1) Explain and account for Petrarca's and Valla's views of scholasticism, and of
Averroism in particular.*
2) Describe Petrarca's essay, On His Own Ignorance. What is its purpose, how does
he seek to achieve it, and why does he claim to be ignorant? *
3) Describe and account for the roots or origins of Italian Humanism. Provide
details both about the late medieval Italian rhetorical tradition and the influences
from Naples and the North.
4) Considering the writings and ideas of Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio, explain how
these authors represented a transitional triumvirate to Humanism.
5) Show how a Humanist (or two or three Humanists) represent(s) Humanism in general,
or in one of its phases; e.g., in the transition to Humanism or at the height of
Humanism.*
6) Show how the characteristics of Humanism can be explained as a response to
commercialization and proto-capitalism. Use the model of Antony Black (lecture) and
or the value systems model of Gene Brucker (web site: noble versus mercantile).
7) Describe and account for the political views of Petrarca and/or Salutati.*
8) What sort of life, or philosophy of life does Salutati promote in his "Letter to
Peregrino Zambeccari?"*
9) Pretending you are Leonardo Bruni or Coluccio Salutati, account for the decline
of communal government and its replacement by dictatorship in territorial states. *
10) Depict and account for the philosophy of the civil society promoted by Salutati
(Letter to Zambeccari), Bruni (Panagyric) and Bracciolini (On Avarice). Is this
socio-political philosophy synonomous with Classical Liberalism, whose father is
usually said to be Adam Smith?*
11) What is Bracciolini's view of avarice and why does the Humanist hold this view?
Discuss and indicate the significance of the following issues: whether avarice is
natural, whether avarice or lust is a worse sin, and the belabored issue of
miserliness. (How are these issues related to Classical Liberalism?)*
12) Show how Valla used humanist internal and external criticism to deny the
authenticity of the "Donation of Constantine". Provide at least two specific examples
of each kind of criticism used in the text.*
13) Valla's On the Donation of Constantine is often cited as an example of humanist secularism
and anti-clericalism. To the contrary, argue that this document is a call for the
reform of the Church and, as such, represents Renaissance humanism at its height
(i.e., it displays all the characteristics of the movement well). *
14) How is Valla's "Dialogue on Free Will" a humanist document? (i.e., how do
the subject, purpose, and method of the document fit the characteristics of humanism).
Last up-dated 22 October 2008.