One of my major historical interests is in what I call “Periods of Transition”. By this I mean times where culture changes from one type to another. One example would be the Industrial Revolution another would be The Renaissance where, arguably, the Medieval world started to become something we would recognise as modern. Part of this transition is a change in attitude to the universe at large. It was the beginnings of scientific endeavour and when more and more thinkers turned their attention to the future and away from the classical knowledge of the past.
Brotton makes a good point early on that what we call The Renaissance didn’t just happen in a handful of Italian cities. It was a phenomena that happened all over Europe, though at different times and at different speeds across the Continent. Prompted by discoveries of ‘lost’ ancient texts as well as new books and ideas originating in the Arab world – where we acquired many things including the idea of Zero, the use of algebra, superior navigational equipment and knowledge of medicine – and spread by the invention of the printing press, this explosion of ideas and ways of thinking shattered old certainties including the bedrock of western civilisation: The Catholic Church. We can date the rise of the individual, the nation state and capitalism from this period. Books such as The Prince by Machiavelli and Thomas More’s Utopia helped define politics, the introduction of perspective into art made pictures come alive as never before. New Worlds were discovered and conquered bringing new wealth, new cultures and new diseases back to Europe. It was a time of great change, great energy and great upheaval.
This is my 30th Very Short Introduction book. (Almost) every book I read in the series has been a delight and I am very impressed by the overall quality of the books I’ve read so far. This particular volume is no exception. I have around another 10 books in this series in ‘the pile’ as well as a few more that I have my eye on. I think that I’ve learnt a lot from these small volumes and they have prompted me to investigate some subjects further – which, after all, is the very reason that they exist. If you haven’t tried any of them so far I can recommend you dip into a subject you know a little about and find out more. Enjoy, I did!
2 comments:
Last spring, I took a class on the Renaissance and Reformation. My professor was of the opinion that the material wealth of Italy's cities during the Renaissance contributed directly to the increasing corruption of the popes, and consequently to the strident demands for moral reform that so annoyed the Church until Luther's idea of reform took on a more doctrinal tact.
Did the book address the rise of Renaissance humanism and such?
sc said: Did the book address the rise of Renaissance humanism and such?
Yes, there was a whole chapter on it.
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