Renaissance Dbq Essay Example

argues that education and university are crucial, particularly for the upper class who can afford it. He asserts that university education is the sole valuable form of learning (Doc. 13). Consequently, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of justices of the peace with a university background over time. This trend has resulted in more educated men joining the upper class.

Francesco Guicciardini, an Italian statesman and historian, expresses remorse for not giving importance to his education in the past. He recognizes that if he had received a proper education, he could have gained favor from princes and achieved success. Guicciardini strongly believes that a good education would have helped him move up socially (Doc. 6). This highlights the continuing discussion about the purpose and importance of education, with some suggesting it was meant for the upper class or served as a way to aspire to it.

Education for all was a belief held by other Renaissance men. Although this idea was more prevalent in the Northern Renaissance than the Italian Renaissance, it was still embraced by both. Desiderius Erasmus, an advocate for education and institution, supported this idea along with a man from the School Ordinances. Erasmus expressed his views on education in his work, the Praise of Folly, which satirized the church (Doc. 4). Similarly, the man from the School Ordinances shared the belief that everyone should receive an education in order to develop discipline and fear of God.

The concept that a man is proposing to a pastor the strangeness of teaching children to fear god (Doc.7) is echoed by Battista Guarino, an Italian Renaissance man, who

believed that the true essence of humanism and its benefits for all mankind lie in learning and training in virtue (Doc.2). The objective of education during the Renaissance was to make it accessible to a broader audience. Lastly, another group of Renaissance men vehemently contended that the values and objectives of Renaissance education were devoid of meaning and purpose.

According to John Brinsley, an English schoolmaster, adolescents who go to school do not understand or appreciate learning. He claims that their knowledge is limited to unappealing Latin writing (Doc. 10). Similarly, a letter sent anonymously to the Parlement of Dijon agrees with this sentiment and asserts that only a minority of individuals are suited for studying literature (Doc. 11). The author emphasizes the importance of having more hardworking people rather than those with imaginative and contemplative spirits. Michel de Montaigne, a French essayist and politician, also shares these viewpoints.

In Document 8, he criticized the educational system as absurd and pointed out that book selection was based on how they sound rather than on factual accuracy. According to Document 13, John Amos Comenius believed that education did not hold much value until university, particularly for the upper class. He strongly criticized the significance of education before university. The Renaissance period involved extensive discussions and debates about the values and goals of education.

During the Renaissance, there were several primary arguments surrounding education. These included discussions about education for the upper class, education for all, and criticisms of the education system. Advocates for education among the upper class included Castiglione, Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, and John Amos Comenius. Conversely, Desiderius Erasmus and Battista Guarino

believed in providing education to everyone. Moreover, John Brinsley, Michel de Montaigne, and John Amos Comenius once again criticized the existing education system. It is important to note that these topics only represent a few of the many values and purposes associated with Renaissance-era education.