Visual And Contextual Analysis Of Vincent Van Gogh s The...

A Formal Visual and Contextual Analysis of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night When I first saw Vincent van Gogh’s painting of The Starry Night, I was immediately drawn to the peaceful luminescent stars emanating outward like vibrant yellow halos into the captivating striking blue sky. I felt a sense of calm and tranquility as the bright orange moon shone intently over the serene village below. The sprawling mountain range, grassy hills and fields of wheat intensified this feeling as a soft wind swept through the countryside. Under the immense stars and vibrant night sky, the people of the village sleep soundly in their cottages. This painting exudes an overwhelming feeling of calmness and peace in my mind. In Vincent van Gogh’s renowned painting, The Starry Night, the vast night sky dominates the background space of the painting. The brightness of the eleven stars, with their yellow celestial glow illuminate the night, blanketing the sleepy, rural village below. Far from the glaring lights of the urban landscape, the pureness of the stars’ radiance floats effortlessly above, lulling the people of the quaint village to sleep. Hovering in the upper right hand corner is a brilliant orange crescent moon, which contributes to the warm mood and aesthetic value of the piece. Mountains, rolling hills and wheat fields surround the cottages as though nature itself is getting a sleepy respite from a long day, much like the townspeople. Toward the forefront of the painting are

Ancient Civilization And Modern Day Iraq And Kuwait Essay

Ancient Sumerian Civilization The ancient civilization of Sumer was located in modern-day Iraq and Kuwait, and is believed to have begun around 6000 B.C. It is considered ‘The cradle of civilization’ by most historians, because it’s where the first elaborate urban societies appeared. Sumerians were polytheistic, and had a pantheon consisting of many gods and goddesses, who were anthropomorphic superhumans. The Sumerians held a unique view of creation, the afterlife, and worship. They contributed one of the most well known literary works â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh†, which tells of a hero’s quest to attain immortality. Within the Sumerian pantheon there were hundreds of gods, but four were deemed the most important. This included An, god of the heavens, Enlil, the air god, Enki, the water god, and Ninhursag, the mother goddess. It seems at one time An was seen as the greatest of all the other gods, but later on Enlil took his place as the supreme deity. Enlil was seen as â€Å"th e father of the gods,† who brought good weather and abundant crops (Kramer,1963). Enki was credited for creating the earth, and also saves man during the great flood by telling him to build an ark just like the biblical flood account. Enki was also known for bringing wisdom and craftsmanship. Ninhursag was a fertility goddess who brought nature and life to earth (Mark, 2011). The Enuma Elish, tells the story of creation and the struggle for order between the gods. It begins with two separate waters swirlingShow MoreRelatedThe Middle East And The European Powers Changes During The Eighteenth And Nineteenth Centuries1294 Words   |  6 Pageseighteenth and nineteen century. For example, the book â€Å"Sources in the History of The Modern Middle east† gives us some of the events that happened in the Middle East during nineteen century such as; Central Political Reforms and Local Responses 1. The Hatt-I-Serif Decree Initiates the Tanzimat, or Reform, Period in the Ottoman Empire, November 3, 1839 2. An Ottoman Government Decree Defines the Official Notion of the â€Å"Modern† Citizen, June 19, 1870 3. Mirza Malkum Khan Satirizes Iran’s Central GovernmentRead MoreThe Islamic Republic Of Iran1617 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom Egypt and Greece in the west to modern cultural identity day India in the East. Iran’s diverse history has manifested into a unique that has put Iran’s political objectives in conflict with many of its Middle Eastern neighbors and Western Civilization. Historians place human activity within Iranian borders as early as 30,000 B.C.E. There were several pre-Achaemenian civilizations found in Iran, the Elamites and the Meds. The Elamite civilization dates back to 4200 B.C.E. and survivedRead MoreThe Mesopotamia And The Nile River Valley1596 Words   |  7 PagesI chose the Mesopotamia and the Nile River Valley. These two civilizations are two of the most favorable ancient civilizations. Although these civilizations are similar in many ways, the small, but impacting differences it what makes these two civilizations stand out the most. The Nile River Valley was located in northern Africa in a country called Egypt. Mesopotamia was located in modern day Iraq, Iran, Syria, Kuwait, and parts of Turkey. The origin of Mesopotamia comes from the meaning â€Å"betweenRead MoreNotes On The s Destiny Disrupted1526 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween these two factions has resulted in differences in worship as well as political and religious vie ws. Sunnis are in the majority and occupy most of the Muslim world, while Shi i populations are concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.Muslims believe that the Qur an, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years, starting with the initial revelation at Mount Hira. After the ProphetRead MoreSaddam Hussein7914 Words   |  32 Pagesspelled Husayn or Hussain; Arabic #1589;#1583;#1575;#1605; #1581;#1587;#1610;#1606; #1593;#1576;#1583;#1575;#1604;#1605;#1580;#1610;#1583; #1575;#1604;#1578;#1603;#1585;#1610;#1578;#1610;; born April 28, 1937 1) was President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. A rising star in the revolutionary Baath Party, which espoused secular pan-Arabism, economic modernization, and socialism, Saddam (see 2 regarding names) played a key role in the bloodless 1968 coup that brought the party to powerRead More The Iran-Iraq War Essay3022 Words   |  13 PagesIran-Iraq War While the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980s may have permanently altered the course of progress in Iran and Iraq, the war also altered the resulting permanent involvement of the rest of the world in the middle-east. The rich and complicated history in Iraq has established numerous cultural and ethnic traditions that all play a part in where the country is today. The Iran-Iraq War brought into focus some of those traditions and how they conflicted, while also bringing Iraq and itsRead MoreIslam : A Western Culture And Many Authors Have Failed2279 Words   |  10 PagesSaudi Arabians consider homosexuality to be a Western culture and many authors have failed to agree on the argument that it found its way from the western countries into the Middle East after and during the offensive in Iraq (Ilkkaracan 58). Considering the strict cultural values of the Muslim lifestyle, homosexuality has no place in the region. Islam is the predominant religion of the region and the way of life is firm ly rooted on the teachings of the Quran. The practice goes against the decreeRead MoreLight Pollution : A Science Journalist At New Statesman Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pagespicture for the reader of the night sky with billions of stars twinkling and making them feel in awe at what they are imagining. He goes from there to explain the origination of Western astronomy starting with the Mesopotamians, then moving on to more modern science from the Babylonians and Assyrians. From there, Chowdhury explains the Bortle scale, which is a scale that measures the amount of light pollution in a specified area. He inserts a video decpicting examples of the Bortle Scale, with differentRead MoreArab Culture - Essay6842 Words   |  28 Pagescountries where Arabic is the dominant language. †¢ Arab countries are religiously and ethnically diverse with Islam being the dominant religion in most countries. †¢ 22 Arab countries/areas: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. †¢ Iran and Turkey are not Arab countries. ARAB GEOGRAPHY The Arab â€Å"homeland† stretches some 5,000Read MoreAsia: the Worlds Largest and Most Popular Continent4519 Words   |  19 PagesSouthwest Asia – The Middle East including Turkey, Iran, Cyprus, Israel, and Lebanon. ETYMOLOGY Asia was originally a concept of  Western civilization.[14]  The place name, Asia, in various forms in a large number of modern languages is of unknown ultimate provenience. Its etymology and language of origin are uncertain. It appears to be one of the most ancient of recorded names. A number of theories have been published. English Asia can be traced through the formation of English literature to Latin

Ethics in Religion free essay sample

â€Å"If there is no God, then everything is permitted† – Dostoyevky If there is no God, then surely everything is permitted and there will be situation of moral chaos. This is because people will try to define what is moral by themselves and people somehow will define it differently according to their internal and external factors. Without God, there is no good and evil, there are only subjective opinions that we then label â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil. † RELIGION MUST BE THE BASIS FOR MORALITY. No doubt religion must be the basis of ethics and it is undeniable. Why it is because religion is the most solid basis to explain morality. All religions have moral components and religious approach to ethical issues supported by divine teaching. With the clear guidelines that has been underline in holy books, revelations that mostly come from supernatural and divine teaching is not something man-made. For example, divine book of Islam Al-Quran lays the principles that help Muslims achieve salvation, become better individuals and useful members of society. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics in Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The book has underlined almost everything from how one should serve Allah to even how to do business. Next, God’s law is not only meant to create harmonious environment but also to test His believers’ upon their loyalty. Most religions always discuss about life after death. Human are accountable to all their action during their lifetime and it will be paid in hereafter. The concept of paradise and hell in Islam can be a motivational and sanction factors to Muslims to perform a good and avoid bad conducts. The concept of God’s existence will make belief that everything that you do will be paid, definitely. For example, the concept of karma in Buddhism and the concept of Judgement Day, Paradise and Hell in Islam. Besides that, the reason why religion is must be the basis of morality is because there will be no conflict of interest in defining what is right or wrong. The secular point of view on what can be classified as a moral conduct is based on only motive, act and consequences, which is somehow, may be biased. It only depends on the result and consequences of their conduct such as the famous quote by Machiavelli – â€Å"the ends justify the means†. What is morally right to do is based on what they think is right eventhough they may discriminate other people. For instance, the apartheid issue in United States is the question of moral. The forth reason why religion must be the basis of morality is that the view of God commands is good and what has been prohibited is evil. It has been explained by Divine Command Theory. The Divine Command Theory is the view on morality that what is right is whatever God commands. We know the sets of what is good and what is bad through religion, and their content are whatever our religion says it is. The believers hold that values come from some higher power or supernatural being. It shows that the determinant of what is good or bad is not based on normal human thinking by themselves as what has been practise by atheist but rather by some higher power or supernatural being. For example, the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights by United Nation that uphold the concept of LGBT is contradict with Islam that surely will lead to destruction of mankind. Lastly, no doubt that religious sanction has harmonious relationship between reasons and revelation. Most religions have certain sanction to their believers and the relevance of the sanctions is definitely has solid reasons. The atheists may argue with this sanctions but what they don’t understand is the ultimate reason it been introduced. Through the concept and belief in the existence of God, the believers will follow those sanctions for the reasons of their God will watch and judges every action and there will be rewards and punishments. For example, in pre-Islamic Arabia killing of female infants was very common and very often, the moment a female was born, she was buried alive. However, after the spread of Islam in Arabia, this evil practice has been discontinued for a good reason. CONCLUSION The argument that does we need to subscribe to a religion in order to be a good person is never ending. Obviously, people can certainly maintain ethical perspectives and subscribe to ethical principles and behaviour without engagement in religious or spiritual beliefs, institutions, or practices. Religious engagement and practices encourages and supports clean living. Research has consistently found that religious people are less likely to engage in criminal behaviour, marital infidelity, alcoholism, unprotected sexual activity as well as being more likely to engage in good social behaviours such as volunteerism and charity. REFERENCES * Stephen Satris, CLASHING VIEWS IN MORAL ISSUES, McGrawHill * Regina Wentzel Wolfe, ETHICS AND WORLD RELIGIONS, Orbis Books. * Joe Jenkins, ETHICS AND RELIGION, Heinemann.

The Spanish Conquest Essay Example

The Spanish Conquest Essay The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in 1521, led by Hernando Cortes, was a landmark victory for the European settlers. Following the Spanish arrival in Mexico, a huge battle erupted between the army of Cortes and the Aztec people under the rule of Montezuma. The Aztecs are a tribe, according to their own legends, from Aztlan somewhere in the north of modern Mexico. A major part of their life was religion. A polytheistic people, they often practiced human sacrifice to please their gods . The Aztecs had good wealth from trading and heavy payments of tribute from conquered people. According to legend, the god Quetzalcoatl, characterized by light skin, red hair, and light eyes, was supposed to return to earth. This appearance is very similar to Hernando Cortez’s appearance, and why the Aztecs greeted the Spaniards with food, gold, and women one of them, known to the Spaniards as Dona Marina, becomes Cortes mistress and interpreter . In November 1519 when Cortes approaches Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs, his small force is augmented by 1000 Tlaxtalecs . But to the astonishment of the Spaniards, no force is needed. Cortes wasted no time in taking claim for god and King. He challenged the natives and entered Tenochtitlan, taking the Aztec leader, Montezuma, hostage which led to the Aztec uprising that culminated in La Noche Triste . The Spaniards had the advantage over the Aztecs in every way except for numbers. They had strange animals that the Aztecs had never seen before such as the horse, which they thought were connected to the Spaniards. We will write a custom essay sample on The Spanish Conquest specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Spanish Conquest specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Spanish Conquest specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The horses allowed the Spaniards to tower over the battling Aztecs giving them an advantage on spotting on coming attacks. The Spaniards also had guns, swords, cannons, and metal shields to protect their bodies . The Aztecs didn’t try to kill the Spaniards but instead tried to use them as sacrifices. They’d beat them with their wooden weapons or throw spears at them to injure them. Despite Cortes’s encountering a few setbacks, there was no contest, and he managed to subdue five million Aztecs with his tiny army. Not only did they beat the Aztecs in battle, the diseases syphilis and smallpox helped them by killing off half of the Aztecs . Aside from this negative aspect of the European discovery of the New World, the Spaniards had some positive effects on the native population. They introduced domestic animals like horses, sheep, cattle, and pigs to the American Continent. Furthermore, they brought sugar, and different kinds of grains and fruits with them.