How fertility was portrayed in ancient art Essay

How fertility was portrayed in ancient art - Essay Example The earliest artifacts that portray fertility can be said to emanate from both the historical periods of Neolithic and Paleolithic period. These images included sculptures in which females were portrayed, whereby the artists presented the women with swollen bellies, as well as accentuated thighs and breasts. One of these images is the â€Å"Venus of Willendorf†, which encompasses a figure of a female that is well rounded. The picture of the woman in this portrait has been carved from limestone whose shape is that of an egg. This work portrays fertility since it seems that the artist who curved it linked fertility with the shape of the stone used, which resembled an egg. Fertility in this artwork can also be portrayed by the fact that it has some features, which can be regarded as the phenomenon of female figurines (Liu 147). Some archeologists have referred to this image as the goddess of fertility. This image is crucial since it portrays some features that relate to fertility . For example, the swelling in the image, as well as the femininity emphasized by the sculptor, can be connected to female fertility. From this image, fertility, in its physical form, can be seen from most of the features that the image possesses. The female figure appears as strong and large, which is common in pregnant women who fall under the category of fertile people. The continuity and change about fertility can be depicted by the fact that figure appears as stable. In addition, the hands of the female figure can be seen resting on her breasts, which further presents her as strong. The power seen in the figure can be associated with childbirth and stable health, which relate to fertility (Liu 147). Another ancient piece of art that represents fertility is the â€Å"Venus of laussel.† This image consists of a drawing, which portrays an overweight woman, but with little presented about her looks. This figure can be found in Laussel, which is a cave in the French Valley of Dordogne. Scholars of the Paleolithic period have asserted that the woman in this image holds a crescent moon. The figure held by the woman resembles the crescent moon. In addition, the figure has 13 stripes, which represent the lunar cycle. Since the Venus has her hand on her belly, which is of large size, this can be regarded to be a sign of fertility. Moreover, the tallies, which the crescent has, can sometimes be referred as the total number of cycles of menstruation, which a woman experiences in one year. This image can be regarded as important since it presents some of the symbols, which related to fertility in women (James 230). The other image that represents fertility is the â€Å"Sculptured Vase† from the Uruk Period. This sculpture represents Inanna, the goddess associated with both fertility and love. This figure represents a huge image of the goddess receiving some offerings. In addition, there is also a representation of a man who is nude. The purpose of the va se is to honor the goddess, who can be considered valuable for the role she plays when it come to fertility. It is believed that this goddess blesses women with children and enables people to fall in love with one another. Therefore, it can be argued that this image is crucial as it represents the goddess who determines whether people are fertile. The continuity of fertility in Uruk Period can be seen to be connected to the

Gramsci's Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gramsci's Philosophy - Assignment Example This is because any slight manifestation of intellectual activityin any language contains varied conceptions of the world. The diverse conceptions are necessitated by the fact that everyone is unique in his or her way. Thereafter, an individual may be compelled to move to the next level of conceptualization, which entails criticism and awareness. In other words, spontaneous philosophy gives people insights on how their world is; thus, they are presented with the opportunity to take part in everything that occurs in it. Spontaneous philosophy consists of three elements namely;common sense and good sense, language and religion. First, the language in spontaneous philosophy should not have baseless words, but concepts and notions that have content. Common sense as an element of spontaneous philosophy refers to the illogical set of held beliefs and assumptions common to any society; whereas good sense refers to the concrete realistic, common sense in the English meaning of the term. Gram sci’s intention in conceptualizing spontaneous philosophy aims at giving individuals an opportunity to criticize their own conceptions of the world. This in turn, makes the world comprehensible and raises it to a level that can only be reached by the utmost advanced opinions in the whole world. In addition to that, acquiring one’s own conception of the world puts an individual within the same social framework with other individuals who are likely to share the same philosophy. 2. Discuss in detail the passage from spontaneous philosophy to philosophy of Praxis. Engage the moment of critical awareness, which serves as a transition. What, then, is philosophy of Praxis and what sets it apart from spontaneous philosophy? Spontaneous philosophy begins with individuals viewing themselves as philosophers. This is magnified by the fact that everyone is unique in his or her own way; thus, they view the world differently. The varied conceptualization of the world makes one belong to a particular group where common thoughts are shared. In these groups, thoughts and conceptualizations of individuals are tailored to make them be at par with the world’s most advanced thoughts. This forms the starting point of one’s critical elaboration since he gets the opportunity to have knowledge of himself. After comprehension of oneself, individuals are supposed to have a better understanding of the philosophical history as well as the history of culture. Knowledge of one’s history of culture and philosophy puts one in a better place to have a clear and critical conception of the world. Understanding one’s language is also central in conceptualizing the world since it lessens the intricacy in comprehending things. Language understanding also enables the translation of one culture to the other; thus, producing a new culture with an extraordinary element of intellectualorder and harmonizationis made easier. The philosophy of Praxis denotes the soc io-practical activity whereby actions and thoughts are mutually determined. It cannot present itself at the beginning in a critical and polemical appearance, but as superseding the prevailing perceptible thoughts and the existing modes of thinking. First, it must be criticize the commonsense notion, basing its arguments that everyone is a philosopher in his or her own way. Then, it must criticize the philosophy of intellectuals, from which the history of philosophy developed. Having understood these criticisms, one may conclude that philosophy of Praxis leads to a higher life conception and does not leave simple details in their nascent philosophy of common sense. 3. Discuss the differences between the two great (in Gramsci’