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:
In relation to Leon Battista Alberti's "On the Family," the authors Castiglione and Machiavelli have views that, to some extent, coincide with Alberti's own. As professed in Alberti's book, man's goal should be to educate himself and his sons in all manner of learning. He holds the "study of excellent arts" in high esteem and fervently labels sloth and idleness as evil. In striving for this educated state, Alberti says fame, praise, dignity, and honor can be gained. The man Alberti describes is one of "liberal spirit," not fit for devious trades of buying and selling, loaning and collecting. This lofty, idealized perception is very different than that of Machiavelli.
Niccolo Machiavelli also thinks man should "be all that he can be," but has no moral qualms as to how this should be achieved. Because of his knack for political observation and participation, and because of his strong desire for a stable republic, Machivelli's ideally educated man differs vastly from that of Alberti's. Machiavelli believes that in order to gain and keep control, a prince must use every faculty available to him, including deceit, cruelty and cunning. In his book, "The Prince, he gives frank advice to any man that seeks political positions. Machiavelli feels there are choices, and by making the right character and military choices the prince will become powerful. Between generosity and miserly actions, he says to choose the latter. If a ruler has a choice between being feared or loved, then he says that being feared is better. Machiavelli warrants that cruelty is necessary. He claims all men are liars, so it is okay to lie to them. He speaks of bravery, boldness, compassion, faith and other worthy qualities and says that a prince "need not necessarily have all the good qualities,...but should certainly appear to have them." This cynical point of view is what separates the writings of Machiavelli and Alberti. Alberti speaks of the family and worthwhile education while Machiavelli is giving advice about two-faced mercenaries.
"The Book of the Courtier" by Castiglione has its focus on courtiers (obviously) and how they can hone their skills of sprezzatura, this being the sense of effortlessness and ease in everything they do. Castiglione feels that not only should individuals be educated in the arts, but also in hunting, wrestling and dueling. (This makes me think of Ventura and his plethora of past occupations.) He also has opinions on physical characteristics, such as height, as if that were up to the individual. The ability to write well and use poignant words is one of Castiglione's highest ranked qualities.
One characteristic of these three writers is misogyny. Though this is the norm for the times, it still must be addressed. Castiglione is the most kind, but alternately the most demeaning. He says that "in truth that woman lacks much who lacks beauty," and that women should "not offend," and that women should "have a soft and dainty tenderness." He goes on to say that women should not be active, not even dance or sing too boisterously, or play musical instruments that do not "befit" a woman. Alberti's offense is in the neglectful writing of his book "On the Family" (key word family) which does not include wives or daughters. Machiavelli has the strongest, most blatant odious opinions of the three. Through his metaphor of fortune he writes, "because fortune is a woman and is she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her. Experience shows that she is more often subdued by men who do this than by those who act coldly."