The Renaissance

The term 'renaissance' is derived from the French word meaning 'rebirth,
between the 14th and 16th
The Renaissance was a time of great social and cultural change in Europe. It
was a period characterized by innovation, imagination and creativity.
Much of the inspiration behind cultural movements of the Renaissance came
from people's attempts to emulate the legacies of classical European
societies, such as Ancient Rome and Greece.
PHILOSOPHERS
Niccolo Machiavelli, 1469-1527
an Italian historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer
based in Florence during the Renaissance
Philosophies
Political Realism
-Politics had to be examined under the viewpoint of purely political criteria.
The Prince
The Art of Politics
-There is nothing more difficult than to initiate new order of things
-Evil is sometimes necessary to achieve desired ends.
-The end justifies the means
-Use of force and fear is necessary to keep control.
-Cruelties must be committed at once and benefits should be granted little by little
-A Prince should be raised to leadership by popular favor
-A Prince must learn how to not be good and to use this knowledge and not to use it,
according to the necessity of the case
-A Prince must be feared more than loved. Feared but not hated.
-A Prince must imitate the might of a lion and the wisdom of a fox.
-Merciful, faithful, humane, sincere and religious - a Prince does not necessarily
need to possess and always observe them but he needs to appear to possess them.
-Everybody sees what you appear to be, few feel what you are and those few will
not dare to oppose themselves to the many.
The Discourses
The Political Value of Religion
-Roman citizens feared more to break an oath than the laws.
-Religion or divine authority is the resort of any great leaders and lawgivers to
ensure support and control.
-Religion was one of the chief causes of the prosperity of Rome , for religion gave
rise to good laws and good laws bring good fortune and good fortune results happy
success in all enterprises.

Anti-Clericalism
-The nearer people are to the Church of Rome the less religious they are.
-The Church of Rome has caused Italy to be divided. A country can never be happy,
except when it obeys wholly one government.
-For as religion teaches us the truth and the true way of life, it causes us to attach
less value to honours and possessions of this world

Sir John Fortescue (1394-1476)

Chief justice of the King's bench
De Laudibus Legum Anglie
A Limited Monarchy
-The King of England cannot change the laws of his kingdom at pleasure, for
he rules his people with a government not only regal but also political.

Sir Thomas Smith(1513-1577)

an English scholar and diplomat.
De Republica Anglorum
The Powers of Parliament
The most high and absolute power of the realme of Englande, consisteth in
the Parliament. For as in warre where the King himselfe in person, the
nobelitie, the rest of the gentilitie and the yeomanrie are, is the force an
power of Englande.
The last and the highest commaundment, the Baronie for the nobilitie and
higher, the knights, esquiers, gentlemen and common for the lower part of
the common wealth, the bishoppes for the clergie be present to advertise ,
consult and to shew what is neccessarie for the common wealth and to
consult together and upon mature deliberation everie bill.
Source:
http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-56_u-422_t-1105_c-4271/introduction:-what-was-therenaissance?/qld/sose:-history/renaissance-and-reformation/renaissance-in-europe