Oliver, I challenge you!
Oliver, I challenge you! This makes me feel a little bit like Pokemon trainer.
The period of rebirth in China from approximately 1000 to 1500 A.D. was not as significant as the Renaissance period in Europe. This is not to say that this referenced period of time in China was not significant. It is difficult to stand up to the many leaps in knowledge, art and generally the humanities that occurred in Europe. In particular, the major productions of art standout to me, such as:
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Raphael’s Frescos
The Last Supper
The Mona Lisa
These works of art are still inspiring people today. The Vitruvian Man, while not specifically meant as art became a great model for proportion in art and architecture. Until this day, it is still considered a great artistic achievement to create with these proportions.
Art was not just a pastime for the elite in the Renaissance. Look at Da Vinci. He was the illegitimate son of a lawyer. This is in stark contrast to the flourishing art period in China.
I ACCEPT!?
ReplyDeleteHAHA, I am honored to be challenged by you and what a very welcoming way to do it! So just to be clear... I'm either against you in regards to the period of rebirth in China from approximately 1000 to 1500 A.D. was not as significant as the Renaissance period in Europe which means I would be using China vs Europe to being significant during the Renaissance period correct?
Oliver, correct. And I made sure to only post my first point. I figured you could counter my argument and then lead with your next point for me to counter?
DeleteHi Leslie,
ReplyDeleteYes the art and architecture of Europe was very appealing, but inventions of of ancient China are paper making and printing which they invented long before Europe did which lead up to the Renaissance, so the Chinese were ahead of their time. The innovations came from them and were simply copied by all over to make these inventions simply imitations. Paper was first used in China in the 2nd century B.C.E. while the adoption in the west was 1,000 years later. For printing, it was invented in 1045 C.E. but was recognized 400 years later. The Chinese didn't get enough credit for their innovations as it was traded and spread throughout civilizations until it finally reached Europe.
Oliver, your picture on your blog cracked me up! The Chinese did invent the printing press, but what did they really do with it? It was in the area of Germany, that the printing press was first used for the newspaper. The idea of a newspaper to spread important local information rapidly spread from Germany to French and English territories. Beyond that, the press was used in Italy to create paper back books. The creation and distribution of paper back books reduced the cost of production and for the first time made books widely available to people of lower means.
DeleteHAHA, I'm glad you liked it. Growing up I loved anime, cartoons, and drawing. Since you started with the Pokemon Battle I figured to continue with some Dragonball, LOL. Anyways... yes your right but it was because of China creating it, it flourished and developed more throughout time. Like the gunpowder that was used for fireworks and other uses, but became a military commodity later on as it was altered for warfare. China invented gunpowder in 9th century C.E. which only got to the Western side 400 years after.
DeleteCounter to the destructive power of gunpowder, the European Renaissance led to the invention of the microscope by Hans and Zacharias Janssen. During this time, it was twice improved on, first by Galileo and subsequently by Robert Hooke This directly led to the identification of cells, and later to the identification of bacterial illness.
DeleteYes but it was the acceptance of Marco Polo who the saw the genius innovations that was coming from China that they wanted to get a hold of it through trade during the Yuan Dynasty to increase demand of Chinese goods to Europe. So if that did not happen, then they would have not advanced as fast without a hold of these things for even more years. With that, the Silk Road was also thee premier trading source for foreign trade. Europe's advancements were only supported by Chinese inventions that were remade for their taste. The world, especially the West and the European areas owe it to China's trade and innovations.
DeleteSo is your point that the European Renaissance was so much more significant only because of the Chinese rebirth? During this period, Copernicus developed the theory that the Sun was the center of the solar system and the Earth and all the other planets rotated around it. This theory was later strengthened by Galileo's observations of the cycles of Saturn. This theory was an important break through in the human understanding of the world around them. I would also like to point out that people can invent as many things as they like, but it it is what is done with them that I believe is truly impactful.
DeleteThis is getting interesting... haha. Yes I agree advancements happen because of innovation, but China during the Renaissance just didn't get enough credit to where they deserved to have an impact during this time of history. Like another invention made by the Chinese which was the compass which continued to benefit people all over the world especially useful in travel during those times of trade and exploration. That happened in 9-11th century C.E. in China only to be acquired by the West 400 years after. So as far as the Renaissance, yes they were way ahead of their time.
DeleteI don't disagree with you that China does not get enough credit, but I just don't think that rebirth period was as significant as the the renaissance period. There is no denying that the compass had a tremendous impact on navigation. I had to learn how to use one in survival school out in the mountains. Side note: to this day, I am just not the best at land navigation. I mean, I'll get where I'm going in the end. Even without the compass, people were navigating the sea quite well with just the astrolabe, which was....wait for it...invented in Europe. When we talk about things that are impactful, I think that the impact can be tempered by whether an invention truly made things better or really just more convenient. I would argue that the compass is to the astrolabe as the iPhone is to the blackberry.
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