Italian Renaissance: History, Impact, and Transformation

This document provides an overview of the Italian Renaissance, including its origins, impact on society, and the reaction of the Catholic Church. It also discusses mercantilism as a consequence of the birth of the nation state and the non-religious consequences of the Protestant Reformation.

Running head: HISTORY
History
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HISTORY
1. What is Italian Renaissance? Why did it happen in Italy? How did it change the
Italian society?
Italian renaissance was a period when the thinkers declared that the dark ages
in the Italian society were over. It brought with itself the period of enlightenment and
the barbaric acts that prevailed were stopped. This was a period that is regarded as the
phase of rebirth. This period started in the 14th century but it gained popularity in the
19th century. It started as a cultural movement centered in Florence, Italy but later
spread to the whole Europe (Burke, 2014). It helped to bring economic power to Italy
as it provided economic gain to the European monarchs. Economy was the main
factor that was responsible for the renaissance in Italy. It brought revolution in the
field of art, architecture, literature, science and technology. It changed and enriched
the cultural values that were prevalent in the Italian society. This helped to create a
class of traders and professionals who were oriented towards business.
2. What was the reaction of Catholic Church on the rediscovery of Greek texts?
The transmission of the Greek texts was a key factor that helped in the
development of intellectualism in Europe. It invoked in the individuals a sense of
consciousness that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. The Catholic
Church occupied an important position into the life of the individuals in the country.
The Church used the theory of God to promote the spirit of religion and inculcate in
them for the fear of authority. With the advent of Greek texts the individuals became
an important resource for imparting education amongst the individual. It contains of a
number of resources that create enlightened individuals who will be beneficial for the
society. The Catholic Church suffered a sense of urgency when the concept of god
was challenged by the thinking of the individuals. They defined that the orthodox
thinking of the individuals is experiencing a change and is shifting towards a modern

2HISTORY
perspective. This shows that the authority of the Catholic Church will be lost when
the Greek texts resurfaced.
3. What is mercantilism? How could it be considered as a consequence of birth of
the nation state as a new form of political organization? And how did it thrust
Europe forward into the world?
Mercantilism is a policy that related to the economy of a country that aims to
increase the export of a company. It was a period that started in the European territory
during the early stages of industrialization. It is was an emerging trend that was
experienced in the economy of the countries that are experiencing industrialization. It
replaced the feudal system in the European territory and helped in the nation state as a
political organization. It helped to reduce the trade barriers that existed in the
European territory and led to the growth of the country into a superior position. The
goods that were manufactured in the country had high taxes imposed on them that was
the part of the mercantilist policies. It found advent in Europe with the period of
renaissance. This gave an important position to Europe in the business sphere around
the world by boosting the economy.
4. What are some of the non-religious consequences of the Protestant
Reformation?
The protestant reformation is was a movement that revolutionized the cultural,
political and scientific sphere. It aimed to bring reformation in the religious beliefs and
practices that were promoted by the Catholic Church. It brought reasoning into the mind
of the individuals who were previously influenced by the authority of the church (Becker,
Pfaff & Rubin, 2016). With the protestant reformation scientific awakening was brought
reasoning in the individuals. The mind of the individuals wanted an explanation for the
happenings that were earlier reasoned by religion. Culture also experienced a change

3HISTORY
because earlier all the traditions consisted of religious sanctions but with the protestant
reform everything changed. It helped into the growth of the scientific knowledge and that
will help in the development of the society.

4HISTORY
References
Becker, S. O., Pfaff, S., & Rubin, J. (2016). Causes and consequences of the Protestant
Reformation. Explorations in Economic History, 62, 1-25.
Burke, P. (2014). The Italian Renaissance: culture and society in Italy. Princeton University
Press.