{ Image source: Prince by Machiavelli, Italy Magazine}
Ottoman empire ended the trade along silk route in 1452. This resulted in beginning of age of discovery, where west started exploring sea link routes for international trade. Port of Venice became a major center for trade on the Italian peninsula for trade with middle east. New geographical discoveries such as by Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) and Vasco-Da-Gama (1469-1524) opened new vistas of trade and religion. This led to growth in commerce and economic development as the basis of modern capitalism.
Economic activity in Venice, helped grow a strong merchant class who benefited greatly from trade via sea-links. Gems, mineral dyes, peacock feathers, spices, and a profusion of textiles such as silks, cottons were taken on by Venetian merchants to Europe, where they were becoming highly desirable and valuable items. These merchants used their wealth to commission art and artists, which came to symbolize the main impacts of the Renaissance in Italy.
Renaissance produced great minds and intellects, like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Buonarroti Michelangelo (1475-1564). This made Renaissance Italy comparable to Athens of the fifth century BC. Yet unlike Athens which had participatory democracy, Italy was politically weak. Nicholas
Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise, “The Prince”.
Like Aristotle, Machiavelli characterized the individual as a political animal. While Aristotle implied the innate sociability of the human being, Machiavelli referred to the individual’s love for power, reputation, keenness to establish superiority over others, and the innate desire to control and dominates others.
Machiavelli separates, politics, and ethics. As per him, Moral virtue is good for individual, but they may or may not be so for the prince. For instance, it is always wrong for an individual to tell lie but sometimes it is necessary and good for the ruler to do so in the interest of the state, particularly dealing with problems of external and internal security of the state.
As per Machiavelli, State is the highest form of human association and has superior claim to a man’s obligation. The state is neither moral nor immoral, but it is non-moral actions are also just.
“The Prince” treatise by Machiavelli is on the “Art of government” and “State craft” which seems book on political-science but it is a book on the art of governance. It is in the form of advice and addressed to any ruler in the form of a manual book. Machiavelli’s “The Prince” is in the form of advice given to a ruler on the state craft. A significant advice to the ruler is End justifies the Means. It is a very famous statement of Machiavelli which he justified for the “Reason of state”. He assumed that state is highest form of human association.
As per Machiavelli, Moral and religious considerations cannot bind the prince. Ruler is above and outside the morality. He can use religion to realize his ends. Religion cannot influence politics and the church cannot control the state. In fact, sovereign state enjoys absolute power over all individuals and institutions. The central theme of Machiavelli’s political ideas is power. He highlighted power as an essential ingredient of politics. According to him moral code of individual prescribed by the church cannot provide guidelines to the ruler.
As the Reformation continued to decimate the influence of the Catholic Church throughout Europe well into the 17th Century, The Prince remained highly influential. Thus I think, it is no coincidence that Henry VIII, as a part of the first generation to read the “The Prince “by Machiavelli, adamantly stood by England’s separation from Papal authority in 1534. Other components of his rule were classically Machiavellian as well, but the revolutionary establishment of the Church of England is still of consequence today. Instead of endearing himself to the Catholic Church, he impressed his sovereignty upon his peers and his subjects by placing himself at the head of a new Church. Henry’s actions were in accordance with The Prince’s spirit of amassing power of all kind. To this day, the Church of England allows the monarch to appear superior to their citizenry through direct association with the divine.
Separation of Church and State in some areas as state having higher power than the church was the most impactful change of the renaissance era.
Leonardo Davinci – Artist, scientist (1452-1519) –
Davinci serves as a role model applying the scientific method to every aspect of life, including art and music. Although he is best known for his dramatic and expressive artwork,
Leonardo also conducted dozens of carefully thought-out experiments and created futuristic inventions that were groundbreaking for the time. he was also able to create technological innovations like flying machines, armored vehicles, and adding machines.
Despite his articulateness, Leonardo gave absolute precedence to the illustration over the written word in his teaching method.He is best known for his paintings, notably the Mona Lisa (c. 1503–19) and the Last Supper (1495–
Comments