The European Renaissance (333-0-20)
Instructors
Edward Muir
847/491-3653
Harris Hall - Room 244
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-435: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
In 1348 perhaps a third to one half of all Europeans died from a mysterious illness called the Black Death, which was only one of a number of calamities that disrupted normal life. In the wake of these disasters, thinkers, artists, and a surprising number of common people began to search for explanations for what had gone wrong by asking questions about their own personal identities, about the obligations of a moral life, about the virtues of civic service, and about the their personal relationship with God. This course explores that search, which is what we now call the Renaissance. It began among the independent city-states of Italy, particularly Florence and Venice, and spread from them to the rest of Europe.
The course will compare developments in Italy with those in northern Europe, especially on the political and family structures of the city-states, the culture of the princely courts, the ambitions of the Roman popes, the social and intellectual basis for artistic creativity, the origins of modern political thought and the scientific method, and the constraints and opportunities available to women.
Learning Objectives
Mastery of historical materials and of making arguments based on evidence.
Evaluation Method
weekly journal essays, 300-500 words each
Class Materials (Required)
Guido Ruggiero, The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento, ISBN: 978-0-521-71938-4 Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, ISBN: 978-0451531735 Anthony F. D'Elia, A Sudden Terror: The Plot to Murder the Pope in Renaissance Rome, ISBN: 9780674061811 Niccolò Machiavelli, The Portable Machiavelli, ISBN: 978-0140150926Gene Brucker, Giovanni and Lusanna: Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence, ISBN: 978-0520244955 Judith C. Brown, Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy, ISBN: 978-0195042252
Class Notes
History Area of Concentration: European
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area