West European Studies

The renaissance represents a period of an enormous study and renewal of classical antiquity. Literally, the term renaissance means rebirth and is used to refer to the rebirth of learning that first started in the 14th century in Italy, spread to England by the 16th century and then to the North where it ended in mid 17th century. Intellectual and geographical discoveries also characterized the renaissance. This rebirth and the discoveries brought a tremendous change in the civilization of the Western countries. Renaissance thinkers such as Aquinas, Martin Luther and Niccolo Machiavelli usually regarded their work as ushering the modern age, distinct from the mediaeval and ancient eras. The study of the renaissance revolves around five aspects which are interrelated (Paul, 2002). First, despite their association with the classical antiquity, renaissance thinkers maintained some vital continuities of some aspect of their past. Second, significant changes in the political arena also symbolized this era. Third, the Humanism movement was established to express to ideals of that period. Fourth, there was imitation, a literary doctrine associated with the humanist movement and which had an immense impact on the creation of literary works. Lastly, there was the reformation which brought tremendous changes in modern life as well as in the creation of literary works. The newly rediscovered history, moral philosophy and literature classics, these renaissance thinkers were strongly aligned to the classical antiquity values. A logical thinking of renaissance is clearly expressed in the writings of Martin Luther, Aquinas and Nicolo Machiavelli.

Martin Luther
The writings of Martin Luther enhanced the start of the protestant reformation and facilitated for the Christian humanism that characterized the renaissance especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. At this time, the church had compromised its principles for secularism, wealth corruption and power, Luthers literary works emphasized on Christian faith and salvation as the only means to reaching God and thus were widely received as in them Christian humanists found inspiration. The 95 Theses, Sola Scriptura were a reaction to the practices of the then Roman Catholic church especially the papacy such as selling indulgencies. In Concerning Christian Liberty, he writes,

This bad system has now issued in such a pompous display of power and such a terrible tyranny that no earthly government can be compared to it (Luther 1483-1546, p. 357).

The writings later became the basis for the protestant reformation and also prompted reforms within the Catholic Church itself. As noted in the introductory part, reformation was an important aspect of the renaissance as it had and immense contribution to both the literary works and to the modern life. His writings such as the Sola Scriptura, Concerning the Christian Liberty, and the 95 Theses helped the Christian humanists in deriving the ideals that became the basis for the reformation (Paul, 2002). Luther did the first bible translations form Latin to make it more understandable to the people. The various writings of Luther managed to instill an urge for change in Christianity due to his their emphasis on Christian liberty though salvation and faith rather than in organized religion as was with the then secular Roman Catholic. He writes,

For what is impossible for you by all the works of the law, which are many and yet useless, you shall fulfill in an easy and summary way through faith. (Luther 1483-1546, p. 350)

Disputing organized religion of those days, these writings formed a new sense of identity which influenced the logical thinking behind the establishment of several new religions such as the Lutheran and Calvinists during the renaissance. The church was thus reborn such that the dominance of the Roman Catholic and the papacy was no more. The writings of Luther, largely founded on skepticism and faith, also became the basis for the separation of church and state.

Aquinas
Aquinas wrote two of his most influential writings, Summa Contra gentiles and Summa Theologica between the year 1252 and 1273. In renaissance rhetoric, humanism basically presented a reaction to the scholasticism of Aristotle. Aquinass Summa Theologica was one such reaction as through it he proved the existence of God. He writes,

In the world of sense we find there is an order of efficient causes. There is no case known (neither is it, indeed, possible) in which a thing is found to be the efficient cause  of itself for so it would be prior to itself, which is impossibleTherefore it is necessary  to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God (Benson, et al. 1982)  

The scholastics believed in a logical association between thought and words while Humanism as espoused in the Summa sought to distinguish between intangible meditation and physical utterance. In the renaissance among the Christian humanists, common usage had great priority over logical rules. Thus, the Summa represented the logical thinking of renaissance. In the summa, Aquinas expresses the religious ideals of the renaissance by proving that God does exist. The Summa was one of the motivations leading on to the formation the humanism movement.      

Niccolo Machiavelli
Through out the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Niccolo Machiavellis writings especially The Prince had an immense contribution to the political ideals as well as the humanist movements. The writings of Machiavelli came at a critical time when the Medici government installed by the Spanish was highly detested by the Florentine people (Paul, 2002). It was the tradition of the Wets that political theory be assessed by the same moral standards used to assess human actions. That is, politics was regarded as an extension of moral codes or ethics. In the Discourse on Livy and The Prince, Machiavelli described his political ideals as an independent entity without any recourse to ethics. Machiavellis writings furthered Aristotles strict scientific method. His political ideology of acquiring and keeping authority or power and the dissociation of this authority or power from morality formed the basis of the logical thinking behind many tyrannical authorities and some humanist movements of the renaissance. However, his writings received a lot of criticism and this created a new interest in literary work as authors sought to study and review his philosophies.

In both The Prince and the Discourse on Livy, Machiavelli expressed high praises for winners and this winning spirit became the motivation of reformists of the renaissance. For instance, he praises popes Julius II and Alexander VI for their political and military success despite their alleged ungodliness. He writes of them in Chapter XVI that, We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean (Benson, et al. 1982) Machiavelli relates virtue to a lady in The Prince and this is seen a representation of the ideology of human potential with regard to politics during the renaissance. Hence, the renaissance humanists logical thinking was a translation of the principles outlined in the Discourse on Livy and The Prince. Like Machiavelli the humanists sought to address the flaws in man that made it difficult to have an ideal system of government. That the renaissance was characterized by tremendous changes in all every aspect of the society is undeniable. It is also worth noting that art, more specifically writing had an immense contribution to the renaissance. To date, some of the developments of the renaissance are still being experienced.