Comparing the Secular Humanist, Machiavelli and the Religious Humanist, Erasmus
One can often identify a person's political, religious or cultural orientation by his or her reaction to certain words. A case in point is the expression "secular humanism." For religious conservatives those words sum up much of what is wrong with contemporary society.
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary gives several definitions for humanism, a word which made its appearance in 1832. The first is "a devotion to the humanities or the revival of class, individualistic and critical spirit, and emphasis on secular concerns characteristic of the Renaissance." Renaissance is capitalized. Another definition reads as follows: "a doctrine, attitude, or
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Because it is difficult to reach agreement on values, why we exist or what we should do, Western society has concentrated on the "how" of life. If you can't answer a hard question, ask an easier one. For example, we may not be able to describe love, but we have made enormous progress on the description of the physical manifestations of sexual arousal. I am reminded of a character in Ambiguous Adventure, a French African novel, who is advising her brother to send his child to a Western school. She tells him, "We must learn from the West the art of conquering without being in the right." By that statement she recognizes the divorce between power and morality.
When you read the short excerpts from Machiavelli's The Prince from our text I hope that he made you feel angry and defensive. Reading Machiavelli makes me bristle; I want to argue with him. His formulas for political success contradict my most basic religious beliefs, those I have held from childhood, and help me to see why Mennonites have traditionally been so suspicious of politics. And yet I know that his pragmatic approach is the very basis of modern political theory. Because we have, as citizens of the twentieth century, to a large extent followed his advice, I am put on the defensive. I am astonished to see how
When historians use the term “Renaissance humanism” they are talking about the revival of the “worldly spirit of the ancient Greeks and Romans, which [the humanists] believed had been lost in the Middle Ages.” Humanists liked ancient writings and looked for “guidelines for living life well in this world,” as well as models and styles to follow for their own books and other written works. The humanists thought that the ancient Greeks and Romans had written beautifully and were extremely intelligent, so they wanted to copy their ancient styles and learn about them. Some humanists also began focusing on things that were happening in the world, and ways to enjoy life more on this planet. They stopped looking at religion so much and started focusing
Arguably the greatest and longest impacting movement brought about by the forward thinkers of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was a cultural and intellectual movement that emphasized the human potential to attain excellence through direct study of the literature, art, and civilization of the classical Greek and Roman societies (Merriam-Webster). The scholars and believers in humanism sought to change the course of society away from the narrow pedantry of medieval scholasticism and utilitarianism. Humanism was a basic desire for every citizen to be able to speak with eloquence and read and write with clarity, so that common citizens were capable of engaging in the civic life of their communities (Gray). The movement also emphasized the value of a human being as well as the importance of rational thought rather than blind faith in spiritualism or superstition. It also pushed people to explore human desires and pleasures while also enriching their minds. The influential nature of humanism was far reaching and most notable for its effects on Renaissance art, literature, and philosophy.
Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 16th-century. His methods of acquiring and maintaining rule over people are not relevant in today’s modern American society. There are many principles that are still true in politics today, but the methods of ruling can no longer be used in American society today.
Humanism is a way of life that revolves around the interests of people. It stresses human worth and building up self-realization. Humanism was developed in Greece and Rome, and is generally due to philosophy and current literary works during 1400-1650. It is termed "Classical Humanism" because it was born during that time period. Classical Humanism had an impact during the Renaissance Era.
Machiavelli published a how-to book, “The Prince,” to advise, instruct, and influence the minds of aspiring princes. The book, which immediately caught the public's attention, was quickly critiqued and thought of as immoral and wicked. People were horrified with what Machiavelli said about politics and was disgusted with his opinions on how he thought a prince should rule.
Humanism is defined differently depending on who you are asking. Some see the Renaissance as an educational movement driven by a philosophy that stressed the dignity of humankind, individualism, and secular values. Others say, humanists were actually the champions of Catholic Christianity, opposing the pagan teaching of ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Scholasticism that poured out of his writings. But the most accurate definition is, humanism was a neutral form of empirical-minded historical scholarship adopted to promote political liberty and a sense of civic responsibility. In simpler terms, it is the belief that all people have the ability to contribute to the betterment of society.
In The Prince, Machiavelli explains what a good and successful prince should be like. He advocates a strong, cutthroat authority figure and encourages the winning of power by any means necessary. The main theme in The Prince is that mob rule is dangerous, for people know only what is good for themselves and not what is good for the whole. The common people, in Machiavelli’s view, “are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well, they are yours”. He believes that these commoners should be
The Prince is essentially a guide book on how to acquire and maintain political power. We can think of it as a collection of rules and methods to achieve a level of superior authority. Its main focus is that the ends—no matter how immoral—justify the means for preserving political authority. While some may agree with this mindset of thinking many today dismiss Machiavelli as a cynic. The book shows rulers how it is that they should act to survive in the real world to maintain authority. While Niccolo Machiavelli’s ideas can be radical, they helped to spark a revolution in political philosophy. Although his ideas might have not been completely original, they were very different and unheard of at the time, The Prince, was published. Machiavelli uses many methods to convey his messages including biblical comparisons and of course metaphors. This character can be viewed in several manners. He is almighty and powerful, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals or have his ways. While this quality does qualify him to be a might leader it also raises the question of immorality. How far will one go to maintain order? Would you stop at nothing to achieve this task? Machiavelli shows this by saying, “it is
Throughout the fourteen to seventeen hundredth century, history has shown the miraculous shift of cultural and social aspects of society from medieval ages to modernize times. This period is known as the Renaissance or rebirth of European civilization. It was time of advancement in education, arts, and individual worth and potential. One of the largest and most influential ideas that came about during this time was Humanism. Humanism is the importance of the value and capabilities of human beings rather than the acceptance of superstition. It is a word that sums up the overall meaning of secularism, human progress, and independence. Renaissance humanism was a movement that allowed for the rediscovery of multiple classical and biblical texts.
Humanism started during the renaissance and has been progressing ever since. It is the shift from people being all about religion to the idea that we can think and be our own people, not that religion is not real, but we should question things. It is a movement that looks into physical things instead of spiritual or just misleading concepts such as indulgences. There was a silent agreement that we should move back towards ancient Greek and Roman ideas and educate with similar intentions. Humanism developed many of the ways we live our modern life, including art, science, government, and religion.
The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy around the 1500’s to about the 1700’s. Florence, Italy was the mecca of this rebirth because at the time Florence was extremely wealthy and the people of the city had political freedom and those new ideals of the Renaissance were not being condemned in Florence as they were other cities. This was a time where the arts and the logic of one’s own mind was valued rather than criticized, the antiquated medieval ideals no longer matched the needs of those who were living during the early Renaissance. Eventually, a term for this way of thinking arose and was called Humanism, and what humanism is, is an ideology where humans can lead themselves to create a prosperous life and instead of leaning on supernatural forces for answers. Humanists believe that humans have enough logic to create conclusions themselves. This brand-new way of thinking caused a lot of controversy because it did question God’s ability and the church’s power, but the ideas behind it are still heavily used today, even in the 21st century. Humanism in the early Renaissance is important because it called for thinking with reason, it allowed an appreciation for human body and mind, inspired authors and caused a shift in power.
To begin, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli demonstrates how humanistic ideas were applied to politics during this time period. It offers guidelines for what characteristics make a good prince, and why these qualities are imperative to the effective government of a state. (1) At first glance, Machiavelli’s perspective appears contradictory to humanistic beliefs, but it nevertheless, draws conclusions from
Humanism was an activity of reform in the pursued by philosophers, intellects, writers and community leaders, which would become known as the Renaissance. This movement was influenced by the ideals of the Italian scholar Petrarch. The movement encouraged scientific studies and the humanities of grammar, history and philosophy in order to revive the cultural community increasing humanity’s achievement potential.
are prominently distinct from one another and they challenge the reader to conceptualize how one man could have written two very different pieces. In utilizing both primary sources, from Machiavelli’s The Prince and Discourses, and scholarly evidence from multiple writers in academia, I will demonstrate that these two texts can co-exist. I aim to provide an understanding of the relationship between the two texts through a strong republican perspective by viewing The Prince as a comprehensive tool and weapon in furtherance of the republic
Niccolo Machiavelli is a very pragmatic political theorist. His political theories are directly related to the current bad state of affairs in Italy that is in dire need of a new ruler to help bring order to the country. Some of his philosophies may sound extreme and many people may call him evil, but the truth is that Niccolo Machiavelli’s writings are only aimed at fixing the current corruptions and cruelties that filled the Italian community, and has written what he believed to be the most practical and efficient way to deal with it. Three points that Machiavelli illustrates in his book The Prince is first, that “it is better to be feared then loved,”# the second