Current and Future Relevance of Development Anthropology Free Essays

What does happiness mean? Ask this question to different individuals and surely you will obtain varying answers. There could be related or similar answers, but no two individuals will have the identical definition of happiness, unless of course, they had a prior discussion on the matter and took time to set parameters on how they would define the term. It is just like saying that one’s definition of happiness can be as unique as one’s fingerprint. We will write a custom essay sample on Current and Future Relevance of Development Anthropology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Why is this so? As human beings, each of us has his/her own purpose in life. We may have the same basic needs to keep us alive. but each of us has his/her own desires and aspirations as we go on living These are our goals in life. Up to what extent we are able to reach our goals becomes the basis of fulfillment, which in turn is the parameter of a person’s definition of happiness. There are more than 101 ways to define happiness because human beings as individual living organisms vary. Each one of us has a certain uniqueness which sets us apart from other members of the Animal Kingdom. Similarly, development is a term which is as subjective as the word happiness. Probably because both terms involve the satisfaction of humans’ needs and wants. This is why there are numerous bases for the achievement of both. But unlike the meaning of happiness which is taken more on an individual context,   a discourse on the meaning of development is much more complex because it involves not just one human being but a community, or even a whole nation. The meaning of development depends on various paradigms. Defining it quantitatively in terms of economic growth has become inadequate which makes it even more difficult to give a concrete meaning of the word. Thus, different schools of thoughts and various disciplines have their own arguments on how to properly define the term while trying not to overlook how the term itself is being perceived by the objects or targets of the development process. The various discourses on and practices of development have paved the way for the rise and growth of development anthropology. (Escobar 1991) Development anthropology is defined as: The application of anthropological perspectives to the multidisciplinary branch of development studies. It takes international development and international aid as primary objects. In this branch of anthropology, the term development refers to the social action made voluntary by different agents (institutions, business, enterprise, states, independent volunteers) who are trying to modify the economic, technical, political or/and social life of a given place in the world, especially in developing nations. (Wikipedia) Development anthropology which takes off from the conventional or traditional view of development is what is being espoused by scholars such as Escobar. The traditional view of development is development according to how Western societies view it which is much more about modernization of local cultures and the adoption of Westernized lifestyle. In the paper, â€Å"Anthropology and the Development Encounter: The Making and Marketing of Development Anthropologyâ€Å", Escobar presented and discussed this view and as conclusion, called for a revision on the practice of development anthropology, specifically in the utilization of development models which he referred to as â€Å"recycled combination of the traditional growth models.† Development anthropology, for all its claim to relevance to local problems, to cultural sensitivity, and to access to interpretive holistic methods, has done no more than recycle, and dress in more localized fabrics, the discourses of modernization and development. Can the good intentions of development anthropologists be preserved and their activities be reoriented significantly in ways that undermine, rather than reinforce, these paradigms? (1991: 677) It is this view that made him towards the end of the article pose the question: Is there a future relevance for development anthropology? Escobar went on further to conclude that: Anthropological studies of development will of course continue to be important, but they would take a different form. Anthropologists could examine how communities in the Third World are progressively constituted through the political technologies of development, and could elucidate the larger cultural and economic projects that such technologies deploy with them. First, however, it will be necessary to renew our way of listening to the voices of different groups of people in the Third World, without making them into signs of a need for development, and to renew our awareness of the suffering caused by human institutions and actions, development or otherwise. Finally, anthropologists may contribute through this type of work to a collective practice of re-envisioning ways of organizing societies and economies, ways of relating to nature and to one another that have a better chance for life. In the process, we may discover other ways of caring and of healing the ravages brought about by development in the Third World. Some grassroots social movements seem to be pointing the way. (ibid: 678) Escobar emphasizes that it should be the people themselves who should decide on the course of the development process based on what he called â€Å"local realities†. The idea should come from within and not from the perception of outsiders who usually consider the lack of modernization as the take-off point for the development process. In his paper â€Å"Anthropology and Development: Evil Twin or Moral Narrative?†Ã‚   Gow (2002) pointed out the weakness of the localization of development as being espoused by Escobar due to the current trend of globalization. He explains that â€Å". . . the present effects and future implications of globalization (however much contested), surely demonstrate once and for all the limitations of what is now ambiguously termed localization. Certain human needs and human rights can be taken as universal, the basis for a moral narrative in this new millennium of development.† The moral narrative that Gow is referring to is the dilemma of anthropologists (the writers) in   defining development in terms of the vision of a good society.   To quote: By framing the values of development in moral terms, rather than say economic terms (the market) or political terms (democracy), these writers not only escape from the tyranny of ideology, academic discipline, and political fashion; they also elevate the general tone of development discourse, for what they are proposing is a vision of the â€Å"good society†. (ibid: 310) I believe that the current and future relevance of development anthropology depend on whether it follows the path being suggested by Gow, that is, elevating the meaning of development in terms of   the moral vision of a good society.   In this age of satellite technology, when even the remotest places on Earth could have access to communication facilities and the mass media, the preservation of local culture is becoming a serious concern. People are influenced by modernization as they are exposed to various forms of technology, and many of them especially the younger generation aspire to leave and prefer to settle for a much modern lifestyle in cities. More than ever, development anthropology is relevant in order to direct the correct path of development wherein the living condition of the poor is alleviated to the point wherein they will have enough basic needs and services while at the same time retaining their cultural identity and who they are as a people is never lost or forgotten. The role of development anthropology therefore should be focused on determining the people’s vision of a good society, and from there the design of a suitable development framework and the conceptualization of strategies that could guide institutions in coming up with the right formula for development. This way, Escobar’s grassroots involvement is compromised while being open to the trend of globalization. An example would be to consider the willingness to commercialize the production of exotic handicrafts which are originally for sole domestic consumption. If the people look at this as a way to alleviate their economic condition while promoting their culture, then the development anthropologist should see this from a positive perspective and not as a sign of moral degradation. Development anthropologists have focused on four themes in performing their role which defines their current and future relevance to humanity. An increasingly focused sense of the anthropological contribution defined in terms of what anthropologists say about culture and social relations Opposition to the marginalization of indigenous peoples and their knowledge Cynicism about the aims and practices of development The emergence of critical views of development and the development process LIST OF REFERENCES Escobar, Arturo. (1991) ‘Anthropology and the Development Encounter: The Making and Marketing of Development Anthropology.’ American Ethnologist [online] 18 (4) 658-682. Available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/645446 [22 May 2009] Gow, David D. (2002)’Anthropology and Development: Evil Twin or Moral Narrative?’ Human Organization 61 (4) 299-313 Wikipedia (n. d.) ‘Development Anthropology.’ Available from http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Development_anthropology [30 May 2009) How to cite Current and Future Relevance of Development Anthropology, Papers

Discussion Board Ford And Taylorism Theory

Question: Discuss about the Discussion Board for Ford and Taylorism Theory. Answer: Introduction: The Management is a key function of the organizational activities. This is the reason, principles of the scientific management are essential for the firm. Through the consideration on the Fayolism and Taylorism, an organization can achieve organizational goals and objective in an effective and efficient manner (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). These are also helpful in designing the work structure of the organization. In the computer, mobile, car, hospital and restaurant industries, the applications of these principles can be easily seen even after 70 years of their formulation. This blog includes the two major sections. The first section is related to the key findings from the ideas extracted from the Ford and Taylorism theory. On the other hand, the second section includes the application of these key ideas in an organization. Changes in the Production Process Henry Ford (Founder of Ford car) was a visionary person. Under his visionary ideas, the company entered in partnership with Alexander Malcomson in 1908. The purpose of this deal was manufacturing car under the The Ford Motor Company. Through this deal, the company wanted to achieve cost efficiency in the production and increase in the market share. For achieving this objective, the company changed its production processes and methods. During that time, Ford was strongly influenced by the principles or method of the Fredrick Taylor (Ford and Taylor Scientific Management, 2008). Reduction in the Unnecessary Activities at the Workplace The management theory of the Taylor exhibits that the productivity of an organization can be increased by minimizing the unnecessary activities at the workplace. Taylors principle, the time management is effective to enhance the productivity of the workers (Post and Preston, 2012). According to this principle, each minute of an employee is significant in the workplace for the company. All the necessary equipment and resources should be arranged as saving the time of both the employee and company. Henry used this principle in the production to the great extent. In the initial stage, the company analyzed the essential components of the production process and after this, the company arranged them according to minimize the unnecessary activities of the employees (Pearson, 1945). Restructure the Assembly Line Ford restructured its assembly line in order to achieve the efficiency in the production and for increasing the production output. In this, the company adopted a revolutionary idea. It helped to the employee to remain stationary at the workplace. Instead of the employees moving, body of the car was moving from one place to another place. Each worker finished its particular work before move body of car one place to another place. This process was continuing until a complete car was prepared. It helped to Ford to reduce the cost of the product and enhance the production level (Altenburg and Sullivan, 2012). Attractive Offers for Employees Ford focused on the attracting the prospective employee through the offering an effective package to them. The company adopted the high pay strategy for the hard and honest workers with the objective of the retaining them for a long time. Use of Modern Technology The company used the modern and automatic technologies in the assembly of a car, whose direct benefit were observed such as reducing the time on the production of one car. Due to this, the company was able to generate record profit. In the success of an organization, the basic principles of the management are significant. These principles are effective for the modern management to remain ahead in the competition (Post and Preston, 2012). The adoption of the principle of the saving time and efforts of the human beings is effective to reduce the cost. It leads the company to increase production quantity that is able to increase the high revenue (Post and Preston, 2012). In this, the job security principle is also identified in order to maintain the productivity of the firm. This principle is based on the keep employees happy, which help to finish many kinds of issues in the business (Lee and Wong, 2013). As concerning of current business environment of the Australia, America or Europe, the employees and worker would not accept Taylorism in its original form. It is because the current business is based on the manual work as well as upon technology and automation. It avoids the theoretical concept of the management. For example, in call centers; there is application of the principals of the Taylorism. However, it is difficult to say that the Taylorism theory can be applied in the call centre to a great extent. It is because; the function of a call centre is divided in the departments or individuals. In the call centre, the work is offered to a candidate according to its skill and specialization. It helps to effectively handle the function of the firm with achieving the cost effectiveness (McKinlay and Wilson, 2012). Presently, the business owners and founders believe on the innovative techniques that can reduce the time or cost of the production (DeWinter, et al., 2014). But at the same time, some effects would see as the management firm and make the coordination of the different activities of the firm. There are various industries across the world, which are required to the application of the Taylorism theory in order to long run. The scientific management was introduced the 100 years ago by Frederick Taylor. The principles that come in it, they keep the impact on the business process. These principles play a significant role in the smoothly running business. The Taylorism based principles are below: Science, Not Rule of Thumb Harmony, Not Discord Cooperation, Not Individualism Development of Each and Every Person to His / Her Greatest Efficiency and Prosperity (Grachev, M. and Rakitsky, 2013) Reference Altenburg, K. and Sullivan, S., (2012) A matter of principle: Heritage management in Australia and China. Historic Environment, 24(1), p.41. DeWinter, J., Kocurek, C.A. and Nichols, R. (2014) Taylorism 2.0: Gamification, scientific management and the capitalist appropriation of play. Journal of Gaming Virtual Worlds, 6(2), pp.109-127. Ford and Taylor Scientific Management (2008) You Tube: Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PdmNbqtDdI (Accessed: 22 August 2016). Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B. (2014) Quality management for organizational excellence. UK: pearson. Grachev, M. and Rakitsky, B., (2013) Historic horizons of Frederick Taylor's scientific management. Journal of Management History, 19(4), pp.512-527. Lee, R.C. and Wong, S.L.C. eds. (2013) Asian America. Net: ethnicity, nationalism, and cyberspace. UK: Routledge. McKinlay, A. and Wilson, J. (2012) All they lose is the scream: Foucault, Ford and mass production. Management Organizational History, 7(1), pp.45-60. Pearson, Norman M. (1945) Fayolism as the Necessary Complement of Taylorism, American Political Science Association, 39(1), pp. 68-80 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1948832?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents) Post, J. and Preston, L. (2012) Private management and public policy: The principle of public responsibility. USA: Stanford University Press.

Great Gatsby Essays (693 words) - The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby

Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in the 1920's during the Jazz Age. Nick Carraway is a man in his late twenties residing on West Egg island in Long Island, New York living a "normal" life. That is, until he meets his mysterious neighbor, a wealthy man named Jay Gatsby. He is a man of mystery, living in a mansion that is constantly full of people, music, and fun. Nick's"normal" life gets thrown topsy-turvy when he gets involved in the life of this extraordinary millionaire. Marred by jealousy, cheating, and lying, Nick begins to feel the essence of living a glamorous life in the ?20's. He showed this when he said, "Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known." All along, I felt sorry for Nick being dragged into more and more tragedy, but I especially felt bad for him during one instance. His friend Daisy was married to Tom, but Tom was having an affair with Mrs. Wilson and Daisy had a thing for Gatsby. Daisy and Gatsby were driving home from town after an argument amongst the group of friends when they passed the Wilson's gas station. Mrs. Wilson ran out to Gatsby's car, because they were driving Tom's car, and was hit. Mr. Wilson went positively crazy, and Nick felt torn by his mixed feelings towards his supposed friend Gatsby. "I disliked him so much by this time that I didn't find it necessary to tell him he was wrong." Gatsby's insensitivity brought on by his lifestyle made Nick despise him. This is the part where I think Nick really started opening his eyes to how Gatsby really was. This book really displays how the life of an important person is, especially in that time period. At first, Nick is awed and drawn in by the glamour and prestige, but he eventually figures out for himself how rough it really was. Although this book was set back in the ?20's, the lessons you learn from it still apply to society and life in general today. Anyone could read this book and draw a few lessons about life from it. Summary The Great Gatsby was set in the 1920's. It's about the lives of a group of people who all become entangled in a web of, lying, scandal, and cheating together. Nick Carraway lives a "normal" life on Long Island, until he meets his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Parties went on every weekend, and Nick gets caught up in Gatsby's"glamorous" lifestyle. Soon, everyone is involved in scandal, Daisy's cheating on Tom with Gatsby, Tom's cheating on Daisy with Mrs. Wilson, and Nick's caught in the middle. Gatsby ends up convincing Nick to get Daisy to come to Gatsby's house, because they had a history together. Daisy comes, and both she and Gatsby find out that their love for each other never went away. The trouble really begins when Tom finds out that Daisy's love for Gatsby has rekindled. One day while in town, Tom and Daisy fight, so Gatsby drives Daisy home in Tom's car. On the way, they hit a woman who turns out to be Mrs. Wilson who was thought the person in the car was Tom, and was trying to talk to him. All the while, Nick starts realizing how terrible a life like Gatsby's is despite the outer glamour. He also becomes emotionally attached to golf player, Jordan Baker. After Mr. Wilson finds out who was in the car that killed his wife, he goes crazy and kills Gatsby. In the end, two people wind up dead, and everyone winds up hurt in one way or another. Daisy and Tom remain together, Mr. Wilson is crazy, and Nick is hurt by Jordan who never loved him back. After all of this emotional suffering, Nick realizes that he learned a valuable lesson about life: Some of the supposed happiest people with the best lives often are a lot worse off, or end up a lot worse off than people with "normal" lives. The only thing he can do is go on living his life the way it was meant to be lead: not as a millionaire, or a prestigious person in society, but as a normal guy-the only way he knows how.

Response about Landscape and Narrative by Barry Lopez

Response about Landscape and Narrative by Barry Lopez As the title illustrates, ‘Landscape and Narrative’ by Barry Lopez illustrates the relationship between the landscape and a narrative.   The author illustrates that a narrative serves its purpose if it manages to illustrate the relationship between the interior and the exterior landscape effectively and in an orderly manner.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Response about Landscape and Narrative by Barry Lopez specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The exterior landscape represents the earth and the ecosystem while the interior landscape represents the mind, thoughts and everything that happens in a person’s mind.   Therefore,  it is clear that Lopez uses the issue of landscape to illustrate the role of a narrative as well as the points that ought to be considered to come up with an effective narrative. Lopez illustrates that a narrator should have knowledge on the interior and exterior landscape to come up with an effective narrative. Since the exterior landscape represents the land, a narrator is supposed to have a lot of knowledge on the   Ã‚  same to be in a position to effectively provide the relationship between the two landscapes. However, since it is not possible to have full knowledge on the land or the exterior landscape, observing the relationship between different elements can be very helpful. Most importantly, the author illustrates that full knowledge can only be realized if all the elements are studied together not separately. For instance, in an organization, there are different departments and the importance of each department can only be understood if someone studies how the whole system works. By so doing, the narrator is able to represent the exterior environment in such a way that the reader can identify with it and believe the narrator. Apart from that, the way it is presented is also a consideration as well as the phrases used since it is i mportant to ensure that all readers at all levels can be in a position to grasp the main idea and understand the content. In that case, Lopez has succeeded in illustrating how a story can be informative since it is a main prerequisite of an effective narrative. The role of a narrative is also a major idea that is brought out throughout the whole story.   Lopez   illustrates   that a well organized story that  unites the two landscapes is able to result to a state   of well being   since it is stated that â€Å" The  Ã‚   listener who takes the   story to heart will feel pervasive sense of congruence within   himself and   also in the world â€Å"(Lopez pp. 44). Therefore, according to Lopez, a well written story has got the power of healing and even  nurturing the spirit  of human beings after uniting the interior and the exterior landscape. Moreover, it provides individuals with knowledge concerning various elements in the land through studying their relat ionship as illustrated by the narrator.Advertising Looking for critical writing on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lopez uses the example of a narrative to illustrate the constituents of an effective narrative as well as the eventual roles played by the same. Use of the wolverine stories is very effective since by so doing, the reader grasps the intent of the author without major difficulties. Moreover, the  story also illustrates the power of presenting information of the exterior environment in an orderly manner and in a way that the reader can identify with the elements of the land. As a result, the author is able to believe the narrator and to take the information as truth. As an example, Lopez explains that after sending the information about the wolverine to a friend, she got a positive response though the friend had never seen the creatures. Therefore, although Lopez does not concentrate so much on presentation, she has made a major contribution in illustrating not only the role, but also the constituents of `the story. In conclusion, Lopez states that â€Å"As long as the  storyteller carefully  describes the  order before him, and uses his story telling skill to heighten and emphasize certain relationships, it is even possible for the story to be more successful  than the story teller himself is able to imagine† (Lopez pp. 146). Work Cited Lopez, Barry. Landscape and Narrative . 1970. Web.

The global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The global warming - Essay Example ds, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, ozone, radon, and industrial smog (sulfurous and nitrous compounds mixed with water vapor and soot) (Global, 2003). Many of these pollutants are released into the atmosphere from areas of heavy industry and high traffic areas. Air pollution existed long before this, though, in the form of volcanic activity, fires, and dust-storms. This natural sort of pollution was generally able to be removed or assimilated by the functions of the biosphere. During these times, the earth was in a system that basically had minimal impact from humans. New chemicals and excess pollution since the industrial revolution, however, have taxed the threshold level of the biosphere. Acid deposition, global warming, and stratospheric ozone depletion represent unsustainable impacts on the environment. Many atmospheric scientists agree that air pollution from human sources has significantly altered the entire biosphere. Working globally in concerned international communities is seen to be key to solving the problem and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But steps must be taken to reduce the threat of global climate change at the individual, local, state, and national, as well as the international, level. Steps could be as complicated as urban design and waste management research, or as simple as planting a tree. Many cities have voluntarily taken the initiative to improve the environment by implementing greenhouse gas reduction strategies. These strategies can help communities save money as they lower the risks to human health caused by glo bal warming. As too carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere from traditional energy sources, and as the media pays a lot of attention, more and more people have been exploring energy alternatives in the form of wind and solar energy, as well as exploring more environmentally friendly options in their choice of building materials. Global warming has been a concern of science for more than a century, perhaps

Australian industrial relations and employment law reforms Assignment

Australian industrial relations and employment law reforms - Assignment Example State involvement in industrial relations actions is both interesting and questionable, especially where politics that come with it are put into consideration. This paper seeks to critically analyse the reforms in employment sector by pointing out various benefits and poor decisions that were made in Australia for the past two decades. 2.0 Industrial Relations and Employment Law Reforms The establishment of the commonwealth conciliation and arbitration commission was a major step towards bringing towards finding a peaceful resolution to industrial relations. It also did recognize trade unions and this was a major boost for collective bargaining. All the registered unions became part and parcel of institutional framework that was meant for the Australian industrial relations. ... In 2005, workplace choices was introduced and this market the start of the Australian workplace agreements (AWA) and this was followed by the drastic disbandment of unfair dismissal laws which was targeting the employers that have less than one hundred employees (Hyslop & Stillman, 2004, pp.2). The language of employment relations has also been adjusted to include certain terms like high involvement which do bring out the aspect of employee motivation to work. Such linguistic changes also do emphasise the critical needs for teamwork, multiskilling and general involvement of employees to ensure that high levels of performance in terms of productivity and quality standards are achieved. Generally, the feeling for employees in Australia has been the lack of inclusion or consultation when it comes to keys issues that have an impact on their work and life (Quiggan, 2005, pp.2-6). Reports of over-working, high stress levels and lack of job security seems to have been the main driving force in this approach. The national employment relations have really changed. During these changes, the industrial relations reform was a major issue on the agenda of various political parties and has continued to elicit much debate from the political seen. 3.0 Industrial relations reforms amid hidden political interests When the Australian labour part got elected in 2007, introduction of Fair Work Australia and WorkChoices came onto being. This two employment systems had a major impact on the workforce of Australia and changed the face of employment relations and how the citizens view it. They also marked the beginning of State participation in the industrial relations. The election of Liberal National Coalition party that

Painting The Sistine Chapel By Michelangelo Religion Essay

Painting The Sistine Chapel By Michelangelo Religion Essay Michelangelo painted the Sistine chapel between 1508 and 1512. Later a student of his, Giorgio Vasari, writes that when the work was thrown open the whole world came running to see what Michelangelo had done and certainly it was such as to make everyone speechless with astonishment(Gillgren,(2001). The Sistine chapel is profoundly Christocentric. It was not made as a form of intellect but as a form of worship. It is not an argument or an Iconic display, although both of these are present in the painting. The critical examination of the chapel at times loses the simplicity that this is just great art (Dixon, (1988). The focus of Michelangelos art was man, which on the surface seems to confirm Burckhardts analysis of the Renaissance. Neo-Platonism, however, provided a framework for reconciling secularism with Christianity. The Neo-platonists interest in man stemmed from his belief that man was that element which tied the universe together. His interest in beauty, as reflected in Michelangelos preoccupation with the nude, arose from his identification of beauty with the highest good. Far from being worldly in content, the Neo-Platonist argued that the body was the dungeon of the soul; Michelangelos contorted figures symbolize the struggle of the soul to free itself from matter and achieve a vision of God (Robb, N. (1935). In his book Painting of the High Renaissance in Rome and Florence, S J Freedberg made an effort to define the art of Michelangelo in relation to Neo-Platonism. It is said that can the art of Michelangelo in the Sistine chapel be reduced to concepts like Neo-Platonist or Christian. An iconological understanding must acknowledge both, and also recognize that with the human form is not made from tradition and a lot is Michelangelos own interest in Classical sculpture and to the very particular culture of humanist Italy at the beginning of the Sixteenth century. Upon entering the chapel, one can see historical scenes close to the entrance. These sides are filled with figures, while the scenes close to the altar only show a few figures. The Prophets and the Sibyls by the entrance are smaller than the ones by the altar. Even as the architecture is expanding, the first Prophets and Sibyls are seated steadily on their thrones. The latter ones further in almost seem to be gliding down the wall toward the floor (Gilgren, (2001). There are two competing explanations for this. One thought is formalistic and the other one iconological. Then there is a third, a quite uncomplicated explanation has really not been given its due consideration: The crescendo makes it possible for the spectator entering the chapel through the old entrance (not the present one, where most people enter today) to see the whole work in just one gaze. The figures close by are smaller and the scenes more crowded, the ones further away are larger and more sculptural-and can there fore be seen all the way from the entrance. While taking in this view is easy to understand the crescendo as a means toward making the work available to the spectator. It is a way to communicate (Gilgren, (2001). Michelangelo and the thought of the Neo-platonic Academy suggest that the Renaissance was not as secular or as pagan as Burckhardt would have us believe. Christianity was still a potent a force. The modes of expressing it in the Renaissance, however, were different from those of the Middle Ages. While Saint Bernard and the Benedictine tradition urged the Christian to abandon life in the world, Renaissance Neo-Platonism found God in beautiful things. The Renaissance man did indeed tend to worship the world, but at least for the Neo-Platonist, this was part of the worship of God. Michelangelo once said that art is brought from heaven. Only divine inspiration could have created the David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and it was to the divine that Michelangelo wished to appeal (Robb, N. (1935). The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in a way follows a similar pattern. When the ceiling is divided it is done so in a series of squares, triangles and circles. There are three zones to the ceiling division. The lower zone where very little light is received is defined by De Tolnay as peopled by a race enduring variations of the human condition. According to Fleming, the middle zone is a mix of Old Testament prophets and some pagan symbols that have knowledge of the Divine and mediate between man and God. The contrast of the pagan symbols and biblical prophets suggests a idea which is not completely Christian. The use of prophets and pagan examples side by side kind of suggests that Michelangelo was looking at the qualities they shared as being important instead of the specific beliefs they stood for. They are according to Fleming the inspired men and women who, through the exercise of their minds and imaginations, became the mediators between the human and divine spheres. Angels would have been representing these symbols in most of the other traditional Christian art. The ceiling of the chapel is perhaps the most famous. In the center the story of many and his relationship with God is shown. The famous finger to finger painting in the center is very well known and everywhere replicated in the world today. It looks like the ceiling is a portrait of biblical history from creation and then ending with the Last Judgment. The first scene which is the Drunkenness of Noah is consistent with Neo-Platonism. Neo-Platonism will often show the lowest state of a soul by drunkenness. The panels of the ceiling go on to show man in his low state to creation. In the panel the Creation of Adam, there are two under the arm of God. As De Tolnay states One is a girl, who represents the Platonic idea of Eve, preexisting in the divine intellect. The last panel, God Dividing the Light from Darkness, shows what a depiction of a complete pure being is. In the Creation of Eve, Michelangelo portrayed God as a human. If you start with at the beginning with the Drunkenness of Noah, the painted story goes through biblical history to where freedom finally and forever is achieved. The panels, because of this progression may then be interpreted as a Neo-Platonism manifesto (Vess, D. (1998).