How Charles Darwin and Darwinism affected the nineteenth-century Research Paper

How Charles Darwin and Darwinism affected the nineteenth-century - Research Paper Example Whereas few scientific theories can fundamentally shift the way in which the broader populace integrates with a particular worldview that they might have, the theory of evolution was profound and singular due to the fact that it influence not only the scientific community but also the average stakeholders within society. As it was realized that divine action has little if any do with the rise and generation of life on planet Earth, a fundamental question was raised by extension; whether or not God existed at all. Ultimately, what is being defined is a situation in which Darwin, although not the preeminent atheists as he is often defined, was the instigator of a theory that has fundamentally shaped and shifted human belief and consciousness concerning the existence of the divine as well as the underlying reasons for morality and the purpose of life. Prior to the theory of evolution, religion, specifically Christianity, had defined the way in which the Western world integrated with any and all forms of science or other field of human knowledge and/or study. One does not need to look far into the past in order to find situations in which early scientists discoveries were challenged by the authority of the church. Galileo for instance had his very life threatened for producing scientific research that went against the teachings that the church held to be true (Okasha & Paternotte 1131). The same can be said with regards to Copernicus and his population and theory that the earth itself was not the center of the universe. In effect, a handful of situations in which traditional interpretations of the divine and the means by which the Bible stood as the supreme definition of all that is good, holy, correct and true can be found. Returning to the issue of how Darwin and his theory of evolution contributed to a fundamental shift with regards to how humans defined the world around them, it can be said that the theory of evolution provided an alternative to the one dimensi onal view that all morality, science, and necessary knowledge for life was presented within the Bible and within a belief in an omnipotence and interactive godhead. Accordingly, the first and most prominent impact that Darwin’s theory of evolution had was with regards to the explosion of atheism and agnosticism that such a theory sparked. Without a primal cause for the universe and/or the life that is exhibited on earth, individuals throughout society, governments, the education system, and other authoritative positions began to question the need for a higher power at all. This questioning, higher power ultimately began to erode some of the fundamental interpretations that humanity had attributed to religion and God since the beginning of time. If the natural world could indeed be defined based upon its component parts and the evolutionary process alone, and the need for God, or a God head, was necessarily reduced; if indeed evidence whatsoever. Moreover, traditional interpre tations of morality had previously been based upon the fact that morality was â€Å"moral† due to the fact that it was instituted by God and recorded in both the old and the

The Italian Renaissance and the Northern European Renaissance Essay

The Italian Renaissance and the Northern European Renaissance - Essay Example Commerce introduced the artistic ideas in the Northern Europe region.Both regions used the guild system, which was based on lessons on the craft. This involved painting and sculptures. According to Earls, the guild system was a regulatory system for any artistic work (34). In this regard, every artistic presentation had to be in agreement with the Guild. This is to make sure that the artwork produced was of high quality. Essentially, this meant that the rehearsals on various forms of art had to be tireless and time-consuming. After accepting the artworks, the Guild still continued to measure the artistic practices and standards. Another similarity is that both the north and Italy had unique artistic centers in their regions.   In this regard, the Italian’s center was the Republic of Florence while the center for the North was Flanders. This was a section of the Duchy of the Burgundy. The Florence City, which was the center of art for the Italian Renaissance was controlled by the Medici family. The members of Medici family were responsible for bringing wealth to Florence. According to Nici, Cosimo de’ Medici, established a library, which was full of the Greek and Roman manuscripts (Nici 47). This legend noticeably involved Italian artists and philosophers. This group helped in the changing of Florence to a cultural center. The Italian Renaissance was focused on individualism. An example of this was ‘Masaccio’s Trinity with the virgin’, which was highly recognized with the Italian Renaissance.   The other likeness of Italy and the North was their use of religion in their artistic works. Incidentally, religious scenes were always displayed to show the love of religion. The artworks of the religious scenes from the Italian Renaissance were â€Å"the last supper† and â€Å"the creation†. The northern Europe Renaissance examples are â€Å"Adam and Eve†, and the â€Å"Mystic Lamb†. Both renaissances were sharp in their artistic works.