Renaissance Thought and the Arts [Paperback]

Paul Oskar Kristeller (Author)

Book Description

Series: Princeton Paperbacks | Publication Date: December 1, 1980

Written by an eminent authority on the Renaissance, these classic essays deal not only with Paul Kristeller's specialty, Renaissance humanism and philosophy, but also with Renaissance theories of art. The focus of the collection is on topics such as humanist learning, humanist moral thought, the diffusion of humanism, Platonism, music and learning during the early Renaissance, and the modern system of arts in relation to the Renaissance. For this volume the author has written a new preface, a new essay, and an afterword.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[This book] includes some of Professor Kristeller's most celebrated essays. . . . no student of the Renaissance can afford not to have read these--the most perfect--introductions to Renaissance thought. . . . One of the main merits of the present book is that it contributes to the survival of truly great scholarship. The elegant and erudite essays contained in it should serve as models for every historian of ideas. -- The Heythrop Journal



[These] papers . . . illuminate various aspects of Renaissance thought through the impressive mediums of a copious and detailed knowledge of original materials, a seemingly limitless comprehension of the whole subject, a clear, clean style, and a wise, learned, and scholarly mind. -- The Personalist

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; Exp Sub edition (December 1, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691020108
• ISBN-13: 978-0691020105
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #782,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thorough Masterpiece, October 10, 2001

By 

Hendrik Obsieger - See all my reviews

This review is from: Renaissance Thought and the Arts (Paperback)

"Renaissance Thought and the Arts" presents a brilliant introduction into Renaissance culture. The collection of separately published articles, first edited in 1965 and now added by a precious afterword, makes up a well-rounded unit. The late Kristeller, one of the most respected writers on humanism, explains in the first section (ch. 1-3) the concept of Renaissance and provides a fundamental insight into its thought and literature. In the first chapter he argues convincingly against tendences to define Renaissance by a certain set of ideas and exposes the problems that are central to humanistic thought, simultaneously giving an overview over the different literary genres inherited from ancient literature. In the second chapter on the moral philosophy of those times, he emphasizes its impact on the modern concept of human dignity. Thereupon, he demonstrates how humanism, originated and developed in Italy, hence spread out into entire Europe, whereas some scholars had claimed that humanistic ideas emerged in different European countries simultaneous and independently. Some other important aspects of Renaissance philosophy are discussed in the second section (ch. 4-6) on Platonism and Aristotelism, the most impressive essay being that on the place of man in the universe. At the heart of the final section on the arts (ch. 7-10) is the comprehensive study which describes in detail the development of our concept of the arts, and its predecessors in ancient times and the middle Ages. Thus Kristeller profoundly explores the history of the principal problem of aesthetics, that is the essence of art, which he touches also in the afterword on creativity and tradition, prudently distinguishing the significance of each for aesthetic value and appreciation.

Throughout, Kristeller displays an overwhelming richness of insight, stylistic masterhip and exemplaric knowledge that make this book a joy to read. It is useful as a leader during the first steps to understanding Renaissance culture as well as a treasure for any scholar who is concerned with the topics involved.