Assignment Due 5/9: Choose a passage from "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," write out the passage; explain what it means and why you chose it.

"The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,"

“Mass media then gives us a more realistic view of the world and increases our ability to communicate with others even though we lose out in the sense of the supernatural and the mysterious that used to make art so powerful, what he later refers to as the "cult value" of art.”

The meaning of this passage is the “Mass media” has pros and cons; it is true the mass media has brought the people all over the world more closely. For example, by keeps people informed about politics, arts, cultural values, history etc. Mass media has influence us. First there was the telegraph, then the radio, newspaper, magazine, camera, and now internet. Throughout the world there different cultures with many different values, but despites their differences they all go through sociological changes strongly affected by modernization. Mass media had impact society because people develop a dependency on it and forget the beauty of art. Technology has evolved society to the extent that nations are fighting for space in outer space. According to Benjamin the way humanity look and see visual work of arts is different today. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," the true is the modernization change people view, for example when you take a picture of a place, things or person, it just a picture . On the other hand, when you see a painting, you see something unique. You can analyze and understand the mystery behind the color, and style.  People have lost the perception of nature arts and their aura.

I took this passage because I believe the mass media has influence us too much, it make humanity to forget the meaning of perceive the world and the history of beauty.

Assignment Due 4/18

Choose a passage from Weber, write out the passage. Then explain the meaning of it, and then explain why you chose this passage.

“Whoever wants to engage in politics at all, and especially in politics as a vocation, has to realize these ethical paradoxes. He must know that he is responsible for what he may become of himself under the impact of these paradoxes. I repeat, he lets himself in for the diabolic forces lurking in all violence. The great virtuosi of acosmic love of humanity and goodness whether stemming from Nazareth or Assisi or from Indian royal castles, have not operated with the political means of violence. Their kingdom was ‘not of this world’ and yet they worked and still work in this world. The figures of Platon Karatajev and the saints of Dostoievski still remain their most adequate reconstructions. He who seeks the salvation of the soul of his own and of others, should not seek it along the avenue of politics, for the quite different tasks of politics can only be solved by violence [italics added]. The genius or demon of politics lives in an inner tension with the god of love, as well as with the Christian God as expressed by the church. This tension can at any time lead to an irreconcilable conflict (pp. 125-26).”

The meaning of this passage by Weber, If want to become a politician as a vocation, you need to understand the dilemma that this involve. Politician may involve with people that agree with their viewpoint or not. Those who have interest in this profession may change their personality and values. They have to choose what is right and wrong. Many of them want to act in a moral way and not lie or do bad things. Some people believe that in order to achieve the good, politician do bad things. As citizen we want politicians to be very honest and incorruptible, but sometimes are possible and impossible. Whoever want to engage in politics need to know about the ethical paradoxes.  Worldwide, politics have become human enemy and violence. Many people become self-intoxicate in order to get to their point. Sometime evil force make good politician become self-intoxicate. According to the passage people are responsible for their own choice. For example, not matter what is your believe, politic is only solve violence and you cannot mix religion with politics.  There only one king in the world “God “Jesus said he kingdom is not from this world. If it were, he servants would fight to prevent the arrest.  When people fight, create violence like politic.

I choose this passage because not long after the Bolshevik Revolution; in 1919 Weber delivered a lecture or passage about politics as vocation in Munich to the students. Politic can influence people in a positive or negative way.  Politics change people attitudes. Those who became politician need to be aware when decision needs to need make. You are responsible for your act and your decision. According to Weber people who are again human required some authentic ethic. Weber and Marx’ have to different point of view.  According to Marx’s history is created by people, not by metaphysical forces. On the other hand, Weber state that history is not creates by human, the religion or others ideas is cause by the material condition for example capitalism. 

Assignment (Due 3/28):

First part on the structure of government, (Art. 1-108)

Article 101

It is the Reich's responsibility to take possession of all nautical marks,
especially lighthouses, light vessels, buoys, tons and beacons and to organize their administration and maintenance. After the takeover, nautical marks may only be produced and/or expanded by the Reich or with its approval.

After the German renunciation in World War I, a new constitution was drawn with the purpose of a democratic government Weimar’s. Article 101 explains Reich’s administration, and the method that he used during this period. The Germany was governed under the new constitution. It was based on who have the power and how this power was to be used.

I choose this passage because Weimar Constitution was period of three important events in German history between 1919 to 1933; a period of Crisis, Golden Age, and the rise of Adolf Hitler. Weimar faced a lot situation such as economic crisis leads to hyperinflation in which money decline, political violence, Treaty of Versailles, and WWI. The Great Depression ruined the German, unemployment raise, starvation. Extensive borrowed by central banks and political instability of Weimar Government. ” Golden Age”, mean worldwide economy recovery and new prosperity. The collapsed of the Weimar Republic Democratic and the growth of Nazism. He was blamed for every negative events the happen and Hitler decided to take control.

Second from the section on rights (Art 109-181)

Article 109

All Germans are equal in front of the law.
In principle, men and women have the same rights and obligations.
Legal privileges or disadvantages based on birth or social standing are to be abolished.
Noble titles form part of the name only; noble titles may not be granted any more.
Titles may only be granted, if they indicate an office or occupation; academic degrees are not affected by this regulation.
The state may no more bestow orders and medals.
No German may accept titles or orders from a foreign government.

According to Article 109 all German are equal before the law. It does not matter their gender, both have privileges and duty. Noble people were the people that come from hereditary class with high social or political status. Also known as aristocratic, but based on this session a titles doesn’t mean nothing. According to the law, it does not matter if the person is lowers or high class, all German have the same rights. The constitution promises all German equality and political, and religion of freedom.

I choose this passage because it is similar to the United State constitution, but at the same time different. The equality was for all the German, in the US was for all people. Before Hitler took control, there was a period of growing prosperity and a night life, like cabaret.

Assignment (Due 3/21 ):

One thing is certain. The world war is a turning point. It is foolish and mad to imagine that we need only survive the war, like a rabbit waiting out the storm under a bush, in order to fall happily back into the old routine once it is over. The world war has altered the conditions of our struggle and, most of all, it has changed us. Not that the basic law of capitalist development, the life-and-death war between capital and labor will experience any amelioration. But now, in the midst of the war, the masks are falling and the old familiar visages smirk at us. The tempo of development has received a mighty jolt from the eruption of the volcano of imperialism. The violence of the conflicts in the bosom of society, the enormousness of the tasks that tower up before the socialist proletariat – these make everything that has transpired in the history of the workers’ movement seem a pleasant idyll.

According to this passage “The world war is a turning point” meaning great impact the marks the beginning of important and significant change. They’re always been wars, people try to survive and history repeat itself. The worlds did no change, but humanity change and continue with ruins. Rosa Luxemburg's explained the society does not learn from their mistake. For example, Germany, Russian, American and others allies did not want to see what happen during world war I. Imperialism are egocentric. “It is foolish and mad to imagine that we need only survive the war, like a rabbit waiting out the storm under a bush, in order to fall happily back into the old routine once it is over”. People should try to change their routines if they want new transformation.

This passage relates to politics today because capitalism and those who have the power continue grow more every day. The working class continued falling dawn with no hope of survive. Exploitation of workers is continuing increase. On the other hand, Lowes working class does what they need to do in order to surviving. According perception of the people, they believe in dependence on capitalism. The same histories happen over and over. My question is how capitalist civilization continues alive? 

Assignment: Due 3/14

M 1931

I like the end of the “M 1931 film” because it shows how societies react to situation that cannot be solving by authority law.  The Berlin criminal community decided to take control and capture the killer and put him in the besetment. It is ironic how criminal are hunting by criminals, not because he killed the children. They decided to capture the killer because the police begin to rounding up every criminal in town.  They show him each child picture that being murdered. You can see the face of the “M” man with a lot torment. He describes how the evil followed him until he kills another child.  The “M” said, “the evil thing inside me, fire, voices, it’s me pursuing myself, I want to escape, but it’s impossible, I have to obey it, and I’m pursued by the ghosts. Ghosts of the mothers and the children never leave me alone.  This scene show what happened to those people did not have power of controlling their impulse. He tries to describe how the force follows him through the street until he kills again. People do things drive by force and you can see the horror in the killer face. It is a mystery and difficult to understand the sometimes forces move people mind to do terrible things. I picked this scene because why people kill innocent people. People do things drive by force and you can see the horror in the killer face. It is a mystery and difficult to understand the sometimes forces move people mind to do terrible things. I picked this scene because people mind are very vulnerable when you don't have control of you desire. What’s going on in criminal intent, it is question that everyone a

Assignment Due 3/7

"It's All a Swindle" (Alles Schwindel), by Mischa Spoliansky and Marcellus Schiffer (1931)

English                                                                                German

Papa swindles                                                               Papa schwindelt,

Mama swindles                                                          Mama schwindelt   

Grandmama's a lying thief                                          tut sie auf blob ihren Mund!

We're perfectly shameless                                             Tante Otilie,

but we're blameless                                                       und die Familie

after all it's our belief                                                     und sogar der kleine Hund!

Nowadays the world is rotten                                         Und besieht man’s aus der Nähe:

honesty has been forgotten                                              Jedes Band und jede Ehe

fall in love but after kissing --                                        jeder Kub in dern Betriebe

check your purse to see what's missing                        und sogar die grobe Liebe!

Everyone swindles some                                               Und die ganze heut’ge Zeit ja,

my son's a mooch and so's the pooch                              sogar die Ehrlichkeit!

I chose these lyrics because what it states is true, we live in a world where is difficult to trust anyone.  Most of the time, people lie and take advantage of others, therefore it is hard to trust someone. According to the song, everyone is swindle, including parents, governments, and family. Sometimes we cannot even trust our own decisions, or what we do. I believe the singer may have had a difficult time during her childhood growing up because of the lyrics meaning. Parents are those that you supposed to trust, but she said both parents were deceptions. At the moment it was a period of time were bad things happen, such great depression. On the other hand, I think it is impossible to go through life without trust; it will make your life miserable. I think God create the world base on trust and forgiveness.  People may not trust anyone for a reason, but this does not mean that you have live in a world with fear.  We live in imperfect world, but have to find a way of survive.

"Chuck Out the Men" (Raus mit den Männern), by Friedrich Hollaender (1926)

English

The battle for emancipation's been raging since history began

Yes, feminists of every nation want to chuck off the chains made by man

Hula girls and housemaids and wives in Maribou

hear all our voices thunder in protest

Anything that men do women can do too

and more that that we women do it best

German

(für Claire Waldoff)

Es geht durch die ganze Historie

ein Ruf nach Emanzipation

vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie

überall will das Weib auf den Thron.

Vin Hawai-Neger bis zur Berliner Range

braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:

Was die Männer können, können wir schon lange

und vielleicht ’ne ganze Ecke mehr.

These lyrics represent the oppression the women suffer during this time and the struggling for liberation. For the author it is enough, women fight for emancipation since early years.  In the song the author expressed her desire of being free to have the right to do anything, she sound more feminist.

According to the society the role of women is stay at home take care of the house, children, and husband, while the man is the head of the house. Female are physical disable therefore we do the light works while male are more strong and more dominating role. During the period of time women those not have freedom of right as it is today. Gender role is a set of social norms the people should follow, but we live in world were women can do the same jobs of men. There still some countries were women do not have the right for speak or work.

Paragraph 175 (Society - Homophobia) A national prohibition, \was added to the Reich Penal Code in 1871.

The paragraph 175 is a provision of German code, meaning homosexual acts is a crime. Men having sex with men or animal is a crime. They would lose their civil rights. In 1933 when the Nazi’s take control they reform the law. The Nazi’s create three parts of the law in 1935 after the murder of Ernst Roem. The first one is Paragraph 175 mean who have sex with another man or permits himself to be used by another male for sex should captivity. But is the male is minor the court may abstain from penalty. Second, Paragraph 175a a male can be imprisonment if he abuse or obligate another male to have sex with the intention of his own pleasure. A male over 21 years of age who seduce males under 21 can go to jail.  The last part is Paragraph 175b mean the any human who have sex act with animals is imprisonment and loss of the civil rights.

 This article relates to the lecture because it was period time were morality and norms play an important role in the society. According to the Bible and some people belief, man should not have sex with the same sex. God create a women and men to reproduce. I think the people have the right to choose their own way to live. We should respect people choice if they not harm others.

Assignment Due 2/28:

Abel Gance’s film Napoleon 1927

           The scene, “Abel Gance’s film Napoleon 1927” show a lot young kids in place similarly to military camp or school. The young kids are dressed with military clothes. There is snow and they have a snowball fight in the same way to a battlefield. At the same times, you can see Napoleon reflection face several times. The film shows revolution and wars. You can see Napoleon as a man in boat crews with the eagle. I think the film tried to shows how was Napoleon life as childhood and adult.  He looks like an unhappy and isolated kid. Probably he was in a military school where he was intimidated by others kids. He was emotionally affected during his childhood. It is seen that his is strongly close to the eagle, because the eagle followed him all the time.

        I choose this scene because my grandfather used to talk about Napoleon. “Abel Gance’s film Napoleon 1927” relate to the class because it has something in common with expressionist painting. It is a way of expressing their inner emotions and different perspective of a person life. Also 1927 were the time where motion pictures were created without sound and the film success in Germany. It is another way of transmitted and expressed human inner emotions. Nihilist belief that there is no meaning of life and human being, always in search of ruin. Napoleon was part of the revolutionary war, meaning he create him own destruction.

Assignment Due 2/21

John Assaraf

“Our job as humans is to hold on to the thoughts of what we want, make it absolutely clear in our minds what want, and from that we start to invoke one of the greatest laws in the Universe, and that’s the law of attraction. You become what you think about most, but you also attract what you think about most”.

One thing the make human unique is thinking, we are able to evolution and adapt. According to this passage, we are responsible for our thoughts and what we become in life. The power of our mind is so powerful that it could destroy yourself if you do not control it. For example, some people said, I have obstacles today because I woke up with the left foot. I believe the people have bad days not because they woke up with the left foot. When people think negative they attracts negative. On the other hand, when people think positive the law of attraction will attract positive. We have to pay attention to our thoughts. As human being we are capable of changing our attitude and listen to our inner voice. Optimistic people become healthier, happy, and have better success in life. 

This passage is important to me for the following reasons. I used to have negative thoughts and always complained every time I have a bad day. I just said I feel sad; today it a terrible day, I’m sick, today is not my day. Sometimes negative thoughts led to anxiety and unhealthy life style. Pessimism people could influence you energy. When you are around problematic people, you maybe also attract some negative energy. Negative thoughts distort our view of the world until everything seems monotonous and hopeless. One day I decided to read books relate to positive thinking. One of those books was The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I took action to stop negative thinking and focus more in positive aspects of a situation. Today I feel more optimism, faith, hope and enjoy positive results. When I have a bad day, I see the positive in negative events.

Assignment 2/14

“I want the word where it ends and begins. Dada is the heart of words.”

It is sound like apocalyptic, the destruction all things good and bad of humanity. According to the Bible, God destroyed the world that he had made due to human bad behavior. The author prefers a new beginning of a better society, freedom and meaning of life. The author was seeking for Self-purification, and perhaps the only way is the ends of the world. Maybe he wants to create his own world, with his own belief by expressed emotions in a different way. I decided to choose this quote because “Dada” sounds like the word daddy, likes the first thing that babies said. Humanity born with innocence and their soul is transparent. I think that the author is tired of this world; a world full of evil, and wars, corruption, and malice.

I think the quote “I want the word where it ends and begins. Dada is the heart of words” related to the present. We live in societies with lot judgments of what are right or wrong. Places were trusting are lost and cruelty is gain power every day. 

1-Post-Impressionism: Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853, in Groot Zundert, Netherlands. He is one of the greater artists from 19^th, who create wonderful, emotional and color pieces. His father was a minister and his mother was a moody artist. I think, Gogh mother influence him with her ability of drawing during his childhood. He had a brother who died one year before Vincent born. Due to the family financial crisis, at the age of 15 he was forced to leave school and begin to work. He learns multiples languages such as French, German and English. In London, he began to visited arts galleries and fall in love with English cultural. Unfortunately, he also falls in love with Eugenie Loyer, who breaks his heart. Therefore, he became angry and put all his emotions in the bible. The bible was like to escape, later he devoted his life to God. He never has good luck with love and always falls in love with problematic women. His entire piece was a way to express his inner feelings.Vincent died at the age of 37 in France; he shot himself in the chest and died in the hand of his brother.

2-"The Starry Night”, 1889

3-Every time I see this piece, it remained when Vincent Van Gogh cut his own ear. However, some people said he lost the ear in a fight with his friend. In this piece you can observe the expression of his feelings. The symbol, style, and colors show angry and sadness. For example; the dark colors give a sense of depression, the wind and ocean looks angry. You can see the moon; the represent night, but the same time, is yellow like the sun. There are eleven stars but, I don’t know the meaning of eleven stars. This piece show beauty, but at the same time is a mystery.

Vincent romantic relations affects his painted all endings in failure. He became an isolated person and expresses all his emotional problems in his painted. The “Starry Night” shows depression and are similar to nihilistic themes. “Nihilistic belief that life has no value or meaning, has no loyalties, only impulse to destroy” ( www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Basically Nihilistic is similar to the Starry Night because it shows the wind, which can represent destruction. This piece might represent Vincent own destruction. He wanted the people understand his message through the arts.

“At the base of all these noble races one cannot fail to recognize the beast of prey, the splendid blond beast who roams about lusting after booty and victory; from time to time this hidden base needs to discharge itself, the animal must get out, must go back into the wilderness: Roman, Arab, Germanic, Japanese nobility, Homeric heroes, Scandinavian Vikings–in this need they are all alike” (Nietzsche 1998 p. 22)

In this line Nietzsche explained how mankind has been destroyed and gain victory. At the same time, he judged aristocratic, noble people and morality from those who have power. Since human born with animal instincts, it’s easier to be evil or good. Therefore, at the end of the day we all are the same.

CIA world Factbook

Germany society

Germany is located in Central Europe near North Sea and the Baltic Sea. It is a liberal society and has about 80 million inhabitants. 20 years after German reunification, modern immigration has increased their ethnic groups. Its society is shape by a plurality and different cultural diversity. Germany is composed of different ethnic groups such as German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%. The other minorities are 6.1% made up of Polish, Russia, Greek, Italian, Croatian, and Spanish. The official language spoke in Germany is German, but there different dialect s such as Danish, Frisian and Sorbian. There are two main religion; Protestant and Roman Catholic 34%, follow by 3.7% Muslim and 28.3% for other. According to what I learn, religious play an important role during wars. Religion has power, mean influence and at the same time changed. However, Germany socio-economic has change because of the worldwide financial crisis. This situation had increased poverty. Consequently, Germany is facing many challenges because of high rate of unemployment.