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Samenvatting - Pre-enlightenment modernity (FW-HIS2022)
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Summary of the 8th lectures of pre-enlightenment and modernity: science, religion and politics
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Pre-Enlightenment and Modernity1500-1700
LECTURE 1
EARLY MODERN EUROPE Aristotelian scholasticism: how to align
your insights with the insights of
The Architecture in Early modern Europe was Aristotle.
largely inspired by the Islamic world.
Venetian traders found examples in far Esoteric sciences: closest to what we now
lands of architecture etc that fueled understand as science
European cultural development. The
➔ Tradition based on text that the
renaissance’s cultural flourishing was the renaissance scholars thought to be
rebirth of antiquity based on copying what ancient Egyptian (they weren’t).
is found in the East.
➔ Alchemy, astrology, magic
NOSTALGIA There was no scientific tradition was we
The Renaissance was often a regional know it now, it was not looking at nature,
culture. In Italy they realized that there but looking at ancient texts/back.
were ancient local hero’s and an amazing
empire that had once been there. The WHY DID THIS CHANGE?
Renaissance draws on the awareness that
Humanism itself was one of the reasons,
there once had been a culture on the land
there were many contradictions in ancient
where they are living now which they could
philosophy, then who should we belief?
imitate → an imitation of the ancients
➔ A Christian denunciation of ancient
and regional traditions.
culture combined with skepticism due
to the many different opinions.
RENAISSANCE HUMANISM Additionally, they found new worlds and
Humanism has had many different meanings, animals that Aristotle had never heard of.
currently it has an anti-religious There were new ideas and findings that
annotation. However, this was quite were contrary to ancient texts.
different during the Renaissance:
It was based on the Italian umanista: an Alexander Koyre: the scientific revolution
lecturer of grammar, literature and can re reduced to two related actions:
history. Humanism was the study of 1. The destruction of the cosmos and
languages. geometrization of space
➔ Humanism was about language and 2. The substation of space with ideas
searching to emulate and restore of and infinite and homogeneous
ancient sources. extension
➔ Christian humanism: a humanist So a different interpretation of space and
searching to emulate the old standard the role of humans, now as describers not
of expressing oneself in letters in actors.
Christian term and focusing on
Christian documents. (Erasmus was one). THE NEW SCIENCE
➔ Looking back for knowledge, what there There was a new way of describing reality,
was to be found in terms of knowledge without humanity being central to it.
was to be found in antique literature. ➔ The old way of science was comparable
to a story line where human beings had
KNOWLEDGE a role in the story. In the new science
Science was in the context of looking back, there was no place for human kind, it
knowledge was to be found in the past. was calculations. We are objective
describers.
The authorities: ➔ The subjective/objective distinction
- Aristotle: science → most important was created.
- Eclite: mathematics ➔ Experience and explanation became
- Hippocrates: medicine separated.x
- Galen: physics ➔ Fragmentation of knowledge began has
science, religion and philosophy were
split.
, LECTURE 2: TWO MIRRORS FOR PRINCES: ERASMUS AND MACHIAVELLI
A mirror for princes was historically a text containing advice for rulers regarding values
and norms → what should be done?
Ancient examples:
- Xenophon’s Cyropaedie (370BC)
- Seneca giving advice to Nero
- True happiness for a Christian emperor by Augustine
- Einhard’s Cita Caroli Magni (814 AD) → idealization of the life of Charles the great.
With the centralization of kings that had contrasting territorial ambitions, there was war
everywhere. This led to a demand for moral rules from populations. The Mirrors were thus
often best selling books, as moral guidance. And as around 1500 people were concerned
about their faith, living the good life was the difference between being saved and damned.
ERASMUS:THE EDUCATION OF A CHRISTIAN MACHIAVELLI
PRINCE Roman virtues (realist)
Christian values (idealist, however
nowadays many of his ideas are real)
BASIC FACTS
- Born in 1496
BASIC FACTS - He was an aristocrat from the Florance
- He wrote the education of a Christian city state, which was a rich state due
prince for the money as he wanted to be to trading. → Florance was at
a professional writer but was poor so he constant war.
needed a patron → Charles V. - A Christian monk overthrew the Medici
- There is a discussion if he can be and stated that Florance would become
counted as a philosopher as he did not the new Jerusalem. But people revolted
develop an entire world view, he is a against him and he was burned on a
very influential thinker though. stake. The new governor of justice in
- Probably born around 1466 ish. the city appointed Machiavelli as the
- An illegitimate son of a catholic head of the second chancellery. → he
priest, which damaged his career was an important man.
opportunities.
Prince de Borja (Chesea) was seen as the
Erasmus wrote a large collection of books, ideal prince by Machiavelli.
most famously: - A year after being elected as pope
- Adagia: about sayings and proverbs Alexander the 6th made his son, prince
- Praise of Follie: how foolishness de Borja, cardinal. He was not really
manifests in the world, reflecting fit for this rule so became the
members of the catholic church and military commander of the Popal armies.
others in power. - Father and son wanted to conquer an
- A Latin edition of the works of the important region in Italy: the Romania.
church father St. Germone Working together with France they
- A heavily annotated translation from succeeded in conquering it and Milan.
Greek to Latin of the New testament → - The government of Florance saw them as
got a lot of critique for supposedly a threat so they send Machiavelli to
inspiring Luther. the French to attempt to sabotage the
relation between the Borja and the
French. And later to spy on the Borja.
THE EDUCATION OF A CHURISTIAN PRINCE - Then the pope died and the new pope was
A book for the enlightened Christian ruler, an enemy of the Borjas so the prince
where a just ruler is a good Christian. was imprisoned. → new pope became
➔ In his work he refers a lot to classical known as ‘the terrible’.
authors and literature, both Christian
and pagan. In 1508 Machiavelli got the chance to
➔ His work is quite readable with the use organize a Florantine army, of citizens of
of short sentences and little academic the city (not merchants). But n 1512 the
lingo. Medici with backing from the pope and
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