The Swerve: How the World Became Modern takes the reader back to the year 1417, in the middle of what we know today as the Renaissance. Poggio Bracciolini, a book-hunter, humanist, scholar, and copyist, was known for his excellent handwriting and knowledge of Latin. It is because of these skills, that he served as an apostolic secretary working in the Vatican for a succession of popes. Bracciolini, obsessed with finding lost literary works from the ancient world, discovers Lucretius’ poem, De rerum natura, buried away in a German monastery. Greenblatt argues Bracciolini’s discovery of Lucretius’ ancient poem and it’s recirculation throughout the Western world, revolutionized thinking, inspired some of the greatest minds of the modern age (Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo Gallilei, Francis Bacon, …show more content…
Thomas Jefferson) and changed the world.
While a student at Yale, Stephen Greenblatt came across Lucretius’ De rerum natura, simply looking for something to read over the summer. What he didn’t realize is this poem would have a lasting impact on the way he viewed life, death in particular. To him, De rerum natura was an “astonishingly convincing account of the way things actually are” (Greenblatt 5). However, notice he uses the word “convincing”; Greenblatt himself doesn’t necessarily believe Lucretius’ views, but he understands how Lucretius could’ve drawn these conclusions based on what the people of the first century B.C. knew about the world. The Swerve also intertwines a short biography of Epicurus, who was Lucretius’ “philosophical messiah” and inspiration for the poem, and his view of the world, religion, and way of life (72). Epicurus becomes frustrated when at the age of twelve, “his teacher could not explain to him the meaning of chaos” (74). It is at this time he
set out to follow Democritus’ idea of atoms. He concluded that everything that exists in the world that ever was, or will be, is made up of atoms; heavenly bodies are not divine beings who shape our destiny for good or ill, they are simply part of the natural order, enormous structures of atoms subject to the same principles of creation and destruction that govern everything that exists (74). In short, Epicurus believed that one should not concern himself with the stresses of the world, but the pleasures of life; doing whatever it is that makes you happy, because when we die, our soul dies with us and there is nothing left but the atoms which re-enter into the void until a swerve occurs, and they recombine into different objects. Greenblatt further argues that with the spread of secularist and atomist thought, the Renaissance began.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance were different in their own unique ways. The Middle Ages, time was simpler. They relied more on the churches and their religious means. The Renaissance was during the year 1350 and didn’t last until 1700. The Renaissance means “rebirth” or “revival” (Background Essay). This was a time when art and science were popular and important. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the change of man’s point of view from the Middle Ages due to the Renaissance.
In early 15th century Western Europe was just starting to recover from epidemics, famine, and feuds that lasted centuries. The city-states of Italy were beginning to look back to the classic Greek and Roman civilizations to re-study old scrolls and
In the book The Enlightenment: A Genealogy, Dan Edelstein attempts to discuss both the historical and the philosophical areas of The Enlightenment. In Edelstein’s book, he discusses the fundamental meanings of Enlightenment, its historical significance, and how the Enlightenment spread across Europe between 1680 and 1740. Alternatively, in Gertrude Himmelfarb’s book, The Roads to Modernity, the author compares the different forms of Enlightenment that occurred throughout Europe during the same period. Edelstein’s book, although advertised otherwise, is based more around historical fact rather than around philosophical debate, which Edelstein says he is attempting to do. However, Himmelfarb succeeds in the areas that Edelstein lacks. Thus, reading
The humanist preoccupation with the glory of the ancients spans the entire length of the Italian Renaissance and surfaces in nearly all the writers from Petrarch to Castiglione. The precise use of classical writers varies depending on the purpose of the Renaissance writer’s particular work—they are held up as examples to be emulated by historians, as works essential to shaping good character in their readers by the educational writers, and as personal guides in the letters and treatises of the correspondents and philosophers. However, their invocations in humanist texts exhibit a common sense of the rediscovered continuity of human nature, a continuity that had been rashly denied by the monastic tradition of the Middle Ages but was now being revived as part of the humanist project. It would not be entirely accurate to say that the humanists longed for “a return to a better past,” because they largely accepted Christianity as the final truth, and to return to a pre-Christian age would be to return to perhaps a more vigorous secular life, but also to a spiritual darkness. Instead, they aimed to synthesize the learning of the ancients with the modern Christian world and to create a unified literary and philosophical tradition that would link their seemingly disparate civilizations and could be passed on to later generations as a cohesive canon.
The term “renaissance man” describes an individual who excels in numerous areas and can do many things extremely well. Today, this description lends itself to both men and women who are both scholars and athletes, creative and industrious, and generally highly successful in all they do. While many modern “renaissance individuals” go quietly about their lives being exceptional yet unnoticed, the first renaissance man, Leonardo Da Vinci, made quite a stir and caught the attention and imagination of the fifteenth century world. In his own time, Da Vinci was a renowned artist, scientist and inventor who was celebrated by thinkers, artists and kings alike. And although he lived and worked more than six-hundred years ago, Da Vinci’s artistic and scientific genius continue to inspire and amaze.
...ed in the discovery and eventual colonization of North and South America. Painters, sculptors, and architects exhibited a similar sense of adventure and the desire for greater knowledge and new solutions; Leonardo da Vinci, like Christopher Columbus, discovered whole new worlds. With a new emphasis on the science, people like Philippo Brunelleschi were accomplishing great feats of artistic and architectural design. The new Renaissance “style” that emerged during this period called upon the classical roots of ancient Greece and Rome but new scientific understanding and a stronger emphasis on the individual also influenced the works created during this period.Bibliography Rice Jr., Eugene F.; Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. W. W. Norton & Company. New York, NY, 1993. Helton, Tinsley. World Book Encyclopedia, v16. “Renaissance”, pp. 222-224. World Book–Childcraft International Inc. Chicago, IL, 1979. Vasari, Gorgio. Lives of the Artists. Penguin Books Ltd. London, England, 1987
Much the same as in Epicurean Athens, one still needs to expel oneself from the clamor of cutting edge life, so as to practice genuine reflection and development in a situation without outer judgment. In investigation of death itself, I don't trust that we are any less panicked now that we were a hundred years back. Logical headways for the expansion of life and the curing of sickness are confirmation that we are still scared of death, as well as are resolved to build commercial enterprises that are committed to engaging the prospect. It would not be helpful to stop such causes, regardless of the possibility that, from an Epicurean stance, they are pointless to seek after by any means, for the world is presently a better place with respect to logical headway and information. In any case, fear of death is all inclusive, and will keep on rising above time. I trust that its hold over our brains ought to dependably be analyzed, and speculations connected, to scatter its negative impact over our lives, objectives and dispositions, for such a distraction does without a doubt lessen general happiness and quest for straightforwardness. All in all, it could be said that whilst the greater part of Epicurus' speculations on pleasure and happiness could now be considered to some degree dated, fear of death is all inclusive and immortal, in this manner still
The Renaissance was a period when society, attitudes and ideas were changing. Capitalism allowed for social mobility, yet it also served to change peoples opinions on morality. People now saw things that were once thought immoral to be acceptable, when the gain was great. Capitalism paved the way for greed and desire for material wealth. Immorality also existed in the clergy of the church. Corruption in Popes and priests set an example for all other Christians, and would eventually set the stage for the coming of Protestantism. Through Humanistic thinking, man and his art were elevated. Boccaccios The Decameron is a work in which the capitalism, corruption of the clergy and humanistic thinking are reflected. Each story of the book reflects the overall changing society of the Renaissance.
Marcus Aurelius was a famous philosopher in 121 through 180 C.E. He lived a hard life and even though he was surrounded by crowds he was considered a recluse. He was known for his kindness and mercy. The last years of his life were spent on a military campaign. It is said that these years were the hardest and loneliest. However, instead of becoming bitter and angry Aurelius wrote The Meditations. This was a diary or journal of his personal thoughts. He believed that by writing this it was his duty to his soul. The Meditations, is a popular piece of stoic literature. In this paper I will be describing how Aurelius used stoicism in book two of The Meditations and what I liked and did not like about what he said.
The shift between the Middle Ages and Renaissance was documented in art for future generations. It is because of the changes in art during this time that art historians today understand the historical placement and the socio-economic, political, and religious changes of the time. Art is a visual interpretation of one’s beliefs and way of life; it is through the art from these periods that we today understand exactly what was taking place and why it was happening. These shifts did not happen overnight, but instead changed gradually though years and years of art, and it is through them that we have record of some of the most important changes of historic times.
Weighing the gains and losses of modernity proves to be a debate where no wrong or right answer can be intimated. Numerous aspects of the ancient ideal have weeded themselves into the modern era, especially when individuals question political participation or lack thereof. The modern perspective however, has developed into a more efficient way of promoting democracy and commerce. Our mock debate proved to highlight the complexities in identifying which ideal works best, however the moderns appeared to hold the superior argument. The superiority of the Modern’s position rest upon the notion that widespread political participation is not necessary, elected officials in government proves more efficient, and a new avenue of political and social independence.
After the collapse of the Roman empire, Europe was in cultural and intellectual stagnation. The Swerve is based on medieval Europe and Renaissance beginning with something that Stephen Greenblatt picked up a poem called was written by Lucretius in a college book sale. He was fascinated by the ideas that how to handle death. His mother was anxious about death so he was influenced by his mother because his mother used it as a manipulative device. He was curious about that book was written long ago time and he thought that this book included ideas for considering modern. I will mention that some aspects such as what roles did monasteries play in the Middle Ages and the role of monastries in medieval Europe in the preservation and production of manuscripts through the book.
Epicurus. The Epicurus Reader: Selected Writings and Testimonia. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1994. Translated and Edited by Brad Inwood and L.P. Gerson.
A civilization is the starting point of a society. Civilizations have existed for millions of years and are the basic unit of structure for a society. Civilizations were the base of great societies such as Egypt and Rome. If not for civilizations these societies would not have flourished or even existed.
The term Renaissance has, over the years, become synonymous with ideas of expanding civilisation, rebirth, and cultural expansion. The most renowned example of a country’s cultural renaissance was that of the Italians; however this is only one example of such a cultural and philosophical paradigm. To begin with, a “renaissance” is a revolution of the rebirth of ideals within a country’s individuals: self-awareness, art, architecture, religion and science, to name a few. For it is these ideas that have given civilisations the drive and perseverance to rise from a period wrought with fallow and of social, cultural, and economical regression. Many prominent world powers today, and subsequently in the past, have went through a period of renaissance, which was preceded by what many call a dark age; it is through this time of upheaval that the ideas and socio-political philosophies flourished, paving the way towards each nations’ renaissance. To this, the Renaissance should not only be seen as an essential part of European history, but its ideals should also be credited philosophically for improving and influencing different developing societies through the ages.