Assignment Due 5/9

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.

Indeed, if a chief question does remain: how is the power to think possible?–The power to think right and left, before and without, with and above experience? Then it does not take a deduction to prove the genealogical priority of language….Not only the entire ability to think rests on language…but language is also the crux of the misunderstanding of reason with itself (Dickson 2007, N III, 286: 1-10). 

John most urgent question is the relationship of languages to think or reason. According to John in order to have knowledge and reason, the nature of your language mattersLanguage is separated into human drive, divine, and natural language which can be communicated in German, English and other languages.. Language is related to "Purification of Philosophy", as explained in the Metacritigue of kent. What one goes though is how they communicate in language.

Assignment: Due 3/14

Assignment: Due 3/14 Choose a scene from M and interpret the scene and explain why you picked this scene.

In 1931 the film M was released and produced by Nero-film studio. It was about murder investigations of young child mostly girls. Being the fact the killer got away with a lot of murders of young innocent children made it hard for the judicial system to catch him. During this time a lot of the people in the Judicial system, and police department received criticized from the residents who lived in Germany. The killer who ran the streets of Germany was so organized at making it hard for anyone to find him, and looked bad on the homicide department. The homicide department received a lot of criticized from angry residents in Germany. It was a rough time for Germany and frighten the parents and children.

I was very interested in the sense because it explain the time the departments in the criminal justice field when thought. Children's lives are important more of all because they have their life ahead of them. The more children that are taken away from society takes away from the up coming generation making a better society,and a better place for others to live.

Assignment (Due 3/21 )

Assignment (Due 3/21 ): Please choose a passage from one of Luxemburg's essays. Write out the passage. Explain the meaning of the passage and how it relates to politics today.

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.

In this passage Luxemburg's breaks down the crises that is going on among countries. She reinforces that we should adapt or change to different behaviors because if we don't a bigger war will happen. She explains the war has to change us and in order for us to be happy we have to fall back into our old routines. A lot of countries feel that other countries should adapt to their political beliefs. By going to war the country feels they are more in control and have more power. Due to the all the world that occurs between countries effects and changes the condition of how people live in modern day society.   

assignment of 4/18

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.

Rationalization of politics does not mean that freedom, justice, or equality is increased. It refers only to the ability for political decisions to be carried out with increased effectiveness.

       The term rationalization was profound by Max Weber who was a German anti-positivist. He depicted rationalization within the western society and thought out the world. He practiced in modern society development with a point of view of rationalization. Rationalization consisted of different structures. One function was of organization cores of the capitalist enterprise, and of bureaucratic state. According to Weber in the term Rationalization of politics the word jurist is someone who is trained in manipulating the rules and procedures of the legal system. In modern day society lawyers are a perfect example because lawyers have technical skills with machinery of the government.  

      I choose this passage because I believe that rationalization plays a huge role in how society works today and mainly the government. Its very important that we as people understand the works of rationalization because we live in this society where it effects how we live and how the government and politics work.

   

Assignment Due 3/7

Assignment Due 3/7: 

Go to the link for "Weimar Republic" and where it says Primary Sources on the drop-down menu, go to "culture." Listen to the cabaret songs then choose two of those songs. Choose a specific part of each song to analyze and interpret the lyrics and explain why you chose these lyrics. When writing it out, write it out both in German and the English translation.

On the same website, go to "society" under Primary Sources, and summarize Paragraph 175 and how it relates to this lecture.

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

https://www.facinghistory.org/videos/weimar-its-all-swindle-alles-schwindel

1. Translation in English.

Lyrics:
Papa swindles
Mama swindles
Grandmama's a lying thief
We're perfectly shameless
but we're blameless
after all it's our belief
Nowadays the world is rotten
honesty has been forgotten
fall in love but after kissing --
check your purse to see what's missing
Everyone swindles some
my son's a mooch and so's the pooch

CHORUS:  Life's a swindle, yes, it's all a swindle
so get what you can
from your fellow man
Girls and boys today
would rather steal than play
and we don't care
We tell them get your share
Life is short and greed's in season
all mankind has lost its reason
life is good, knock on wood, knock, knock

Shops will swindle shoppers swindle
every purchase hides a tale
The price is inflated
or regulated
to ensure the store will fail
Wheel and deal and pull a fast one
knowing you won't be the last one
get the goods while they are going
grab the cash while it is flowing
Everyone swindles some
what the heck go bounce a check

CHORUS

Politicians
are magicians
who make swindles disappear
The bribes they are taking
the deals they are making
never reach the public's ear
The left betrays, the right dismays
the country's broke and guess who pays
But tax each swindle in the making
profits will be record breaking
Everyone swindles some
so vote for who will steal for you

CHORUS

2. Translation in German.

 Alles Schwindel

Papa schwindelt,
Mama schwindelt,
tut sie auf blob ihren Mund!
Tante Otilie,
und die Familie
und sogar der kleine Hund!
Und besieht man’s aus der Nähe:
Jedes Band und jede Ehe
jeder Kub in dern Betriebe
und sogar die grobe Liebe!
Und die ganze heut’ge Zeit ja,
sogar die Ehrlichkeit!

Alles Schwindel, alles schwindel,
überall wohin du guckst
und wohin du spuckst!
Alles ist heut ein Gesindel,
jedes Girl und jeder Boy,
’s wird einem schlecht dabei!
’s wird ein’m schwindlig von dem Schwindel,
alles, alles, alles Schwindel,
unberufen toi! toi! toi!

Kaufmann schwindelt
Käufer schwindelt,
mit dem höflichsten Gesicht!
Man schwebt in Ängsten,
nichts währt am Längsten,
also warum soll man nicht!
Jede freundliche Verbeugung,
jede feste Überzeugung,
Preisabbau, solide Preise,

ob zu Hause, auf der Reise!
Jeder Ausblick, wo es sei,
selbst für den, der schwindelfrei!
Alles Schwindel, alles Schwindel, usw.

Bürger schwindelt,
Staatsmann schwindelt,
Schwindel, was die Zeitung schreibt,
Moral und Sitte,
rechts, links und Mitte!
Ehrlich ist, was übrig bleibt!
Alles sucht sich zu betrügen,
na, sonst mübt’ich wirklich lügen!
Bins, das kann ich glatt beteuern:
Könnt’ den Schwindel man besteuern,
hätt’ der Staat nicht Sorgen mehr,
denn dann wär’ er Millionär!
Alles Schwindel, alles Schwindel, usw

This song exhibited the social corruption that happen in the German society. It show's what condition the German society has faced, and what they are currently going though. I believe this quote "were perfectly shameless but were blameless after all its our belief."    shows the action of the Nihilism movement, people losing trust in the government, hopeless, going though unemployment and the struggles the German people went though. Because  the German military grew corrupted this demonstrated why German experienced a social and political corruption. Part of the quote "after all its our belief" shows  Dadaism movement as well as expressionism. I choose this song because I believe it is a powerful song. I also believe this song shows that the chorus were greedy and selfish. 

"Night Ghost" (Nachtgespenst), music by Rudolf Nelson, lyrics by Friedrich Hollaender (1930) (Culture - Cabaret Song)

https://www.facinghistory.org/videos/weimar-night-ghost-nachtgespenst

English Translation by Inge Spiegel (see original German text, below):

Night Ghost (Nachtgespenst)

When the housewife chains the hallway door at night, I’m standing right outside.
Without hurry, I file the chain away, and there I am.
As the daughter is putting on her nightgown, I enter her room.
I feel sorry for her.
I’m the night ghost, your sweet night ghost,
I wake you up each time you call me your darling.
Don’t be so scared, It's only me waking you.
And after you have been uncovered,
you will get tucked in again.
When I climb through the window,
I have no interest in taking your jewels,
Only your ivory skin appeals to me.
As a night ghost I don’t take any shiny jewels;
only enough for the return fare.

Nachtgespenst

Legt die Hausfrau nachts die Kette hoch, im Korridor, steh ich davor.
Mit der Feile ohne Eile, keck, feil ich se weg. Da liegt der Dreck.
Waehrend sich die Tochter gerade kleid, tret ich bei ihr ein, sie tut mir leid.
Ich bin das Nachtgespenst, dein suesses Nachtgespenst.
Ich weck dich, wenn du pennst, sooft wie’s du mich Liebling nennst.
Sei bloss nicht so erschreckt, du wirst nur aufgeweckt.
Und wenn du aufgedeckt, dann wirst du wieder zugedeckt.
Steig ich durchs Fenster ein, reizt micht kein Edelstein.
Nein, nur dein Elfenbein reizt mich allein.
Ich nehm als Nachtgespenst kein Steuckchen mit, was glaenzt.
Ich brauch wirklich nur das Fahrtgeld retour.

"I’m the night ghost, your sweet night ghost, I wake you up each time you call me your darling". This part of the song show a relationship between a lover who is a ghost and his girlfriend during the night. The lover awaits his girlfriend to fall ah sleep at night. He waits for it to be dark so he can come to her in the middle of the night. She waits for him to come to her to make her feel special. I choose this song because i think women have a lot of power to make a man fall in love with them. I also like how romantic the song sounds and sweet ghost man that comes to see her everyday. 

I choose this song because I like the romances that is involved in it. Its makes 

Paragraph 175 (Society - Homophobia)

A national prohibition, Paragraph 175, was added to the Reich Penal Code in 1871. It read:1

"An unnatural sex act committed between persons of male sex or by humans with animals is punishable by imprisonment; the loss of civil rights might also be imposed."

When the Nazi's came to power in 1933, they put a halt to efforts seeking reform of this law. In 1935, after the murder of Ernst Roem, the NSDAP amended the Paragraph 175 to close what were seen as loopholes in the current law.

The new law had three parts:

Paragraph 175:

"A male who commits a sex offense with another male or allows himself to be used by another male for a sex offense shall be punished with imprisonment. Where a party was not yet twenty-one years of age at the time of the act, the court may in especially minor cases refrain from punishment."

Paragraph 175a:

"Penal servitude up to 10 years or, where there are mitigating circumstances, imprisonment of not less than three months shall apply to: (1) a male who, with violence or the threat of violence to body and soul or life, compels another male to commit a sex offense with him or to allow himself to be abused for a sex offense; (2) a male who, by abusing a relationship of dependence based upon service, employment or subordination, induces another male to commit a sex offense with him or to allow himself to be abused for a sex offense; (3) a male over 21 years of age who seduces a male person under twenty-one years to commit a sex offense with him or to allow himself to be abused for a sex offense; (4) a male who publicly commits a sex offense with males or allows himself to be abused by males for a sex offense or offers himself for the same."

Paragraph 175b:

"An unnatural sex act committed by humans with animals is punishable by imprisonment; the loss of civil rights might also be imposed."

---

1. http://www.pink-triangle.org/

The paragraph 175 was identified in 1871. In 1890 sexual reformers fought again paragraphs that targeted against gays. As time went by they received support from the Social Democratic Party. As the Welmar Republic approached gays were allowed to live their lives as normal people. Until 1935 when anal sex became a problem for others. In 1935 The Night of the Long Knives was created to help support gays in interacting in anal sex, and other sexually acts. 

Assignment Due 2/21

Assignment Due 2/21: For the next assignment please choose a passage from the book that interests you.  Once you have chosen a passage please do the following and post it on your blog. 1) Write out the passage; 2) Explain the meaning of the passage; 3) Explain why this passage is important to you.



"I'm not kidding. I'm telling you what I've found. Knowledge can be conveyed, but not wisdom. It can be found, it can be lived, it is possible to be carried by it, miracles can be performed with it, but it cannot be expressed in words and taught. This was what I, even as a young man, sometimes suspected, what has driven me away from the teachers. I have found a thought, Govinda, which you'll again regard as a joke or foolishness, but which is my best thought. It says: The opposite of every truth is just as true! That's like this: any truth can only be expressed and put into words when it is one-sided. Everything is one-sided which can be thought with thoughts and said with words, it's all one-sided, all just one half, all lacks completeness, roundness, oneness. When the exalted Gotama spoke in his teachings of the world, he had to divide it into Sansara and Nirvana, into deception and truth, into suffering and salvation. It cannot be done differently, there is no other way for him who wants to teach. But the world itself, what exists around us and inside of us, is never one-sided. A person or an act is never entirely Sansara or entirely Nirvana, a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful. It does really seem like this, because we are subject to deception, as if time was something real. Time is not real, Govinda, I have experienced this often and often again. And if time is not real, then the gap which seems to be between the world and the eternity, between suffering and blissfulness, between evil and good, is also a deception."

                                                                                                               Siddhartha

 According to Siddhartha wisdom is very different from knowledge. Knowledge can be useful and can't be transfer from a teacher to a pupil. But in this passage knowledge is acquired and can be conveyed from one form to other. When a person gains knowledge they become enlightened in their thoughts and behaviors and the ways to live their life. Siddhartha compared knowledge to wisdom because wisdom is gift that cant be taught in words. The opinions of knowledge are different between Siddhartha and Govinda. 

Siddhartha also viewed teaching as dividing and categorizing the world. Siddhartha saw the world as united and as a whole. Its something that can't be taught but only experienced 

I like this passage because I believe in education and gaining knowledge. knowledge can be use in a positive way, its what helps an person to grow by experience. You can't teach knowledge you can only live it. knowledge is a form of power that can take you places, and help you achieve goals. 

Assignment 2/14

2) Choose one of the artists from either expressionism, dadaism, or new objectivity. Choose three examples from one or more of the artists, and try to depict what is going on in the piece, and what meaning it may have, especially drawing attention to how nihilistic themes show up in these pieces or how it reflects social conditions.

Include: 

1) the name of the artist and a little summary on their life; 

2) the title of the piece and its date;  

3) your interpretation of the piece, try to describe in as much detail as you can the physical appearance of the piece (how does it look, what kind of techniques are being used, what kind of colors, light etc are used, what kind of actions are going on) and the meaning of the piece what is it trying to say, what themes does it address, especially paying attention to nihilistic themes.

                                                        OTTO DIX

        Otto Dix was a German artist who was born in Utermhaus, Germany. He was born to the parents of Louise Dix, and Franz. Franz worked as an iron foundry, and the mother as a stream-stress who wrote poetry when she was a youth. Dix spent most of his dedication to art. He would spend hours a day with his cousins who owned a studio. His cousin's name was Fritz Amann, who was a painter as well. As the years progress Dix served as a apprenticeship for Carl Senff who was a painter. In the year of 1910 he began painting at his first landscapes.

       Dix joined the German army where he served as a volunteer. he fought in the first World War and become a non-commissioned officer of a machine gun territory. As a result from war he experienced traumatic nightmares that were demonstrated in his paintings. 

       In 1920, he put though the expressionist phase which was influenced by dada.

    1.                                               THE MATCH SELLER - OTTO DIX

                                                                                1921

  

Techniques: Oil, and Collage on canvas. 

         There are four different cripples that are shown in this picture. Dix shows he was against the brutality, and senselessness of war. In this painting he demonstrates a disfigurement of war, a wounded dog, and a blind old man siting in the center of the piece turned to one side with black sun glasses on. This shows the damage that war has caused to the German community. The old man siting was blinded, and crippled from the war and was given his sight and limbs back to assist in the war again. when he comes home he cries for help, and is ignored. The wooden cross behind him on the door is suppose to be an allusion of his suffering.

2.                              HELLISH FIRST WORLD WAR VISIONS - OTTO DIX

                                                                            1924

Techniques: Drawing 

       This is the one of the drawings Dix did from his experience in 1924."Hellish First World War Vision" was the first drawing he did from the World War. Storm troops are shown wearing gas mask meanwhile gas flows in the air creating a deadly scene. The troops are wearing masks that are covering them from being shown, This drawing is a clear vision of what the World War looked like in Europe 100 years ago, from a German artists point of view.  

3.                                               Selbstbildnis als Soldat (Self-Portrait as a Soldier)

                                                                                       1914

       

Techniques: Ink and water color on paper.

         Otto Dix painted himself as shown in this piece twice, which comes out to be the most important piece of the Great War. This image identifies epic and the other shows painful. The light of red, and white reserve is supposed to be strength, and violence approaching cruelty. Some see it as a struggle of war, with no regrets or remorse on  the "Self-Portrait as a Soldier" side. The other side shows the "Self-Portrait as a Gunner" in black, and the shadows that is around the helmeted head. The look on his face shows as a war-like symbol of the gold facings with death and night in the back.