After the Avignon Papacy, which Rome derogatorily titled the “Babylonian Captivity,” Rome was in dire need of reestablishing the Apostolic See’s dominion over the Christian world. Cities were becoming increasingly independent from Rome following the disorder within the Catholic Church. To address this, the College of Cardinals went through a period of choosing popes for … More The Corrupt Renaissance Papacy
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael were the three most prominent artists during the High Renaissance. All of them studied artistic masterpieces from antiquity. However, they also built on the work of the Early Renaissance in separating themselves from antiquity by creating art that was far more realistic and beautiful. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) had … More High Renaissance Art
The Renaissance was a time of artistic reimagination. Prior sculptures and paintings depicted the ideal person, whereas Renaissance art depicted the realistic person. To achieve realism, many painters and sculptures started using perspective and shading to add depth. They also experimented with the mathematics behind art. In this respect, the positive impact the Renaissance had … More Early Renaissance Art
Machiavelli’s The Prince has become one of the most notorious pieces of literature from the Early Renaissance. This small booklet completely refuted the moral standards set by the Renaissance humanists, and it especially refuted the moral standards pushed by Christianity. All of his anti-Christian policies can be summarized into three main points. This first point … More The Prince by Machiavelli
When debating the merits of various economic systems, the concept of private property repeatedly comes up. However, is private property a social construct or an inalienable right given by God? That is one of the questions in the debate regarding economic systems. The socialist believes private property is purely a social construct that can be … More John Locke on the Origin of Ownership
Many Greek and Roman classics start their fascinating—and often debaucherous—tales by invoking one or more gods, and Boccaccio does something similar in The Decameron. His book, which is a Renaissance classic, chronicles the stories told by ten people who survived the Black Death. With all their colleagues killed, they temporarily moved to the country for … More Why Did Boccaccio Invoke God in The Decameron?
Asher Sisneros 