LJMedB17 Humanist Learning in the Age of the Renaissance

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2012
Extent and Intensity
0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Gábor Almási, Ph.D. (lecturer), doc. Mgr. Petra Mutlová, M.A., Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Irena Radová, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course is an introduction into the history of Renaissance humanism. Being necessarily selective the aim is to offer snapshots of different aspects of humanism as a cultural and historical phenomenon, explaining its origin, nature, popularity, social-political uses, religious dimensions etc. The course, divided into lectures and close readings of Latin texts, will follow a chronological order, and cover mainly the 15th century in the spring term and the 16th century in the autumn term. During the autumn term the Habsburg monarchy and Prague will receive heightened attention. Selected texts have not been chosen for their literary beauty (poetry will be largely dismissed) but for their historical-cultural interest. For each day a short English language article should be read, which will be distributed beforehand, while the indicated Latin texts will be read only during the seminar as time allows for them.
Syllabus
  • 1. What was humanism? Texts: Petrarca: letter to posterity, letter on the climb of Mont Ventoux, letter to Cicero 2. Florentine humanism Texts: Vergerio: response to Petrarca in defence of Cicero, Bruni: oration for the funeral of Nanni Strozzi, Bracciolini: on nobility 3. The Uses of Humanism Texts: L. B. Alberti: De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, De canis, Laura Cereta: letters 4. Humanism goes North Texts: Piccolomini: letters, Celtis: Oration in Ingolstadt, Bohuslav z Lobkovic: letters 5. Christian humanism Texts: Erasmus, Melanchthon 6. Humanism at court, university and private Texts: Ulrich von Hutten, Willem Canter 7. Humanism meets confessionalisation Texts: Andreas Dudith, Justus Lipsius, Caspar Schoppe 8. Humanism meets sciences Texts: Dudith, Tadeáš Hájek
Literature
  • Charles G. Nauert. Humanism and the Culture of Renaissance Europe. Cambridge 1995.
Teaching methods
Seminars, class discussion, reading of selected Latin texts
Assessment methods
Credits will be given for active class participation; preparation of assigned readings as well as translation of selected Latin sources.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught only once.
The course is taught in blocks.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: bloková výuka.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2013, Spring 2014.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2012, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2012/LJMedB17