Burckhardt

Burckhardt

Anonymous
HIST 411
3/03/2011

Burckhardt Paper

Unlike his predecessors, when Burckhardt set out to write about the Renaissance, he made it a cultural history. He examined the literature and art of the period as well as the political trends and the resulting view of the time became one of the most popular interpretations. The thesis of what he called his essay was that the Renaissance had begun in Italy, and that this was a logical place for such a movement to start. As Schiffman says on page 8 of his book, “The union of this distinctively Italian characteristic with the revival of antiquity constituted a cultural force that swept through the Western world, clearing the way for modernity.” In his book, Burckhardt outlines three themes, as explained by Schiffman. The first was “The State as a Work of Art,” the second was “The Development of the Individual,” and the third was “The Revival of Antiquity.”  
“The State as a Work of Art” outlined the political climate of the time in Italy. It was a time when the state did not trust the feudal lords that dominated neighboring countries. Instead, hard-working, charismatic individuals would rise up and take over as despots. In this role, they could control the city but still keep citizens convinced that there was no dictator. Individuals from all classes could have a say in the government through these despots, and thus learned to assess their faults and assets.
As people began looking inward and attempting to make something of themselves for personal glory, “The Development of the Individual” became the norm. As before people had only assigned themselves to a family or government, now they were beginning to throw humility away and strive for individual prestige. People began making great works of art and writing philosophies unrelated to the church which would still receive recognition from intellectuals. When they needed a model for this type of law and individualism, they looked to the past.
“The Revival of...