The piece of art I decided to write about is a Persian Hauberk of Mail that dates back to 1600 AD and is currently exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Hauberk is a type of shirt made of iron mail. This particular one is made of steel and brass chains by the unknown craftsman and originates from Iran. The design of such piece of armor required important skills and knowledge from a blacksmith. The mail had to be strong enough to protect the warrior but at the same time light enough not to hinder the movements. Since the manufacturing process was complicated and time-consuming, hauberks used to be expensive and affordable only for the elite and some certain class of soldiers. Armor like that was quite common both in Europe and Asia in ancient time. This particular item is of interest as its still and brass chains are imprinted with the names of Ali, Hasan, Husayn, and Kazim, the Imams of Shia Islam. In order to understand this piece of art better, one needs to consider the history of Islamic philosophy and the mindset of people of the time.
All modern scholars agree that the philosophical views of Plato had a significant impact and inspiration on Islam. His most prominent works, such as the Republic, the Sophist, and the Laws were known in the Middle East and his wisdom was praised. Paradigms of Plato’s philosophy could give answers to the most important questions of Islam like “how multiplicity came from unity and how corporality emanated from an incorporeal God” (Aminrazavi para. 7). One of the most significant Arabic philosophers, Al-Farabi investigated the ideas of Plato and Aristotle and analyzed them in his works on political philosophy and metaphysics. He adapted some aspects of Plato’s perfect state to match the Islamic society. The concept of Imam, the decent ruler whose “understanding of truth is intuitive” was initially based on the concept of philosopher-king, described in the Republic (Aminrazavi para. 6). Another idea of Plato that was suitable for Islam was that the soul is a spiritual matter that moves a physical shell. The Shia doctrine sees Imams as the central personalities of the community and religion. According to Shia views, Imams are considered the just successors of Muhammad and are gifted with sacred knowledge. The Imams represent the authority, ideology, and spiritual leaders.
Initially, this hauberk was meant to protect the owner and, perhaps, emphasize his or her social status. However, the author stamped the names of Imams on the links and, by doing so, turned a regular piece of armor into a part of cultural heritage. Shi’ite believed that Imams were a means by which a divine energy was coming to the world. Just like today, religion used to be paramount in Islamic society and was involved in all aspects of everyday life, as well as in art and craftsmanship. By engraving the names, people did not simply pay the respect to their rulers. The warrior who would wear the armor with sacred names written on it would feel safer and stronger. Such mail would protect not only the body but also the soul.
The reason why Plato thought that the art should be controlled is that it has a powerful impact on people. It may influence people’s thoughts, actions and even personalities. Islamic values and virtues constitute an integral part of Islamic art. The given example of ancient hauberk proves that art and philosophy exist even in the most mundane objects such as armor.
The movie we are analyzing now is The Wolf of Wall Street. It depicts the controversial life of Jordan Belfort. The film could be analyzed in terms of Kants philosophy which altered the approach to cognition, moral, and suggested an alternative understanding of the nature of feelings and experience. Nevertheless, creating the video moviemakers wanted to empathize a certain lifestyle that could be characterized by debauchery and self-indulgence. The main character, Jordan Belfort, wants to experience everything and leads a life full of drugs, women, and alcohol (Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street”). He is sure that his life should consist of fun and discovery of new feelings, emotions, and impressions. This idea could be correlated to Kants understanding of perception according to which the world and its foundations are explored through experience and priori concepts that already exist in our minds (Johnson and Cureton par. 5). In this regard, all Belforts actions could be considered attempts to cognize the surrounding world and find answers to different questions. Additionally, being a talented and smart person, he also thinks about the nature of actions, cognition, and the purpose of his life. If to apply Kants perspective on perception and understanding, the main characters way of life is an attempt to find numerous answers. Furthermore, Belfort obviously has a certain categorical imperative that determines his behavior. He is not able to betray Donnie and warns him about FBIs attention. The given situation evidences the existence of a moral obligation formulated by Kant (Johnson and Cureton par. 7).
Altogether, the movie could teach us that trying to obtain sentient experience and following his/her desires, a person might significantly deteriorate his/her life and become confused. It could not be recommended to children, though adults should watch it to understand the consequences of the lifestyle chosen by Belfort.
Works Cited
Aminrazavi, Mehdi. Mysticism in Arabic and Islamic Philosophy. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2016 Edition). Web.
Artist Unknown. Hauberk (shirt) of Mail. 1600. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Web.
Johnson, Robert and Adam Cureton. “Kant’s Moral Philosophy.”The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2016. Web.
The Wolf of Wall Street. Directed by Martin Scorsese, performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie, Paramount Pictures, 2013.