The Renaissance (15th to 17th century) represented a cultural revival in Europe, emphasizing a humanistic worldview and the importance of individual glory over religious faith. Key figures like Machiavelli shaped modern political thought, advocating for a secular approach to governance and the use of historical examples to understand state behavior. The establishment of nation-states led to clearly defined boundaries, centralized governments, and a growing awareness of national identity, reflected in the works of thinkers such as Sir John Fortescue and Sir Thomas Smith.

2. The Renaissance (15th to 17th century) marked a
cultural rebirth in Europe.
A shift from medieval life to a more secular,
humanistic worldview.
•
• Renaissance means "rebirth," focusing on art,
philosophy, and science inspired by Classical
antiquity.
• Vasari– wrote of the great artists of the age " the glorious
minds that sprang from the soil of Tuscany did what their
predecessors could not do, turn the ruins of ancient Rome
to their advantage."
GIE SAN

3. > Botticelli, Brunel- leschi, Donatello, Ghiberti,
Raphael, Leonardo and Michel- angelo, were
among the glorious.
> " The Civilization of the Renaissance" in Italy,
suggested that the core of the Renaissance was
the new man, the individual concerned with glory
and fame, with self-realization and joy rather than
religious faith or asceticism.
GIE SAN

4. > " the state as a work of art"
> Born in Florence in 1469
> Machiavelli had been a diplomatic emissary and
Political adviser
> On one of his foreign mission he had meet and
studied the Belicose Cesare Borgia
> In his exile he wrote a number of works of which
The Prince
> The most powerful, indeed noturios, advocate of
this new art of politics was machiavelli.
> Machiavelli advocate the use of history as exmple
the Discourses are ostensibly a large commentary on
the Histories of Livy.
Machiavelli

5. > The achievement of Machiavelli was "opening up a new route,"
eliminating theological and moral argument, taking the secu- lar
state for granted, and inquiring scientifically into its be- havior.
> Machiavelli was the first writer to use "raison d'etat" as an
explanation and defense of political action.
> This was a study of power: "Men do not rule states with
paternosters in their hands.
GIE SAN

6. Parliament in the Nation-State
> The era of the nation-state had dawned. National boun- daries
were more clearly defined, national languages replaced the
universal Latin, a consciousness of unity developed. Cen- tralized
government expanded its control in England under the Tudors, in
France under Louis XI, and in Spain under Ferdinand and Charles V.
Monarchy was strengthened by civil wars in which the nobles were
destroying themselves.
> The English Wars of the Roses settled little, but they disposed of a
substantial part of the aristocracy.
> A series of civil dis- turbances and assassinations in France
brought Henry IV to the throne in 1589, and toleration with the
Edict of Nantes nine years later. Councils, administrative
organizations, a series of capable ministers Sully, Mazarin,
Richelieu, Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, Cecil helped execute
ALFRED

7. > An awareness of and pride in the secular
institutions of one's native country developed. In
the mid-15th century, this pride was shown by Sir
John Fortescue (13947-14767). He had defended
the Lancastrian party in the Wars of the Roses
because it adhered to the precept of natural law
forbidding succession through the female line,
and was exiled by the opposing, winning group.
ALFRED
efficient government and tackle the new financial
responsibility of trade and currency. An awareness

8. > The British system, a limited monarchy, fulfilled obligations of
justice and natural law, while the French "regal govern- ment" was
arbitrary government based on force.
> Fortescue combined medieval and modern ideas to defend a
parliamentary monarchy with juries, foreshadowing later legal
thinkers who built upon his arguments about the relationship
between law, constitution, and societal factors.
> A century later, Sir Thomas Smith (1513-1577), followed the
example of Fortescue, producing both an institutional analysis and a
panegyric of the British system.
> He was primaly concerned with the different kinds of law and
the system of courts, of which Parliament itself was "the highest
and most authentic."
ALFRED

9. MACHIAVELLI
The Prince and The Discourses
The Art of Politics
> Those who by the exercise of abilities become princes, ob- tain
their dominions with difficulty but retain them easily, and the
difficulties which they have in acquiring their dominions arise in
part from the new rules and regulations that they have to introduce
in order to establish their position securely.
There are two methods of fighting, the one by law, the
other by force:
> the first method is that of men,
> the second of beasts; but as the first method is often
insufficient, one must have recourse to the second.
ELGIN

10. The Political Value of Religion
Of all men who have been eulogized, those deserve it most who
have been the authors and founders of religions; next come such as
have established republics or kingdoms.
> Numa, finding a very savage people, and wishing to reduce them
to civil obedience by the arts of peace, had recourse to religion as
the most necessary and assured support of any civil society; and he
established it upon such founda- tions that for many centuries there
was nowhere more fear of the gods than in that republic, which
greatly facilitated all the enterprises which the Senate or its great
men attempted.
> And whoever reads Roman history attentively will see in how
great a degree religion served in the command of the armies, in
uniting the people and keeping them well conducted, and in
covering the wicked with shame.
ELGIN

11. > Princes and republics who wish to maintain themselves
free from corruption must above all things preserve the
purity of all religious eligious observances, and treat them
with proper rever ence; for there is no greater indication of
the ruin of a coun- try than to see religion contemned.
> The system of auguries was not only the principal basis
of the ancient religion of the Gentiles, but was also the
cause of the prosperity of the Roman republic.
ELGIN

12. Anti-Clericalism
> If the Christian religion had from the beginning been maintained
according to the principles of its founder, the Christian states and
republics would have been much more united and happy than what
they are.
> There are some of the opinion that the well-being of Italian affairs
depends upon the Church of Rome. I will present such arguments
against that opinion as occur to me; two of which are most impor-
tant, and cannot according to my judgment be controverted.
> The first is, that the evil example of the court of Rome has
destroyed all piety and religion in Italy, which brings in its train
infinite improprieties and disorders; for as we may pre- suppose all
good where religions prevails, so where it is want- ing we have the
right to suppose the very opposite.
JAMES

13. FORTESCUE
A learned Commendation of the Political Laws of England
(De Laudibus Legum Anglie)
> The king of England is not able to change the laws of his kingdom
at pleasure, for he rules his people with a gov- ernment not only
regal but also political.
> If he were to preside over them with a power entirely regal, he
would be able to change the laws of his realm, and also impose on
them tal- lages and other burdens without consulting them; this is
the sort of dominion which the civil laws indicate when they state
that "What pleased the prince has the force of law."
> The law, indeed, by which a group of men is made into a people,
resembles the nerves of the body physical, for, just as the body is
held together by the nerves, so this body mystical is bound
together and united into one by the law,
JAMES

14. which is derived from the word "ligando," and the
members and bones of this body, which signify the solid
basis of truth by which the community is sustained,
preserve their rights through the law, as the body natural
does through the nerves.
JAMES

15. SIR THOMAS SMITH
De Republica Anglorum
The Powers of Parliament
> The most high and absolute power of the realme of En- glande,
consisteth in the Parliament.
> For as in warre where the king himselfe in person, the nobilitie,
the rest of the gentilitie, and the yeomanrie are, is the force and
power of Englande: so in peace and consultation where the Prince
is to give life, and the last and highest commaundement, the
Baronie for the nobilitie and higher, the knightes, esquiers,
gentlemen and commons for the lower part of the common
wealth,
> The bishoppes for the clergie bee present to advertise, consult
and shew what is good and necessarie for the common wealth,
and to consult together, and upon mature deliberation everie bill
or lawe being thrise reade and disputed uppon in
JAFET

16. either house, the other two partes first each a part, and
after the Prince himselfe in presence of both the parties
doeth consent unto and alloweth.
> That which is deone by this consent is called firme,
stable, and sanctum, and is taken for lawe
> The Parliament abroga- teth olde lawes, maketh newe,
giveth orders for thinges past, and for thinges hereafter
to be followed, changeth rightes, and possessions of
private men, legittimateth bastards, establisheth formes
of religion, altereth weightes and measures, giveth
formes of succession to the crowne,

17. > And to be short, all that ever the people of
Rome might do either in Centuriatis comitis
or tributis, the same may be dooned by the
parliament of Englande, which representeth
and hath the power of the whole realme
both the head and the bodie.
JAFET