Over some 700 years, inquiries into personal orthodox beliefs by a variety of authorities led tens of thousands of people to be investigated before tribunals and punished, at times by death for beliefs that deviated from the accepted orthodox understanding at the time. Inquisitions grew from the soil of moral certainty and intolerance of heterodox (non-orthodox) views.
Moreover, they were prosecuted in an organized and institutional manner. The targets of this concerted violence to enforce uniformity of belief were many and varied, in different regions and in different time periods. Non-Christians, principally Jews, Muslims, pagans and others of non-Christian belief systems, were prosecuted and punished. Christians who were not in alignment with the position of the Catholic Church included Protestant and heretical Christian believers were also in serious risk of being tried for heresy. As noted, witches were also persecuted for their mostly folk traditions and animistic beliefs.
The earliest inquisition started at the beginning of the 13th century in southern France against the Cathars, a Christian religious sect that was not Roman Catholic. The pope promised that the lands of these heretics would be given to their attackers.The Spanish Inquisition was first begun under the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and persisted until the 19th century in 1826. Many of the targets of persecution in Spain were Jews and those of Jewish ancestry who were converts to Christianity known as “Judaizers.” These were accused of secretly following the beliefs and practices of Judaism.
Inquisition was a phenomenon that existed because of intolerance and was an unacknowledged admission that freedom of religion, freedom of conscience and will was antithetical to the Catholic authorities of that time. It also fit with the economic and political gain of those in power. Compulsion, persecution and punishment were the tools used to ensure conformity of belief.
This website presents a view on the Inquisition that fits with this discussion: The Top 10 Questions Everyone Has About the Inquisition (Murphy, C. 2012) .
What are your thoughts about this punishment for being different? With your contemporary identity, do you think you would have been accused of heresy, and possibly burned at the stake or been killed through some other means?
Please Note: Each discussion response must have a minimum of 125 words, spell checked, well written and citing references in support of arguments. Be sure to also respond to at least two classmates later in the week (making for a minimum of three posts total. More are encouraged)
M4 Discussion 2: Famous People of the Renaissance: Whom do you want to know better?
Discussion Topic
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The new day and rebirth of learning that came with the Renaissance introduced a new generation of creative thought leaders and ground breakers. With the advent of new sources of learning recovered from the classical past; with the advantage of wide distribution of books and growing centers of learning in the universities in England, France, Germany, Italy, Bohemia and elsewhere; individuals of learning and standing exercised influence in an ever widening and significant manner. Their contributions and influence impacted all sectors of the culture in Western Europe and beyond. Key figures such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Thomas Moore, Galileo, Bacon, Martin Luther, Erasmus, Shakespeare and other leading lights made their mark on their own time and profoundly shaped the direction of the arts, science, literature, religion, philosophy and politics far into the future.
Select a Renaissance figure from the accompanying list that made a significant contribution in some way. Describe why this is the case and give three examples of how the contribution made reflects the humanist ethos and spirit of the Renaissance period. Use the resources provided along with others to substantiate your argument.
Artists
1. Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 – 1519)
2. Michelangelo (1475 – 1564)
Political Thinkers
3. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469 – 1527)
4. Thomas Moore (1478 – 1535)
Scientists
5. Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626)
6. Galileo (1564 – 1642)
Theologians and Philosophers
7. Martin Luther (1483 – 1546)
8. Erasmus (1466 – 1536)
Poet/ Playwright
9. William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)
References:
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan “Famous people of the Renaissance”, Oxford, , 6th June 2014. Updated 1st March 2018.
Please Note: Each discussion response must have a minimum of 125 words, spell checked, well written and citing references in support of arguments. Be sure to also respond to at least two classmates later in the week (making for a minimum of three posts total. More are encouraged)
M4 Written Assignment
Assignment
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Les Noisettes by William Bouguereau (1882)
Les Noisettes by William Bouguereau (1882)
Is human nature basically good or bad?
We have read and been exposed to several views of human nature from a philosophical, political and theological perspectives. From the rather humanist perspective of the ancient Greeks focused on human potential to the Christian idea of original sin, we have always debated the true nature of morality as well as the relative importance of nature versus nurture. Consider your own view on moral development, do you feel people are inherently good and altruistic or inherently selfish and greedy?
Next view this short video on morality in infants from Yale’s Baby Lab (60 Minutes, CBS News, 2012).
Now in a short essay, evaluate arguments on both sides of the issue of moral development by first summarizing, in your own words, at least one argument from each side and then arguing for which one of the opposing sides you find more compelling and why, did the scientific evidence from the baby lab change your view. Support your position with at least two additional scholarly or scientific sources that discuss this issue. You must include a list of references.
