Attitudes of Learning and Place of Women during the Renaissance - Coursework Example

Attitudes of Learning and Place of Women during the Renaissance Francesco Barbaro’s essay One Wifely Duties is certainly not just a personal piece of written advice to Lorenzo de Medici and his wife on the occasion of their wedding. Although it was indeed written in a personal note, it provided apt description of the mode of thinking introduced at the onset of the Renaissance, particularly that which occurred in Italy. One of Barbaro’s main points refers to the necessity that women should consider the fact that they can only be articulate by being silent. In the treatise that he wrote he mentioned how Isocrates suggests that men talk about matters that they are conversant with and to be silent with things they are ignorant of. Then he proceeded to explain that such suggestion could not be applied equally to the different genders. He explained that women must concede this “as the property of men, but they should consider the latter to be appropriate to themselves as well as to men.” 1 Barbaro referred to the teachings of ancient Roman philosophers such as Marcus Cato the Elder to emphasize his point. In this regard, it is clear that Renaissance was a period when a more liberal attitude of learning took place, one that broke away from the centuries of heavy religious, particularly Christian influence. An open-minded appreciation of the pre-Christian scholarly classics was encouraged. However, it never went to the extent of being critical to the dominant concept regarding the role of women in society. Instead, it delved further into the ancient non-Christian philosophical teachings that provide theoretical explanations to continue the role provided to women and the inequalities that they experienced for centuries. The Renaissance in Italy, which flourished in the 1400’s until in the early 1500’s, was a time when massive changes in culture and modes of thinking swept across the land. 2 Such changes were considered as absolutely progressive as it departed from the dominant concepts that have been upheld by Rome-centred Christian religion for many centuries. Nevertheless, despite the fundamental changes in the attitudes towards learning, which might be considered positive owing to the fact that it liberated men from many backward ideas, certain medieval concepts such as the secondary and mere supportive role given to women not only persisted but was provided with rationalization beyond the arguments presented by the Bible. The departure from concept of knowledge, which was fundamentally anchored in the Bible and in the teachings of the Fathers of the Christian belief, brought Renaissance thinkers to study ancient philosophical Roman classics. As a result, human values and similar concerns devoid of Christian context or definitions were given emphasis. This paved the way for humanism to be developed. With a humanist perspective, the individual no longer anchors his comprehension of things according to what has been taught to him by his religious faith. Instead, he searches for more scientific answers by relying on experimentation and liberal references to non-Christian or pagan literature of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and scientists. It was Petrarch who influenced many Renaissance thinkers to grasp humanist perspectives and to articulate on it as a theory. Although he was constantly in correspondence with his friend Augustine, a prolific Christian writer, to discuss questions about morality and human existence, he also went to study the writings of Cicero.3 As a result, he was not only able to collect manuscripts but also create his own which came to influence his admirers and followers such as Boccaccio and Leonardo Bruni. Petrarch said that “it is better to will the good than to know the truth.”4 This explains the fundamental attitude of learning in the humanist perspective. Humanists in the Italian Renaissance did not go to the extent of questioning whether or not there is a Supreme Being. They did not set out to expound on the truth behind this concept. Instead, they embarked on studies in search of what should be considered as right or good. Therefore, they began to formulate rules for human beings to follow, roles for them to play in society according to what they think is best for social order. While these might not be directly founded on religious beliefs though, such concepts still could not be absolutely free from its influences. It is clear that the humanism that evolved during the Italian Renaissance was not a philosophy or a dogma that stood out as a direct challenge to the Christian church. It merely introduced a new attitude in learning; one that prompted the individuals at that time to research assiduously for explanations and not to be contented with obscure or generalized conclusions of educators, who often belong to the Church’s hierarchy. Unlike the medieval method of scholasticism, this did not derive conclusions from the conflicting standpoint of different authors. Instead, this method of learning heavily relied on ancient manuscripts in their most original form, without the subjective interpretation of other more contemporary scholars. Such manuscripts were then subjected to evaluation in order to prove its contents’ veracity through a process of rationalization and practical experimentation. Historians, however, still have not arrived at a precise definition of humanism but only at the nearest approximation of its description such as that it is "a middle of the road definition... the movement to recover, interpret, and assimilate the language, literature, learning and values of ancient Greece and Rome."5 The humanists saw it unnecessary to come up with a precise definition because what was deemed more important is the introduction and spread of a new attitude in learning. They consider it as a sweeping cultural mode and not a structured program or system of thought that could replace other dogmas at that time, particularly Christianity. Nevertheless, the popes and the rest of the Christian church’s hierarchy felt seriously threatened by the sweeping cultural changes that took place during the Renaissance, prompting them to actually seek ways to put such changes to a stop. The humanism that evolved during the Italian Renaissance was not the sole domain of scholars bankrolled by ruling families in the field of politics and business. It also involved writers and social leaders who sought reforms in the sphere of culture, especially education. Families who did not scholars in their ranks but who believed in the objectives of the humanists at that time and who have the financial means, sponsored artists, scientists, and writers in their endeavours. The most prominent among these are the Medici family of Florence. The scholasticism that was encouraged then, however, was not only limited to the arts. It also concentrated in developing individuals to become medical doctors, theologians, and lawyers.6 As a result of this, an intermediate class also emerged; one that was not directly linked to production but was neither owners of capital property. This also happened to be the same class that triggered further changes in the future, recovering the gains of the Renaissance after serious drawbacks occurred in the late 1500’s due to forces that sought to strengthen the power of the nobilities and the Christian church. With a more critical approach at the ancient non-Christian manuscripts, advances were made in the field of science. Historians consider the Renaissance as a period was scientific advances were taken to the fore and brought about the coming of the modern era. There are others, however, who believed that it was merely a significant period in the evolution of scientific learning.7 The significance of such is based on the fact that the learning attitude prevalent at that time hastened scientific developments like never before. Although not all concepts created during the Italian Renaissance were absolutely viable or useful, the attitudes of learning developed were instrumental in further advances. The positive developments that took place during the Italian Renaissance, however, did not apply equally to both men and women. While the men were enjoying new-found freedom in attaining knowledge, the women were still relegated to the traditional roles given to them in the medieval ages and earlier. Renaissance education was a privilege solely provided to men while the women were only given training according to what was needed in the performance of their domestic duties. In fact, the role of educator for the children in a household was given not to the women or mothers but to the men or the fathers. In this case, the “godly training up of children' should be addresses solely to the male householder as responsible for the welfare and education of the children... the mother, although in the small part of the text devoted to girls' education, the mothers is not given a part in the discussion.”8 Because of this, the children would naturally see their fathers or men, in general, as the source of knowledge. This only meant that the feudal and patriarchal institutions were further established as the cultural mechanisms for its survival was sustained through such means of education. Although education during the Renaissance bore liberating hallmarks due to scientific approaches, it never went to the extent of freeing women from the clutches of ignorance. It may be true that education no longer remained to be the sole domain of the Christian church. However, it continued to ensure that women were shackled to the roles already dictated by centuries of Christian tradition. Nevertheless, there were still instances when women were provided educational opportunities that were absent during the time when learning was controlled by the Church. In the medieval times, one of the ways for women to attain education was to acquire training in order to be a nun. For women who are part of aristocratic families, they may be sent to another big household and be trained in the art and science of managing it as well as the estate of a future husband.9 Generally, the only institutions from which women and young girls could get their education are the families to which they belong. While the fathers rarely spend time to provide basic education or literacy to their daughters, the mothers pick up this function. However, even as this happened, the mothers never failed to put emphasis on modesty, obedience, and submission to the husband in educating their daughters. While putting a stress on these concepts, they also train their daughters in performing common household tasks and roles expected of them by their future husbands and by society as a whole. In this regard, it is convenient to say that while the ideal Renaissance man was multifaceted because of the many opportunities for training and education he could get, the ideal Renaissance women, on the other hand, was strictly confined to the matters of the home. The men then could choose their own destiny whether to become a soldier, an artist, a man of business, or an explorer depending on the field of learning he was involved with. The women, however, were destined to become wives and mothers only. Those who preferred to free themselves from the possibility of being wives and mothers submitted themselves to a celibate religious life as nuns. A few, who actually dared not to follow the said paths, were considered deviants and were subject to scorn and ridicule from the rest of the population, including women themselves. The roles provided to them were clearly limited. The woman could only be a “mother or daughter or widow, virgin or prostitute, saint or witch... these identities (derived from her sexual status alone) engulfed her and extinguished any other selfhood that she claimed.”10 The Renaissance woman did struggle to gain and assert her identity. However, such struggle was for naught since the educational opportunities for her, the means by which she would be able to understand her identity and her importance and by which she would be able to assert her own rights, were not given to her. While the men studied to free themselves of ignorance and from structures that they deem as oppressive and restrictive, the women were continually taught concepts and skills that further chained them to their specific roles in the household. Therefore, there was basically no positive outcome of such struggle, in general. Women continued to be mere subjects in a society dominated by men. Because of the fixed roles given to women in the Italian Renaissance, the only profession and selfhood they could attain then was motherhood. They were expected to produce children for their husbands and ensure that their lineage would remain unbroken. Aside from this, the children were also necessary as recipients and purveyors of wealth. There were differences though in the frequency of childbirths between women of the elite classes and those of the artisans and peasantry. The elite women were less burdened with manual work and had better access to nutritious food. This made them capable of giving birth more often. Women of the lower classes were not only involved in household duties but also in agriculture. Their economic conditions were not encouraging to efforts of increasing the number of their children. Because of this, they usually give birth only on a yearly basis at least. This particular role of women as mothers was further established through literature and works of art produced during the Renaissance. Pierro della Francesca’s Madonna del Parto, for example, had the Virgin Mary point a finger towards her belly. This only emphasized such function of women during those times. Women were taught not just by religious institutions but also by the flourishing secular education in the Renaissance that childbearing is a privilege. For this reason, women who had problems in giving their husbands children, especially those belonging to aristocratic families, could often fall in despair and shame. Prior to marriage, “a woman's honor was always defined by chastity, which guaranteed the purity of blood lines, the certainty of legitimate inheritance, and thus a family's survival. Her chastity was ensured by silence and segregation."11 Parents take extra efforts in putting up measures that secure the chastity of their unmarried daughters. It was not just a sin for young women to be involved in pre-marital sex. It was extremely scandalous and could bring about permanent shame not only to herself but to her family. In order to prevent pre-marital sex from happening, unmarried young women were usually kept away from the view of the public, especially men. For those in the lower classes, they were often confined to menial tasks within the home. Unmarried young women of aristocratic families, on the other hand, were often kept inside their palaces. Before the Italian Renaissance took place, the concept of womanhood was tightly based on the Bible’s description and definition. The medieval ages were periods when women were regarded inferior to men in all spheres. The Christian hierarchy would point out that woman’s inferiority was based on the fact that man was created first and that she was only made to exist in order to provide company to man. Another Christian teaching that relegated women to such inferior status was that the first woman, Eve, was also the cause of the first sin, tempting Adam to eat of the fruit offered to her by the serpent. In relation to this, the founding fathers of the Church managed to articulate further on the dangers of women. Hence, not only were women belittled, they were also maligned. The humanism of the Renaissance did not produce contrary concepts despite of its being relatively free from Bible or Christian-based influences. The reason for this is that even earlier humanists such as Aristotle, who influenced the humanists of the Renaissance, taught the notion that man is perfect while women are not. Even medical studies during the Renaissance, scientific as it might be considered, supported such concept. These explained that “from the humeral theories of Galen and Hippocrates, the Renaissance inherited the belief that man's constitution was warm and dry, woman's cold and wet; heat was the source of strength, of mind and body, and, being larger and stronger, mans was better suited to the active life and capable of greater reasoning."12 This only proved that even the field of science, which was supposedly devoid of religion-based concepts, bound women to inferiority. There was basically no difference in the conditions of the women during the Renaissance and those of the medieval ages. Regardless of their economic classes, they all suffer the absence of rights and privileges that men enjoyed during the Renaissance. All of them were considered subjects to their husbands whether they are peasants, artisans, or aristocrats. However, the burden of productive labor was heavier for those in the lower classes. Aside from tending the house and the children, peasant women had to take part in agricultural work. Wives of merchants also had to assist their husbands in their businesses. The wives of aristocrats certainly had the convenience of servants. Nevertheless, they still had to actively participate in certain household work either through servant management, entertaining visitors, or even in directly busying themselves in certain minor chores. There were a few women who were able to achieve distinction because of certain feats in the Italian Renaissance. Often, they belong to the ruling families at that time. It must be pointed out, however, that such distinctions were not solely because of the individual characteristics and efforts of such women. Instead, they were also used by male-dominated powerful clans in order to wrest control over political and economic interests. Lucrezia Borgia, of the very influential Borgia family, was one. Being an illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia who became a Pope, Lucrezia was utilized by the men in her family, including her brothers Cesar, Giovanni, and Gioffre, in luring opponents into submission to the Borgias.13 Although Lucrezia Borgia was treated as a powerful weapon against her family’s enemies, she, nevertheless, was just a property of the men in her clan; one whose sexual nature was used for the furtherance of political and economic objectives. Lucrezia had a sister-in-law, Isabella d’Este, who was considered as a real powerful woman in her time, very unique case during the Renaissance. Isabella was educated. She did not bind herself to the traditional roles expected of women then. Instead, she went to study both Latin and Greek literature as well as the manuscripts written by the scholars of older times. Such level of education was leverage as she entered marriage with Francesco Gonzaga, who was the duke of Mantua. Francesco could not treat her in the manner that most men during those times treat their wives due to her education. Instead, Isabella influenced not only Francesco but the entire Mantua court as well.14 In fact, she reigned as Mantua’s leader after Francesco was captured during a battle. The case of Isabelle d’Este, however, was very rare. Generally, women during the Renaissance were submissive and oppressed. In conclusion, it is clear that the Italian Renaissance truly prompted an advance in the attitude of learning. By departing from the religion-based methods of education, it opened the doors to scientific, scholastic, and artistic developments on the bases of concepts or theories already formulated by ancient non-Christian thinkers and scientists of Rome and Greece. However, such advances were confined among the men. The Renaissance might had brought about liberating knowledge for men but not for the women. Instead, as Francesco Barbaro’s One Wifely Duties proved, it continued to bind womanhood to inferiority. Nevertheless, the humanist ideas that took shape during such time could be considered as seeds in the promotion of the respect of women’s rights and identity centuries later. Bibliography Aughterson, Kate (ed). Renaissance Woman: Sourcebook. London, UK: Routledge, 1995: 184. Burke, Peter. "The Spread of Italian Humanism." The Impact of Humanism on Western Europe. Ed. A. Goodman and A. MacKay. London, UK: Longman, 1990: 2. Cloulas, Ivan. The Borgias. New York, NY: Dorset Press, 1992: 52. Findlen, Paula. The Italian Renaissance: The Essential Readings. Malden, Mass. Blackwell 2002: 5. Gillespie, Michael Allen. The Theological Origins of Modernity. Chicago, Ill: Univ. of Chicago Press 2008: 67. Gouwens, Kenneth. The Italian Renaissance: The Essential Sources. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 2003: 159. Kallendorf, Craig. "Introduction." Humanist Educational Treatises. The I Tatti Renaissance Library, 5. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press 2002: vii. King, Margaret L. "The Woman of the Renaissance." Renaissance Characters. Ed. Eugenio Garin. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press, 1997: 207. Mantin, Peter. The Italian Renaissance. Oxford, UK: Heinemann Educational, 1992: 56. Meyer, Edith Patterson. First Lady of the Renaissance: A Biography of Isabella d'Este. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1970: 30. Shapin, Steven. The Scientific Revolution. Chicago, Ill.: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1996: 1 Weaver, Elissa B. "Gender." A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance. Ed. Guido Ruggiero. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Pub., 2007: 190. Read More