The Impact of Printing in Europe - Coursework Example

The Impact of Printing in Europe I. Introduction Even though reading and writing skills were regarded advantageous in medieval Europe, it remains a practical skill for many, a criterion rather than a cultural requirement. Numerous medieval rulers and even Church prelates were uneducated; however, they were urbane or civilized, for they had appointed scribes and readers. The significance of literacy as a sensible qualification is shown in the laws formulated by an archbishop of York in 1483 for a university he established in which one of the objectives of the college was alleged to be that “youths may be rendered more capable for the mechanic arts and other worldly affairs” (Kamen 2000: 212). The practical value of literacy would at all times be essential. The ultimate practical use was apparently in the purposes of the Church, since merely a knowledgeable clergy may be the authorities of religious life. In other words, literacy was the Church’s protection, which had supreme control over education. The invention of printing, entailing more efficient and more economical means of book production, transformed the dilemma of illiteracy. Francis Bacon, living in the period directly after the introduction of Gutenberg’s printing press, illustrated as one of the remarkable inventions of the century which had revolutionized the form and condition of the entire world (Hill 2001). The objective of this paper is to explore the impact of the printing press on the authority of the Church and aristocracy in Europe as well as its contribution in the profound social and political changes that the continent experienced in the iron century. II. The Impact of the Printing Press on the Authority of the Church and Aristocracy in Europe The absolute goal of making the population literate was to persuade them of the rightness of their own points of view. The period of the Counter Reformation can hence be viewed as an extended practice in the development of methods of persuasion. It was the printed ideas, circulated through manuscripts, newspapers and pamphlets that eventually surfaced as the most persuasive technique of propaganda. In the Middle Ages, the pulpit had been the primary arbiter of public judgment, and this important role persisted all over the seventeenth century. Unparalleled victory was attained by the clerics of the Counter Reformation, who, through this method originated the remarkable progresses initiated by Lutherans through the effective exploitation of the pulpit. Sermons realized a twofold victory, further. They were transmitted by word of mouth; then, they were printed and circulated in order to get to an even wider audience (Kamen 1971). So enormous was the influence of the podium that ecclesiastical authority was mandated so as to acquire an authorization to sermonize. The continental Reformation freed the podium from the domination of the Catholic Episcopal, yet bishops in Episcopal England continued their rigid control on the public opinion of opposing perspectives. The competition for the pulpit was, in fact, a competition for the minds of men. In 1641, Lord Falkland declared that the bishops had “cried down lectures, either because other men’s industry in that duty appeared a reproof of their neglect of it, or with intention to have brought in darkness that they may easier sow their tares while it was night” (Hill 2001: 89). Influential indeed was the spoken word, but temporary: it was the eternalness of the printed word that distressed Church authorities and the aristocracy. Subjugation and power over information was primarily aimed against printed works. As it was the Church and aristocracy that were on the self-protective agenda against new thoughts, the printing businesses fell under suspicion in Catholic territories, and printing presses initially operated freely in Protestant areas. The period of the post-Reformation thus witnessed a major evacuation of printing presses from Catholic to Protestant regions in Europe (Steinberg & Trevitt 1996). Books were not essentially the perfect instrument for propaganda; they remain somewhat pricey and have a tendency to be printed in small edition. The Holy Bible was consistently a hit, obviously, as were several other manuscripts. Moreover, printing was regarded offensive by the aristocracy. Numerous aristocratic scholars declined to shame their collections with the insertion of a non-manuscript document. The value of the printing press fell to the recognition of the poor or the lower classes (Steinberg & Trevitt 1996). Numerous countries advocated the Church of England and the Catholic Church by ratifying statutes that prohibited book publications. Catholic King Francis I of France in 1535 “issued an edict prescribing the death penalty for the unauthorized printing of books, and soon afterwards the Sorbonne became the licensing authority and remained so until the French Revolution” (Kelsey 1963: 215). England imitated the strategy of Rome to regulate the printing of books. During the regime of Queen Elizabeth there was a restriction on the quantity of printers and presses, and it was ruled “that printing should be carried on only in London, Oxford and Cambridge… In 1637 (it was) decreed that all printed books must be submitted for license… before publication, with the penalty of forfeiture of all presses” (Kelsey 1963: 216), in which printers refused to obey. This type of license was referred to as an imprimatur which means ‘let it be printed’ (ibid: 216) in Latin. Meanwhile, the aristocracy in Ireland controlled printing through the agency of the King’s Printer, and maximized its domination of the printing industry by printing manuscripts, leaflets and other efforts which advocated the Dublin regime (Kamen 2000). Analyzing the previous discussion, the invention of the printing press threatened the authority of the Church and aristocracy of Europe. The power of their words lost influence and persuasion because of the inherent permanence of the printed word. Furthermore, dissents over their domination were at the time effectively articulated by those who are literate enough through printed books. Hence, the invention of the printing press paved the way to profound social and political changes all over Europe. III. Social and Political Impact of the Printing Press The introduction of the printed manuscript did not independently advance literacy. Books remain comparatively costly, and editors dedicated their works to endeavors that the average person in the street may not always wish to understand. Nevertheless, the increasing accessibility of printed books helped to stir a rise of educational interest. The communicating knowledge theory became significantly adjusted, and pedagogy developed to be a science in itself. It became generally recognized that it was normal to receive education for literacy, not entirely for the reason that literacy had definite practical values but for the reason that it was morally appropriate and right for an individual to acquire education (Kelsey 1963). No empirical evidence is available for variations in literacy rates that could have developed from this paradigm, yet at least for England there is information that the basics of literacy were being communicated of the common people. In the countryside the community school bridged the gap between well-off and underprivileged children in terms of learning. Owing to religious inspiration and the accessibility of the printed book, primary education improved in Europe (Kamen 1971). However, we are very much familiar with the favorability of general literacy that it demands some attempt to understand how perilous and revolutionary, both in political and ideological terms, the capability to read and write may be. With the extensive diffusion of new insights through the printing press, innovative and rebellious insights may all too voluntarily be put within the understanding of the poor. The ideological conflict of the Reformation period in turn resulted in a questioning confusion in official approaches and views toward education. Meanwhile, Catholics and Protestants were interested in educating their devotees to read their guidebooks of religious principles; both parties were similarly concerned not to permit unfavorable literature into the hands of uneducated devotees (Kamen 1971). In the meantime, the Thirty Years War’s propaganda appears usually to have manifested popular views, but primarily it was constructed by a few expert publicists. One of the most disturbing features of the disorders in France and England was that the revolutionary leaders had, through their propaganda, encouraged the masses to participate in the secrecies prohibited to them. The theory, evidently, was that propaganda which was intended to win the common people over to one’s party was acceptable; but propaganda that publicized all the concerns to the masses and encouraged them to have their own decision or judgment was absolutely unacceptable. From this perspective, the 1640s’s literature was considered one of the earliest great practices in revolutionary propaganda (Steinberg & Trevitt 1996). Clement Walker of England in his work entitled History of Independency condemned the strategies of the Independents: “They have cast all the mysteries and secrets of government before the vulgar, and taught the soldiery and the people to look into them and ravel back all governments to the first principles of nature” (Kamen 1971: 278). An English scholar also criticized “the tumultuous risings of rude multitudes threatening blood and destruction, the preaching of cobblers, feltmakers, taylors, groomes and women,” (Kamen 1971: 278) a record written undoubtedly in rising order of ridiculousness. The condition has to be confronted: revolutionary propaganda was going beyond the practice of persuasion; it generally manifested actual popular views, it was dedicated not to advocate traditional parties but to the challenging of all existing authority. Once censorship floodgates had been initiated, the opinions of all sectors of the population ruptured. The quantities of pamphlets on available literature specify a very important propaganda outcome (Kamen 1971). IV. Conclusions To sum it up, there is no absolute verification of what impact printing had on the masses, whose reading skills were almost entirely unfamiliar to us. Yet, it is very clear from the discussion that the authority of the Church and aristocracy were greatly affected by the invention of printing. Even though these ecclesiastical and administrative authorities made use of their power to turn the tides to their favor, such as taking advantage of printed books to enhance their status and reputation, many dissenters were able to find a way to articulate their grievances and encourage common people to join their revolutionary cause. Moreover, the narrowing gap between the well-off and the poor in terms of educational achievement became a great threat to the authorities. The status quo was transforming and the revolution underway was starting to gain leverage. On the other hand, some scholars in Europe were criticizing the manner propaganda or publicity is used by revolutionaries. Because the principles disseminated by the revolutionary pamphlets were commonly oriented to self-thinking and collective consciousness, upholders of the status quo were obviously alarmed. Revolutionary leaders, just like the ecclesiastical and administrative authorities, aimed to turn the favor towards their objective by exploiting the potentials of printing. Lastly, because of printing education became accessible to many, even in the lower orders. Socially, printing improved the lot of the common people whereas politically it facilitated the overturn of authority and the mitigation of social disorders. References Hill, C. (2001). The Century of Revolution: 1603-1714. Routledge. Kamen, H. (2000). Early Modern European Society. Routledge. Kamen, H. (1971). The Iron Century: Social Change in Europe, 1550-1660. London: Weidenfield and Nicolson. Kelsey, W. K. (1963). Kelsey the Commentator. Wayne State University Press. Steinberg, S. & Trevitt, J. (1996). Five Hundred Years of Printing. London: British Library. Twyman, M. (1998). The British Library Guide to Printing: History and Techniques. London: British Library. Winship, G. P. (1926). Gutenberg to Plantin: An Outline of the Early History of Printing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Read More