A time of revival and rekindling, this was the Italian Renaissance. The feudal system along with the Catholic Church which ruled in most European countries began having its purpose and ethics questioned. Men started looking elsewhere for answers and inspiration. All aspects of everyday life were affected by this rebirth. Art, religion, politics were seen from new perspectives. Italy’s revival brought about many intellectuals, artists, painters, writers, and philosophers who fueled off this new epoch in time. Pico della Mirandola, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Baltassare Castiglione are among these intellectuals whose works made them immortal. Most notable were Oration on the Dignity of Man, The Prince, and The Courtier, respectively, which defined
…show more content…
Pico’s On the Dignity of Man, an oration on mans’ unique ability to be a ‘shape-shifter’ who can devise his own purpose in life was also called the ‘Manifesto of the Renaissance’. It takes an idealist approach to free will and the duty of man to set himself apart from all of Gods’ creations. It is for the politically controversial book The Prince, giving Machiavelli much backlash during his time, that he is often considered the founder of modern political science. The Prince shows a darker side of politics, using immoral behavior as a means to maintain and expand an empire. The Courtier, unlike the two previous works which use classical literature and documented history as their backbone, is a manual on how to be a Renaissance court man and in some cases a Renaissance court lady. While Pico expresses idealism and Machiavelli realism, Castiglione merges the two viewpoints and compliments it with the importance of style. To get a concrete understanding of the impact of these books and their authors, it is necessary to study not only their works, but also their lives as well as the various people and event which influenced their writing. Although the three didn’t know one another, together they represent cultural changes, man’s role in society, and various ideals of value and virtue that made up the humanist
Pico’s On the Dignity of Man, an oration on mans’ unique ability to be a ‘shape-shifter’ who can devise his own purpose in life was also called the ‘Manifesto of the Renaissance’. It takes an idealist approach to free will and the duty of man to set himself apart from all of Gods’ creations. It is for the politically controversial book The Prince, giving Machiavelli much backlash during his time, that he is often considered the founder of modern political science. The Prince shows a darker side of politics, using immoral behavior as a means to maintain and expand an empire. The Courtier, unlike the two previous works which use classical literature and documented history as their backbone, is a manual on how to be a Renaissance court man and in some cases a Renaissance court lady. While Pico expresses idealism and Machiavelli realism, Castiglione merges the two viewpoints and compliments it with the importance of style. To get a concrete understanding of the impact of these books and their authors, it is necessary to study not only their works, but also their lives as well as the various people and event which influenced their writing. Although the three didn’t know one another, together they represent cultural changes, man’s role in society, and various ideals of value and virtue that made up the humanist