Comparative Analysis: Renaissance Views - Burckhardt and Burke

This essay provides a comparative analysis of Jacob Burckhardt's "Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy" and Peter Burke's critique, "The Myth of the Renaissance." The essay examines Burckhardt's focus on individualism and modernity, highlighting his belief that the Renaissance marked the beginning of the modern world. It then contrasts this with Burke's arguments, who challenges Burckhardt's interpretations by highlighting the continuity with the Middle Ages and pointing out the oversight of important developments during the Renaissance, particularly outside Italy. The essay explores the different viewpoints of Burckhardt and Burke, focusing on their research methodologies, their arguments, and their conclusions. The essay concludes by agreeing with Burke's findings and emphasizes the Renaissance's impact on the style of living, market economy, and trade.

The Renaissances

The renaissance means explosion and development of human thought and new ideas in
Europe and it can be considered as the time of cleansing for Europe. The current essay will focus
on view points of two different authors which have conducted research on renaissance. It will
compare their research findings on the basis of background, intended audience, research location
and main results. Author has been chosen study of Jacob Burckhardt and Peter Burke
(Burckhardt, 1914).
In which, study of Jacob Burckhardt was based on Civilization of the renaissance in Italy.
It has stated that renaissance means individualism and modernity. He believed that renaissance
means beginning of the modern world in which a successful individualism and the competition
for fame transformed science, art and politics. The selected article is based on some background
information about the development of individual, personality, glory, ridicule and wit. But on the
other hand, Peter Burke has completed study “The myth of the renaissance” and provided critical
arguments on the findings of Jacob Burckhardt study the civilization of the rebirth in Italy. As
per Burke, Jacob Burckhardt has developed an artificial link between the middle ages and
renaissance. According to Burke, Burckhardt has overstated and ignored lots of innovations
which introduced in the middle ages. Along with this, study on the civilization in Italy did not
focus on traditional attitude of individuals in 16th century, their interest in painting and music
(Burckhardt, 1935). Including this, it did not include any information about other countries
especially Netherlands.
According to him Burckhardt study is a myth in terms of literary one. Jacob Burckhardt
was accept the findings of the scholars and artists of that period for his own research valuation.
But, as per Burke it was one of the major mistake of Jacob Burckhardt at the time of conducting
his own study. So, findings of Burckhardt focused on revival of learning, renovation, rebirth and
reawakening but did no pay attention towards the Middle age and development. Findings of the
Burckhardt study have reflected that renaissance means transition from medieval times to
modern time and it focuses on learning, rationality and realism (Burke, 1997). But on the other
hand, Burke has stated that during renaissance changes were placed in political and economic
structure also. Overall, analyses of the both studies have reflected that the myth of the
renaissance is a critique study of Civilization of the renaissance in Italy. It has reflected that
findings of Burckhardt is based on some specific myth.
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All these findings have reflected that Renaissance is not only modernization and
individualism but also focuses on improvement in the style of living, growth in market economy,
increment in trade of agriculture and manufacture goods, etc. I am agreed with the findings of
Burke because it is not based on any myth and does not create any hypothetical assumption and
link between modernization and middle age (Chastel, 1969). It focused on growth, development
and modernization of wealthy and populous cities.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Burckhardt, Jacob. The civilization of the Renaissance in Italy. G. Allen & Unwin, Limited,
1914.
Burckhardt, Jacobby Jacob Burckhardt. The civilization of the Renaissance in Italy. No. 930.85
(450). Albert & Charles Boni,, 1935.
Burke, Peter. "The Myth of the Renaissance." In The Renaissance, pp. 1-6. Macmillan Education
UK, 1997.
Chastel, André. The Myth of the Renaissance, 1420-1520. Vol. 1. Skira, 1969.
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