Posted in Renaissance Lit on May 16th, 2008 7 Comments »
Consider the political system of Utopia. Which elements of the Utopian system would you like to see introduced into our system & why? Which would be unsuccessful in our system?
Posted in Renaissance Lit on May 8th, 2008 11 Comments »
What do Utopians believe to be the purpose of life (hint: pg 91-93) & how is this to be achieved? Does this seem like a reasonable plan of life? What would More say about contemporary ideas about pleasure?
Posted in Renaissance Lit on May 1st, 2008 18 Comments »
“There’s a delightful image in Plato, which explains why a sensible person is right to steer clear of politics. He sees everyone else rushing into the street and getting soaked in the pouring rain. He can’t persuade them to go indoors and keep dry. He knows if he went out too, he’d merely get equally [...]
Posted in Renaissance Lit on Apr 24th, 2008 24 Comments »
Give a description of your idea of a utopia.
Posted in Renaissance Lit on Apr 3rd, 2008 13 Comments »
While it is anyone’s guess as to how many people have actually read The Prince, it is so well known that Machiavelli’s name has entered our language. Machiavellian is defined as ‘characterized by expediency, deceit and cunning’ and carries a very negative connotation. Does Machiavelli deserve this connotation? Explain.
Posted in Renaissance Lit on Mar 28th, 2008 13 Comments »
Politicians are often criticized for adding “pork” (lots of goodies for special interests, etc.) to the national budget. What might Machiavelli say about this kind of generosity? What would be the practical effects of giving the citizens too much of what they ask for?
Posted in Renaissance Lit on Mar 25th, 2008 17 Comments »
Machiavelli wrote The Prince while in exile, yet in his preface he spends a lot of time praising the very ruler that had him banished from the city of Florence. How do Machiavelli’s actions here reflect the political advice he gives to the rest of us? Is he following his own precepts or is he [...]
Posted in Renaissance Lit on Mar 13th, 2008 17 Comments »
Which is more important for a nation - stablity or ethics? Why? In answering this question, please give me what you think and what Machiavelli would say.
Posted in Renaissance Lit on Jan 9th, 2008 No Comments »
Welcome to Masterpieces of the Renaissance!
As we go through the semester, we will be using this blog to continue to discuss some of the big ideas that surface during our class discussions as well as using it to take a look at some ideas we will not get to during class time.
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