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:
The three authors Alberti, Castiglione, and Machiavelli share many similar views on what the ideal Renissance man should be like. However, they do differ in some areas. Alberti believed that, "Man can do anything he wants"(Fiero 30). This was the accepted belief of most men at this time. However, for a man to be successful he must combine classical education as well as hard work. The qualities that were required to acheive such success could be summed up in the word "virtu". Alberti believed that these qualities included skill, talent, fortitude, ingenuity, and the ability to determine one's destiny (Fiero 30). He points out that all of these tools to having wordly success are not inherited, but rather that they must be cultivated.
Alberti wrote in his literary work, "On the Family", what he saw as being vital to personal success. He states that, "Above all, one must try to have good teachers..." (Fiero 30). It was through a good education that one would gain knowledge in those areas of reading, writing, adn arithmetic that Alberti saw as being important. It was necessary for the ideal Renissance man to look to past writings for knowledge but to avoid those which were not elegant or polished. The two things that Alberti states would hinder one from becoming an "ideal man" were idleness and laziness. A man who was lazy would get no where in life. He also agreed with the popular feeling of the time that,"...we can gain fame and prestige if we use it munificantly for great and noble projects..."(Fiero 31). It was seen as being the responsibility for those with wealth to reinvest it into their community and all did so. Alberti's writings coincide with the popular beliefs of the time.
Italian diplomat, Baldassare Castiglione, believed, "...The ideal man should master all the skills of the medevil warrior and display the physical proficiency of a champion athlete. But, additionally, he must possess the refinements of a humanistic education"(Fiero 31). Castiglione's ideal warrior was neither short nor tall. He must be able to handle all weapons both on foot as well as on horseback. Other necessary requirements included: the ability to wrestle, to hunt, to play tennis, and to be able to vault on a horse. Although he believed that being a good warrior was a key part of being a true Renissance man, he also expressed the value of knowledge. "...For he who is ignorant and has nothing in his mind that merits being heard, can neither say it nor write it"(Fiero 33). He included the acomplishment in letters and the humanities, music(both reading and playing it), drawing, and painting as having true knowledge. The goal of all men should be to reach his true potential as a human being. This would be different for each individual, but one must do all he can, to know all he can, in order to be a true Renissance man.
Castiglione also wrote about the Renissance woman. Women, to acheive success, must master the skills of entertaining the male members of the court. She was not to be like man in any way. However, she must have a knowledge of many things. A true Renissance woman must have good manners and be able to perform and dance with daintiness. Above all, she must have beauty. This was the most essential part in being a woman in this time as believed by Castiglione.
Castiglione's work falls under the catagory of that of Alberti, but it is more specific by going into the importance of being a great warrior as well as the importance of knowledge as stated by Alberti. His thought and ideas on knowledge mirror that of ALberti in that both see it vital to know about a variety of subjects. The difference is that Castiglione places stress on being able to fight. He also mentions the Renissance woman that Alberti does not.
Machiavelli's work, "The Prince", focusses on what an ideal ruler must be like rather than a common man as in the two previous mentioned authors. He did not examine only the "...ideals of human perfectability..."(Fiero 35), but the realities of the time such as human greed, ignorance, and cruelity(Fiero 35). He centered his book around the need for a strong ruler. A prince would only be successful if schooled in war and lessons in history. This idea coincides with the previous authors in stressing the need for an education. He agrees with Alberti's need to examine the past to be successful in the future.
By stating that it was necessary at times to abandon moral virtue, he went against the status quo of the time. This is partially why his book was seen as a work of the devil. Machiavelli goes against the popular notion that man can do everything as stated by Alberti. "...To be endowed with all of the...qualities..is impossible for him(the prince) to posses or constantly practice them all"(Fiero 36). He does not write about human nature as the other two autors have done, but rather he brings out the realities of the time in his writings. The idea was that man could do everything, Machiavelli points out that no one can do it all. Some may say that he was a pesimist, but others could argue that he was the realist in a time of optimism.