The Renaissance was the beginning of the modern era in that it brought about the beginning of rational secular thought. The invention of the printing press made books more affordable and more people had access to knowledge. People began to read their Bibles for themselves and question what the Catholic Church had been claiming for centuries--this reliance on Scripture reading and personal salvation would be the backbone of the Protestant Reformation.
The Renaissance was also modern in that people studied math and science more. Man looked to make sense of his world and the printing press gave more people access to ancient thinkers such as Euclid and Plato. With the rise of literacy more people wanted books in the languages they normally spoke (instead of the Church's Classical Latin) so this is the beginning of the modern French and Germanic languages becoming popular in literature. With literature also came national identity--this would lead to the nation state. Also, the Military Revolution happened during the Renaissance. Small kingdoms fell, while the larger ones grew into nation-states in need of large bureaucracies. The larger ones were able to harness the manpower and money to expand the armies in terms of numbers and technology. Also, military science became a field of study--this outgrowth of learning is similar to what was happening in other fields during the Renaissance such as in the sciences and religion.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Why was the Renaissance considered the beginning of the modern era? Are there any attitudes or ideas from the Reformation that you can see may have been influenced by the Renaissance?
Why Martin Luther king used parallelism
Parallelism is a rhetorical device that involves the repetition of words, phrases, or sentences that have the same grammatical construction. Here is an example from Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, given during the March on Washington in 1963:
"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."
In this example, "sweltering with" is repeated twice, followed by "the heat of" and then a noun. Dr. King repeats the word "sweltering" to emphasize not only the heat of Mississippi but also its racism and injustice. Dr. King also included several paragraphs in his speech that began with "I have a dream," and he repeated not only the grammatical construction of the sentence but also entire phrases word for word.
Dr. King used parallelism in part because it was a common rhetorical device for ministers, who were used to presenting their sermons orally. Parallelism helps listeners take in the message of the sermon through the use of repetition. In addition, parallelism has a lyrical, musical quality that makes the words sound more pleasing and therefore more memorable. Dr. King used this device to emphasize his dreams and make sure the audience absorbed them.
https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf
Describe two factors that contributed to the fall of the Byzantine Empire.
The strength of the Byzantine Empire had been weakening for some time before its final collapse on May 29, 1453. For centuries, its empire had been picked apart by the Turks and other enemies. The emperors were finding it increasingly difficult to hold their fragile empire together. Here we will discuss two of the factors that led to its final fall.
A long series of civil wars
The fourteenth century was dominated by two costly civil wars that severely weakened the Byzantine Empire. The trouble started when Emperor Andronikos II excluded his grandson, Andronikos III, from succession. This resulted in his grandson revolting against him and then being crowned co-emperor. The two emperors constantly fought each other for the upper hand, forming alliances with different ethnic groups within the empire. This infighting greatly distracted the Byzantines from the real threat of the Turks, who continued to take over parts of the empire. More problems occurred in 1341 when Andronikos died, leaving it unclear who would succeed him. Fighting broke out between the regent John Cantacuzenus, supported by the aristocrats, and John V and the empress dowager, supported by the merchant class. The bloody and expensive civil war that followed left the empire in a very weakened condition.
The emergence of the Ottomans
Through the fourteenth century, the Ottoman Turks were a rising power in western Anatolia. They were able to gain much land when the Seljuk empire fell apart. The Ottomans saw Constantinople as a key territory in the expansion of their empire and began making preparations to take it from the weakened Byzantines when Mehmed II came to power in 1451. Emperor Constantine XI called on Western Europe for aid but very little came. The weakened and depopulated city was unable to fend off the Ottoman invasion that came in the spring of 1453. After a siege of fifty-three days, the Ottomans were able to breach the city's walls and take over the last remaining stronghold of the Byzantine Empire.
https://www.livescience.com/42158-history-of-the-byzantine-empire.html
int dx/(x(sqrt(4x^2-1))) Find the indefinite integral
We have to evaluate the integral : \int \frac{dx}{x\sqrt{4x^2-1}}
Let \sqrt{4x^2-1}=u
So, \frac{1}{2\sqrt{4x^2-1}}.8x dx=du
\frac{4xdx}{\sqrt{4x^2-1}}=du
\frac{dx}{\sqrt{4x^2-1}}=\frac{du}{4x}
Hence we have,
\int \frac{dx}{x\sqrt{4x^2-1}}=\int \frac{du}{4x^2}
=\int \frac{du}{u^2+1}
=tan^{-1}(u)+C
=tan^{-1}(\sqrt{4x^2-1})+C where C is a constant
a_n = (3n)/(n+2) Determine whether the sequence with the given n'th term is monotonic and whether it is bounded.
Let write the first few terms of the sequence:
a_1=3/3=1
a_2=6/4=3/2
a_3=9/5
a_4=12/6=2
We can see that the first four terms are increasing so it is possible that the whole sequence is monotonically increasing. To prove that, we need to check that
a_n
(3n)/(n+2)<(3n+3)/(n+3)
Now we multiply the whole inequality by (n+2)(n+3). We can do that because n>0 and thus (n+2)(n+3)>0.
3n^2+9n<3n^2+6n+3n+6
3n^2-3n^2+9n-9n<6
0<6
Since zero is indeed less than six we can conclude that a_n
Let us now prove that the sequence is bounded from above by 3 i.e.
a_n<3
(3n)/(n+2)<3
Now we multiply by n+2. We can do that because n>0 and thus n+2>0.
3n<3n+6
0<6
Since zero is indeed less than six we can conclude that a_n<3, forall n in NN. Therefore, the sequence is bounded from both below and above i.e.
1leq a_n<3
The image below shows first 50 terms of the sequence. Both monotonicity and boundedness can clearly be seen on the image.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Why is the transmission of the memory of snow exhausting to the old man? What does this reveal about the community?
After the Giver transmits the first memory of a sled ride down a snowy hill to Jonas, he is exhausted and physically drained from the experience. The reason that the Giver is extremely fatigued has to do with the fact that the memory took place in the distant past. In order for the Giver to retrieve the memory, he had to bring it back from many generations ago, which is apparently a difficult and exhausting task. The Giver explains to Jonas that the further a memory is in the past, the more difficult it is to retrieve and transmit.
The memory of the snow is significant and reflects the dramatic changes Sameness has had on the landscape, climate, and environment of the community. Sameness has eliminated hills and treacherous weather in order to make life more efficient and comfortable. Harsh weather like snow and rough terrain no longer exist in Jonas's community. While there are positive aspects of Sameness, it becomes apparent that there are also negatives attached to the altered environment and lifestyle created by Sameness, which become more pronounced and controversial as Jonas's training sessions continue.
In The Giver, the first memory Jonas receives is one of snow. Jonas experiences the feeling of cold air, snow, a hill, and a sled. Once the Giver ends the transmission of the memory, he is exhausted. This is because the memory he gives is an old one from generations earlier. The Giver explains that the memory was old when he first received it too. It must be brought forward in his mind before it can be transmitted, which takes a toll on the Giver.
Jonas questions why he has never seen snow before. The Giver explains that the community does away with anything that negatively impacts Sameness. Snow affects agriculture production. Climate Control ensures that agriculture production remains predictable. Since hills affect transportation, doing away with hills ensures predictable transportation.
who is a father of english literature
"The father of English Literature" is an expression reserved for Geoffrey Chaucer. He is best known for writing The Canterbury Tales, a collection of twenty-four stories written at the end of the 14th century. Chaucer was a prolific poet and author (as well as astronomer and diplomat) of English descent, and is credited with legitimizing Middle English with his canonical works. He also championed some of the most quintessential and enduring elements of Western poetry, including heroic couplets and iambic pentameter.
However, if we are considering more broadly any "father" of English Literature, many names could come into play. William Shakespeare, a playwright and poet of the 16th and early 17th century, made an immense impact on both English literature and English language. Given the time period in which he produced his works, perhaps he would be referred to as "the father of Modern English Literature." Along these lines, the names Edmund Spenser, Charles Dickens, and John Milton also apply as "fathers of English literature."