Introduction to Humanities II

Today we greeted everyone that survived Spring Break! We had already covered Marxism before which was the theory we were to discuss and apply to Eighteenth Century Art, so we started by asking what everyone thinks of in regards to Communism. I talked about my experiences in Communist East Berlin while I was stationed in West Berlin from 1980-1982. It was clear from my experiences there that Communism does not work. We talked a little about Frances Fukuyama and this led to a discussion about whether Free Market Capitalistic Representative Democracies are the best human civilization can reach. Then we looked at Rococo Art in the Eighteenth Century and noted the extravagance reflected in the art associated with the wealthy class. Is that sort of contrast going on now? When we look at the way the so called 1% spend their money do we see a new "Rococo" period in art? If so, it makes you wonder if a new "French Revolution" is on its way. The quiz question today was why do the wealthy not seem to have a moral sense of discipline regarding the extravagant use of their wealth in a society with increasingly disenfranchised people?