Humanities & Classics 1002
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Renaissance Forum
Humanities & Classics 1002 |
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In Reply to: PLEASE POST YOUR SECOND REQUIRED POSTING AS FOLLOWUPS TO THIS POST posted by Tom Bacig on January 13, 1999 at 21:59:54:
During the Renaissance, many differing views on what characteristics the ideal person should encompass existed. However, all held similiar beliefs that one should be intelligent, artistic, scientific, athletic, and hold great value on their overall knowledge. At this time, knowledge in many areas was of vast importance and using this knowlegde was a must. In comparing the views of Alberti, Castiglion, and Machiavelli, we can begin to understand the characteristics of an ideal Renaissance person.
Alberti who was an architect, artist, and scholar was one who held great belief in the ideal Renaissance man, for he himself searched for this. This is evident in Alberti's "On the Family". In this writing Alberti claims, "...to achieve honors and dignity without the loving study of excellent arts, without assiduous work, without striving in difficult manly task." Here Alberti shows that to obtain any honor you must study the arts and gives great emphasis on hard work and persistance. Alberti's "On the Family" tells us that dignity and great rewards await those who disregard laziness, but embrace hard work and determination. In essence, Alberti's ideal Renaissance person was one who loved the study of the arts, but worked hard at it.
In contrast to Alberti, Castiglione believed that an ideal Renaissance person exceled in one particular skill or art. In Castigliones "The Coutier" he claims that, "...the more our Courtier excels in this art, the more will he merit praise..." He also states that one should use skills often and be known for his talents. In contrast to Alberti's view in which one must study all of the arts, Castiglione simplifies the Renaissance man and gives him only one area in which to excel, yet does not have to be perfect as long as he has loyalty and an "undaunted spirit." Overall unlike Alberti, who claims one must know all things and perfect them, Castiglione believes that one should focus in one area, but be as well rounded as possible.
Lastly, Machiavelli focused his ideal characteristics of a Renaissance person to one who must gain and maintain power. Machiavelli believes that one must take the necessary actions to obtain power and from that point continue to do employ the necessary means to keep it. He felt that to keep this power one must use force, as well as intelligence and learning from history. Machiavelli claims that a prince must have intuition and act with precision, and at the same time be able to have his people trust him, yet be able to act without hesitation against them. Machiavelli states, "And agian, he need not make himself uneasy at incurring a reproach for those vices without which the state can only be saved with difficulty..." So in comparison with Alberti and Castiglione, Machiavelli also believe one must use intelligence.
The many different ideas of the ideal Renaissance perosn shared similar views. The most commonly held belief was one must use knowledgle and try to excel in various studies. Whereas Castiglione believed one should excel in one area, both Alberti and Machiavelli believed one must excel in various area to receive recognition and praise. This belief held by many Renaissance thinkers is an amazing idea, for using one's whole potential is a magnificent feat and one that should be strived for.