Italian Renaissance - Russell

(Originally written August 17, 2006 in Book 7)

Well, I haven't delved into Russell's book in about two and a half weeks. It's time to get back to the basics.

Stress. What a common feeling these days.

"The Italian Renaissance"

Florence was the most cultured city in the civilized world at the time.

Florence was divided into three conflicting classes:
1) The Nobles (mainly Ghibellines)
2) The rich merchants (Guelf)
3) The small men (Guelf)

The Guelf defeated the Ghibellines in 1266.

In the 14th century the small men over powered the rich merchants.

The conflict resulted in Democracy, but the Medici family ultimately took control of Florence.

Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464) was the first of the family to dominate Florence uncontestedly.

Lorenzo the Magnificent (Cosimo's grandson) reigned from 1469-1492.

Lorenzo's son, Pietro was expelled in 1494 and a puritan sort of revival lasted in Florence until the Medici were restored in 1512.

Pope Leo X was elected in 1513. He was one of Lorenzo's sons.

The Medici family governed Florence until 1737 under the title of Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

The temporal power of the Pope increased dramatically during the Renaissance. The increase of temporal power robbed the Papacy of its spiritual authority.

Italy was dedicated to culture, but not to morality during the Renaissance.

Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455) was the first humanist Pope.

Humanism began to replace piety and orthodoxy until the sack of Rome in 1527.

Pope Leo X (1513-1521) marked a return to spiritual reformation in the Papacy. It was needed after the world popes of the Renaissance.

Naples and Milan were constantly subject to invasion by the French but were defeated by Spanish troops. Spain was closely allied with the Pope.

The Reformation, Counter-Reformation and the sack of Rome by a Protestant army in 1527 put the Italian Renaissance to an end.

The Renaissance was not a time of great philosophical growth.

The Renaissance did set up the great philosophical advance of the 17th century with two things:
1) A real interest in Plato
2) A choice between Aristotelian Scholasticism and Platonism. It broke down the rigid scholastic system.

The humanist movement was too focused on rediscovering ancient wisdom to produce any original philosophy.

The humanists disliked the way the world popes of the renaissance defiled the Church, but were too involved in the same pope's courts to initiate reform.

"The evils of papal corruption were obvious, but nothing was done about them" (Russell, 503).

Morals were low in this time, but architecture, painting and poetry prospered. Leonardo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli were produced in this time.