merit. First of all, the latest research provides scientific and statistical evidence to the merit of the view that gun control can reduce violent crime. Further, the statistical tool employed to assess data related to the correlation between violent crime and ownership.

Proposing to work flextime Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposing to work flextime - Case Study Example It will aid the bosses on getting to the right decision whether to approve the said proposal or not. For this reason, the employee should mash up all his or her efforts in order to present a well documented template. If he or she really wants to get the approval of the boss, then he or she should clearly define the things that he or she would be able to do given the chance to telecommute. In any other circumstances, in order for one to arrive at an excellent decision and the right choice, he must first look on different sides. He should weigh the consequences whether that would bring him a great deal or it would just cause him trouble. And in business, managers always choose the one that would of course, bring him triumph. So if an employee wanted to get his proposal approved, then he should provide the things that he thinks would be beneficial for the growth of the company. A manager would resist a proposal that would seem to jeopardize the company’s operations. A manager would not approve a proposal if he thinks it would mean less productivity on the employee’s part. Telecommuting might not be applicable for everybody. An employee must show why he deserves to get the approval for his proposal and it must be on the positive side. Else, the manager may think he is just wasting time on trying to convince him that such employee needs to telecommute. As stated earlier, telecommuting might not be applicable for everybody. It might be because the proposal does not seem right. But most of the time, it is only because of the employee’s doings. For everything we do, there is what we call ethics or the norms on how things should be. Even in work, ethics is present. And according to Ferrell and Fraedrich (2008), work ethics should be properly exhibited. This would most likely be the criteria as to how well you can do work. It is the basis to which all are dependent to – promotion, salary increase, incentives and so on. Some of