Attitudes Towards Animals in Neolithic and Assyrian Times
Animals have been viewed differently by different cultures. This is evident when comparing the wall painting of a deer hunt from the Neolithic period (Gardner, 38) and the reliefs of Ashurbanipal hunting lions and the dying lions from the Assyrian dominated period of the ancient near east (Gardner, 56). The deer hunt scene, painted at Catal Huyuk c. 5750 BC, depicts several humans hunting two large deer and one small deer. The reliefs, sculpted at Nineveh c. 650 BC, consist of King Ashurbanipal sitting in a chariot and shooting several lions with his bow and arrow, and a close-up view of a dying lioness that has been shot three times by arrows but is still trying to move. The deer hunt scene shows that prehistoric people had more respect for animals than the Assyrian people did partly because the Neolithic people felt that magic was needed to help with their hunting. The two works also show that there was a large difference in the technology of these two cultures. In addition the Assyrians would sometimes hunt for sport, while the Neolithic people would hunt only out of necessity for food.
The deer hunt scene shows the animals as being stronger than humans, while the lion hunt scene shows the animals as being weak as compared to King Ashurbanipal. The two adult deer are much larger than any of the humans in the first scene. Humans are usually slightly taller than most deer, but here the deer are drawn about twice as tall as the humans. It also takes several humans with weapons to hunt the deer. In the lion scene, all of the lions have been killed or injured by arrows. The only person in the scene with a bow and arrows is King Ashurbanipal. It is apparent that he has shot all of the lions himself, showing his superior strength over the lions.
In prehistoric times, cave paintings of hunting scenes served magical purposes: “By confining them (animals) to the surface of their cave walls, the prehistoric hunters may have believed that they were bringing the animals under their control” (Gardner, 28). Also, the humans on the left of the wall painting don’t seem to be directly involved in the hunt, as the deer are on the right side. It appears that they are doing some sort of dance, possibly a magical dance to help the hunters.
This work of art is subtractive because it involves skimming or subtracting from the material’s original mass or volume (Sayre, 295). Carving is a process where materials were being chiseled, cut into or hammered to achieve the desired form/s (Sayre, 299). The most common material carvers used to produce sculptures are wood or stone (Sayre, 299). In this art work, the artist used a material, in this case alabaster, and carved the material into shape using sharp tools, such as chisel or gouger. The carving for “Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions” is low relief, meaning its depths are shallow and the forms are not as elevated from the base as in high relief carving. Additionally, this sculpture is a type of frontal art which was meant to only be viewed from the front and not from the back (Sayre, 295). This type of art form is often used to embellish architectural structures such as residences, buildings and even palaces (Sayre, 295). In fact, this specific piece is found as a decoration in Assurnapiral II’s palace complex as one of the many relief arts found in his residence. This specific relief art depicted the powerful leadership of Assurnapiral II, the country’s strong military units, and the thriving capital of Kalhu which was established after the fall of Babylon in 1595 B.C. (Sayre,
Using archery to kill game animals is known as bowhunting. Using a bow to hunt
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, there is specific use of three animals as metaphors for human actions. These animals are the deer, boar, and fox. When Gawain rests with the Lord and Lady on his way to battle with the Green Knight, we see three hunting scenes, which coincide with three seduction, or flirting, scenes. During these hunts, the Lord of the manor kills three animals. The first is the deer. White's translation states that the deer, or the stag, can be used as a metaphor for Christians. The author felt that deer were able to eat snakes for medicinal purposes, and thus shed their old skin. This ability makes them like Christians in that when they eat up the devil, or sin, and then they are able to confess or shed their sins. The Lady, who is compared to a snake with the "s" alliteration, tempts Gawain. He refuses her advances at this point in the story, but later, he feels he must confess for taking her sash, thus shedding his sins.
Hunting dates back as far as history exists as a primary source of food for mankind. It can also be found in nature often referred to as the “circle of life.” Suppose a hunter is on a ridge with his gun sighted in on a deer far out in the distance. By pulling the trigger the hunter will not only take the deer’s life but provide life at the same time. He will use the deer to feed himself and his family providing them the necessities to survive; therefore, by consuming the deer it becomes a part of him. Later when the man and his family die they will be returned to the earth to decay and become soil. This will result in grass to grown and feed future deer for another hunter from another time to start the process all over. This is just one of uncountable examples of how man contributes to the circle of life. The same situation also occurs between other animals not just man. In the classic Disney movie “The Lion King” Mufasa explains the circle of life to Simba when he is just a lion cub. Mufasa is explaining to Simba the respect he should have for all creatures “from the ant to the antelope.” Simba asks “But dad don’t we eat the antelope?” Mufasa responds stating "Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die,...
Throughout history, societies have been faced with many social issues affecting their citizens. Martin Luther King Jr, a civil rights leader for African Americans, was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement, a movement that fought to undo the injustices African Americans endure by American society in the 1960s. Martin expressed his disgust with the social inequality among citizens when saying “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (PETA). Taking the prominent leader’s words into consideration, we should progress as a society by participating in the animal rights movement that strives to extend the same compassion, felt by Martin Luther King Jr, to all living things (PETA). Popular criticisms report that animals are inferior to humans because they are a source of food, but I will argue that they are victims of social injustice. Validity for my animal rights argument will come from individual and organizational expert accounts and by Bioethicist Peter Singer, Author Francis Fukuyama, New York Time’s Mark Bittman and also Animal Rights organizations, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Animal Equality, to help prove my argument. Animals are silent victims who are loudly crying out for someone to stand up for their rights; rights that can no longer be disregarded by being overlooked. It is my belief that animals should be respected, and afforded ethical and human treatment by society instead of being looked at as a source of food. In a society where animals have no voice, it is everyone’s civic duty to participate in the animal rights movement and acknowledge animals as living beings, which...
Through numerous innovations, acquisitions, and other strategic moves The Walt Disney Company has grown tremendously from the animation company that
For many years, people assumed that humans are significantly different from other species, which made them somewhat superior. However, research on animal behavior, especially our closest relatives, the apes has led to new discoveries that show many similarities between human and animals. Some of these similarities have questioned the uniqueness of humans and have led to debates not only among scientists but in the public as well. Frans de Waal, a renowned primatologist and the author of The Ape and the Sushi Master, is among the scientists that claim animals and humans are quite similar. The main focus of his book is to show that culture is not exclusive to humans. De Waal was not the first scientist to propose the theory that animals have culture nonetheless; it was received with a lot of enmity. He attributes this to the fear of losing the qualities that make humans special. Claims of language in apes became so threating that animal research was almost banned. According to de Waal, “attempts of censorship do reveal just how much insecurity surrounds human uniqueness”. (32) In an attempt to support his argument, he addresses the controversial issue of morality in animals. Morality is considered a cultural aspect and therefore people often use cultural biases in decision making. Dan Kahan, a psychologist, referred to this as cultural cognition, which “refers to the tendency of individuals to conform their beliefs about disputed matters of fact to values that define their cultural identities”. Subsequently, theories on morality depend on the perspective of the scientists who carry out the research. De Waal supports his theory by analyzing aspects of morality in humans and comparing them to animal behavior.
Women have faced gender wage discrimination for decades. The gender pay gap is the difference between what a male and a female earns. It happens when a man and a woman standing next to each other doing the same job for the same number of hours get paid different salaries. On average, full-time working- women earn just “77 cents for every dollar a man earn.” When you compare a woman and a man doing the same job, “the pay gap narrows to 81 percent (81%)” (Rosin). Fifty-one years ago, in order to stop the gender gap discrimination, Congress enacted the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The act states that all women should receive “equal pay for equal work”. Unfortunately, even in 2014 the gender pay gap persists and even at the highest echelons of the corporate; therefore, the equal pay act is a failure.
Nurses playing an important role in communication with the patient. ”communication is a life long learning process for nurse.’’(P & P). Nurses are working with patients and their families from their birth to death. It is mandatory to the nurse to maintain or create a therapeutic relationship, communication throughout their caring process. For effective communication the nurse should understand their cultural belief, and values, etc. One person’s personal beliefs, traditions and values can influence their recognition of their health and wellness. Based on that they will choose their medical care and treatment. (Nadline Caron). Aboriginal people are the original inhabitants of the Canadian land. Aboriginal peoples are living with their
I will first look at the views of Peter Singer, who is a utilitarian. A
In the U.S history, women have been treated unfairly for a fairly long time. Even though, people try to attach great importance to women, unfairness still exists. After looking at gender pay gap between men and women, I find both good side and bad side.
Animal welfare is a fairly recent, yet troubling argument in society. This subject is a strong argument on a variety of opinions. Animal welfare has become a major issue and has grown internationally. The human concern and the safety and rights of animals is the meaning of the concept of animal welfare. Through decades of animal welfare, people fight to prevent the action of animal cruelty and bring help towards animal rights.
It is a proven fact that men gets paid more than women. Why do you think that happened? Do men work more than women do? Or is it because they have more muscle than women do? This rule never made sense to me. Why should they get more money when we do the same amount work? I believe that all people should be treated equally as well as paid equally. This is why I choose to be on the right side and argue for women’s right to be paid equally.
One major reason why women are not being paid equally to men, is the way our society views working women. For example, women traditionally are not seen as the main “bread winner” of a household. In fact, in our society, men are traditionally seen as the main source of income. In our society one of the main arguments commonly used by those in favor of the wage gap, is that women take significant time off of work to have children. As a result, the time women take off work is deducted from their pay.
Animals can be perceived in many different ways. While some humans consider animals to be mindless machines programmed with instinct, others view them as spiritual creatures capable of coherent thought and emotions. I feel that animals are somewhere in the middle. Although they rely heavily on instinct, the ability to feel emotions shows that their mental capacity is not far from that of a human.