A Positive Influence on Society Leonardo Di Vinci Has Had - Essay Example

?To begin with, living in the society, an individual may contribute positively through a set of deeds. Thereupon, the society grows and gets strongerwhen individuals are constantly making efforts for that. It assumes that they are working, consuming, growing culturally or politically, or providing innovations in a definite field of knowledge or interests and the like. A positive impact on the society encompasses all these issues. Moreover, an individual promotes a positive development of the society through keeping up with peace and order within it. Thus, individuals are to have a clear idea of searching their niche under the sun. Lazy bones and indifferent persons cannot be counted as positive individuals. Nor could they bring something useful in it. In this respect it is vital to keep it in mind that Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of a few most outstanding luminaries in the history of the mankind. The question is that his many-faceted talents in sciences and art amaze even today. It is hard to imagine how contemporaries evaluated the talent of Leonardo who had outrun the achievements of his era which emerged only in the 20th century. This is why it is important to highlight the significance of Leonardo’s inventions for the social development and well-being. His talent and his wonderful ideas served a great prerequisite of the progressive society and the technical growth of the civilized mankind on the whole. First and foremost, Leonardo da Vinci was an ardent supporter of the growth of Italian cities at the epoch of Renaissance. It is he who was eminent for his paintings and sculptures decorating interior and exterior parts of Florence, Milan, and other cities where different major families (such as Sforza) ruled at the time. Thus, there were different facts based on the works of art that Leonardo made the society culturally mature. Tracing back to the times of antiquity, he invented different techniques of left-hand painting, though there is an assumption that da Vinci was ambidextrous (Merejkowski 449). His genius was aimed at discovering new horizons of the human thought and applying it for the sake of the societal growth and development. It was his merit that the mankind could touch upon the revolutionary new and technologically progressive ideas after the Dark Ages of categorical (theological) judgments on everything around. He was open to discussions on different topics. Moreover, his deliberate accuracy in studying whatever he wanted made him distinctive and successful in a huge number of inventions and artistic breakthroughs. Leonardo was a master of “social rehabilitation”, so to speak. He succeeded in terms of art, science, and social studies. This is why he is an etalon of an ideal individual following and appreciating the norms of social life. Besides, the society itself relies on the contributions of individuals throughout a particular span of time. In this respect one may judge upon more or less civilized society. Leonardo da Vinci was one the most applicable examples in this case. He was a powerful thinker capable of realizing numerous projects. Moreover, he contributed almost into every social institution through his inventions in medicine, art, technologies, approaches to socio-economic construct in Italy, etc. He was positive in his evaluation of life and environment around him, as he took his brilliant ideas directly from the Nature: “He loved beauty in the things that surrounded him; he was fond of magnificent clothing and valued every refinement of living” (Freud 9). Thus, along with his numerous talents, Leonardo was socially normal and represented no threat to the society, which is why he brought his own mite into the well-being of the social order and continuation of the social growth. To say more, even though there was a huge gap between Leonardo and his contemporaries, he could manage the talk on other inventions with the most influential circles of people of his time admired by the talent of da Vinci. Furthermore, all arguments by Leonardo were well justified and visualized due to his passion to visual arts. He was a “superman”, so to speak. Referring to one of the main contributions an individual can make into the society – finding out a job – Leonardo was on the top due to his all-day-long working days over some current and potential projects. There was no need to impose Leonardo the necessity of working, as the economic stimulus for the societal growth. He knew it empirically through the pure logic of essential laws of living which were well justified by the philosophers of the Enlightenment Era after him. Hence, he always saw the goals and the ultimate ways to reach them shortly. It is an attempt to show how industrious Leonardo was as well as how often he tried to study things around him. His pure genius helped him to thoroughly learn from his experience and experience of people living earlier, especially ancient Greeks. This is why Leonardo took care of the society he lived in. It is vital to admit that the society may run into the social stupor if no improvements are done. It touches upon every individual and especially the strongest and the most powerful ones. Leonardo was one of those who was eager to push forward hundreds of different inventions to break the ice of the social backwardness. The only reason why he could not find out more appreciation from his contemporaries regarding scientific innovations was that he was scarcely the one to fully understand the scope of features he observed and worked with. Leonardo studied all elements in the nature trying to gain the gist of all processes in the water, fire, and other substances. His ideas were revolutionary, for they could make Italy superpower at the time, if only there were enough like-minded persons and sponsors working with him. Insofar, his outstanding ideas came to present days in the form of ordinary notes and reasoning of Leonardo. Nonetheless, the Renaissance society sought to have more visual pleasure. Hence, Leonardo is a luminous inventor if different styles in terms of the artistic thought. One of his famous inventions in this field is the “effect of the coup de theatre” (Brockwell 12). This is why Leonardo was well appreciated more for his artistic conversely to scientific attainments. It is really noteworthy how Leonardo was working over different projects. He made his society more progressive and full of beauty in paintings, drawings, sculptures, and architectural works. Leonardo da Vinci has had a positive influence on the society due to his unusual ability to amaze by means of his superb works of art. He facilitated the uniqueness of all cities where he lived by virtue of personal participation in making sculptures, ornamenting facades, and promoting new paintings for definite buildings as well as for definite persons within the society. Culturally speaking, his genius was favorable for nurturing aesthetic sensitivity within each individual at the time. With his inventions in hand, it is hard to underestimate the place of Leonardo not only within the society at the time but also according to present days. Moreover, he shared the opinions of the minor groups of the society. In this respect he was devoted to the relationships between the master and his students present in the antiquity (Merejkowski 78). On the other hand, he was an ardent vegetarian, as he “did not think it justifiable to deprive animals of their lives; and he took particular pleasure in buying birds in the market and setting them free” (Freud 14). He was too gentle to hurt somebody. However, he strived to be heard within his society. In fact, it is quite normal of him, as he never was a mealy-mouthed orator but an acknowledged master of word and persuasiveness. He loaned this mastership from the antique tradition. Moreover, Leonardo seems to always experiment with different approaches to living within the social construct. He is an obvious philanthropist. In this case his numerous paintings show his high impression of the human body in just social and religious viewpoints. His love is proved on the example of his works. Apparently, every sculpture or painting by Leonardo made the city he lived in more beautiful and chic. Weighing all pros and cons, Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most outstanding luminaries of all times. His talent would be appreciated today. This is why his scientific attempts were not widely acclaimed just because of their innovative misconception for the rest of the society. By the way, as an individual, Leonardo was both active and passive depending on his moods and other factors. It characterizes him as an ordinary person with ordinary problems and needs: “He often gave the appearance of being indifferent to good and evil, or he insisted on measurement by a special standard” (Freud 14). In all these matters, one may comprise the versatility of the da Vinci’s social appropriateness. Definitely, he was an individual to build up rather than to destroy. His approach toward social equilibrium consisted in the architectural and artistic norms of harmony which he possessed from Vitruvius and a number of ancient Greek thinkers. He appealed to a scope of axioms just to omit any debate. However, his knowledge of statements by Socrates and especially that the truth is sprout in discussion made him an ardent supporter of social reformation in Florence, Milan and other significant cities of Italy at the time. Most of the Italian superiority in art over the rest of European countries is also triggered by what Leonardo brought about in the society. His manner of changing things for better was his main slogan, as might be assumed. His will to reshape reality with aesthetically gorgeous examples was always vivid and pleasant for seeing. Leonardo is the master of imposing aesthetical sensitivity to every Italian living in or going by the cities he lived in. This is why his example of impacting society in a positive manner inspires until now. It is he who made impossible possible in art and science. It is he who made a significant start in further development of the mankind. Working as a court-painter, he grabbed attention of the high and mighties, and it was in his fashion to be in the center of everybody’s attention (Brockwell 15). This is why it is impossible to state that Leonardo has had no positive impact on the society. First, he was well-known and appreciated among the highest layers of the society (Sforza). Thus, he did not refer himself to the marginal stratum of the society itself. Pursuant to his ability to impress, it was an undeniable fact: Leonardo could even boast of his new inventions (Merejkowski 34). He never withheld his sincere intentions regarding what he produced or was likely to investigate. What is more, Leonardo was useful for the society, since he left a host of different cultural and scientific artifacts sparking interest among scientists today. A man is judged according to the record he/she left after him/her. This is why Leonardo surpassed all expectations in this case. His energy in whatever he did made him very famous with and adored by his contemporaries. This is why there is no other objectivity to state that his positive influence on the society was unfelt. To say more, he was among pioneers of the Italian Renaissance. Thus, it is possible to say that the society itself believed in and relied on Leonardo da Vinci due to the aforementioned contributions he did. There is plenty to talk on the person of Leonardo da Vinci as he made himself an iconic symbol of pure genius and etalon of the scientific and artistic wholeness gathered within one man. It evaluates him as an honorable individual of his society. Hence, Leonardo licked all creation and took a gamble on glorifying the unlimited potential in a human being. Due to these contributions by him he commenced a wider research on art and paintings. He introduced it through a number of treatises, such as Treatise on Painting and the like (Brockwell 10). This is why the whole idea of Leonardo as a socially-significant individual can be illustrated solely in positive coloring of his person and contributions he made. It is said, however, that a prophet is hardly accepted in his homeland. Thereupon, Leonardo could balance between science and art not to provoke any revolts on the part of the society toward him. His dedication to harmony in everything did him a favor: “Because of his insatiable and indefatigable thirst for knowledge Leonardo has been called the Italian Faust” (Freud 22). Frankly speaking, it is hard to identify someone else of da Vinci’s level of knowledge and number of projects and innovations. Hence, he was, perhaps, the most positively influential individual of the time. Contemporary society is in need of such people capable of driving it toward breakthroughs. In accordance with current threats the humanity faced with, Leonardo’s potential is crucially needful. He has had a weighty impact on the societal growth and development. Even though he was a nit-picker, his achievements are worth of it. Excelling his contemporaries in ability to encompass the state-of-the-art technologies and principles able to shift general concept of the world, da Vinci was too assertive for his as well as for today’s society. Therefore, the significance of Leonardo’s inventions for the social development and well-being counts for his positive intentions in whatever he did for people in Italy, and , furthermore, for the mankind at large. Being a multifaceted person, Leonardo fit into the demands of the society and served a model for normality in thinking and acting respectively. His contributions are hard to just overestimate. Numerous artifacts and revolutionary ideas state his importance for the world on the whole. Works Cited Brockwell, Maurice Walter. Leonardo Da Vinci. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2004. Freud, Sigmund. Leonardo Da Vinci. 2. New York, NY: Routledge, 2001. Merejkowski, Dmitri. The Forerunner. a Romance of Leonardo Da Vinci. New York, NY: Echo Library, 2005. Read More