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Renaissance Christian Humanist vs. Machiavellian world views

Explore the contrasting belief systems of Renaissance Christian Humanists and Machiavellians, examining the Great Chain of Being and the importance of reason in their perspectives on hierarchy, purpose, and identity.

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Renaissance Christian Humanist vs. Machiavellian world views

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  1. Renaissance Christian Humanistvs. Machiavellian world views

  2. Great Chain of Being • Belief structure from middle ages • Came from Ptolemaic system with earth at the center • Hierarchical system with God and angels above, man in the middle, and animals, plants, minerals on the bottom. • Within each species, same hierarchy, with King on the top, then nobles, moneyed middle-class, then peasants

  3. Great Chain of Being • System of Order, corresponding with belief in predestination, God has plan for world • Order can be thrown into chaos if hierarchy not adhered to, if subjects rebel against monarch, sons against fathers • Suggests everyone has purpose or role in life, should use reason and/or to find and fulfill purpose

  4. Humanist views • To the Christian belief system, the Renaissance added the Humanist beliefs of self-determinism. • There was still an Ideal beyond the world as we know it, but we were to strive to reach that Ideal (or at least be worthy of it) • Thus two supposed opposites, predestination and free will, were combined in the Renaissance Christian Humanist belief system • The Renaissance Christian Humanist’s purpose was to make of himself his ideal Self

  5. Humanist beliefs • There is an Ideal Love (capital “L”) which is only possible in a timeless world of no change • Our real world love (lower case “l”) is an imperfect reflection of that Ideal Love; it shows us what to strive for, though we cannot achieve it • The same is true of Identity: there is an ideal person we could be, the perfect Self • The real world self is weak and sinful but by striving to be a better person, using his reason and faith, he can work toward his potential Self

  6. Language • Renaissance Christian Humanist -- poetry • Metaphoric or figurative language used to illustrate place in hierarchies • Since Sun and King are on top of their respective groups, they are joined together through metaphor Metaphoric or figurative language used to illustrate place in hierarchies • Machiavellian – prose • Scientific, logical language used to show importance of reason

  7. King Nobles Professionals Trade workers Peasants Great Chain of Beingsystem of analogy • Sun • Moon • Planets • Stars • fire • air • water • earth • Lion • Leopard • Fox • Squirrel • Yellow bile • Blood • Phlegm • Black Bile • Angels • Man • Animals • Plants • Minerals • Reason, will (head/brain) • Fancy, emotion (trunk/heart) • Five senses (leg/liver)

  8. Tutor Myth • History as mirror, moral lesson • Great Chain of Being defines man’s existance • Nature understood through Bible • Language of analogy • State microcosm of Divine world • Divine Right of Kings • Time and change moving toward perfection; vertical concept of time • Identity is temporal role moving toward spiritual essence (Ideal Self).

  9. Machiavellian World View • History natural cycle • No overarching plan, chance or fortune only • Nature understood through science, reason • Language is scientific, logical • State/politics based on power not right (privilege or correctness) • Time and change cyclical, not advancing • Identity plural, who we are in which situation or time, we can play many roles

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