A renewal of interest in the views of the Greeks and Romans after the period known as the Middle Ages came with the Renaissance. The philosophical energies of the Middle Ages were concentrated upon spiritual matters. The Renaissance shifted the focus onto temporal (life on Earth, as opposed to heaven) matters, sometimes called secular, or worldly affairs.
Philosophers of the Renaissance were not opposed to Christianity. They did, however, believe that life on Earth had been neglected. They turned their attentions to its study. Often called the "Renaissance Man," Leonardo da Vinci well illustrates this change in thinking. He was the famous painter of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and was also a writer, an inventor, a scientist, and a philosopher.
Some Renaissance figures turned their attention to the study of politics and
government. Nicolo Machiavelli, an Italian, wrote two major works on government, The Prince, and The Discourse on Titus Livy. Machiavelli had very little respect for Christian ethics, nor for the study of moral concepts.
He contended that the Christian emphasis upon gentleness, humility, and the turning of the other cheek was the opposite of what was needed to create an effective government.
In The Prince, Machiavelli said that the ruler cannot observe all those rules of conduct in respect of which men are considered good, since he is often forced to act in opposition to good faith, charity, humanity and religion in order to preserve his Princedom. If necessary, the ruler "should know how to follow evil if he must." Machiavelli's influence upon the founders was most likely an example of why government officials' powers must be limited.
. A contrary view to Machiavelli's "end justifies the means," was held by an Englishman, Sir Thomas More. His book, Utopia, is social commentary. The word utopia literally means "the land that is nowhere." More imagined that human nature was transformed on an imaginary island through the redistribution of property. On More's imagined island "all men zealously pursue the good of the public."
While utopia today is defined as a perfect place, it is an impractical idea. Still, the Founding Fathers knew that society had room for improvement, for the Preamble to the United States Constitution begins with the hopeful words, "In order to form a more perfect union..."
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Renaissance Influences: Key Notes
Overview:
Time Period: Renaissance (post-Middle Ages)
Focus Shift: From spiritual (Middle Ages) to secular (temporal) matters
