1. Renaissance Christian Humanist vs. Machiavellian world views

2. Great Chain of Being Belief structure from middle ages
Came from Ptolemaic system with earth at the center
Hierarchical system with God and angels above, man in the middle, and animals, plants, minerals on the bottom.
Within each species, same hierarchy, with King on the top, then nobles, moneyed middle-class, then peasants

3. Great Chain of Being
System of Order, corresponding with belief in predestination, God has plan for world
Order can be thrown into chaos if hierarchy not adhered to, if subjects rebel against monarch, sons against fathers
Suggests everyone has purpose or role in life, should use reason and/or to find and fulfill purpose

4. Humanist views
To the Christian belief system, the Renaissance added the Humanist beliefs of self-determinism.
There was still an Ideal beyond the world as we know it, but we were to strive to reach that Ideal (or at least be worthy of it)
Thus two supposed opposites, predestination and free will, were combined in the Renaissance Christian Humanist belief system
The Renaissance Christian Humanist’s purpose was to make of himself his ideal Self

5. Humanist beliefs
There is an Ideal Love (capital “L”) which is only possible in a timeless world of no change
Our real world love (lower case “l”) is an imperfect reflection of that Ideal Love; it shows us what to strive for, though we cannot achieve it
The same is true of Identity: there is an ideal person we could be, the perfect Self
The real world self is weak and sinful but by striving to be a better person, using his reason and faith, he can work toward his potential Self

6. Language Renaissance Christian Humanist -- poetry
Metaphoric or figurative language used to illustrate place in hierarchies
Since Sun and King are on top of their respective groups, they are joined together through metaphor Metaphoric or figurative language used to illustrate place in hierarchies
Machiavellian – prose
Scientific, logical language used to show importance of reason

7. Great Chain of Being system of analogy
King
Nobles
Professionals
Trade workers
Peasants
Sun
Moon
Planets
Stars
fire
air
water
earth
Lion
Leopard
Fox
Squirrel
Yellow bile
Blood
Phlegm
Black Bile
Angels
Man
Animals
Plants
Minerals
Reason, will (head/brain)
Fancy, emotion (trunk/heart)
Five senses (leg/liver)

8. Tutor Myth History as mirror, moral lesson
Great Chain of Being defines man’s existance
Nature understood through Bible
Language of analogy
State microcosm of Divine world
Divine Right of Kings
Time and change moving toward perfection; vertical concept of time
Identity is temporal role moving toward spiritual essence (Ideal Self).

9. Machiavellian World View
History natural cycle
No overarching plan, chance or fortune only
Nature understood through science, reason
Language is scientific, logical
State/politics based on power not right (privilege or correctness)
Time and change cyclical, not advancing
Identity plural, who we are in which situation or time, we can play many roles