Taia Brymer Mr. Householder Honors World Civilization 14 November 2014 rl The Corruption of Humanism by the Borj-as I:Y During the Italian Renaissance, humanism had a lofty idealized side and a gritty hedonistic side. The Bo&7popes of the Holy Roman Catholic Church had a corrupt moral outlook that maximized their personal pleasure at the expense of other's pain. The Borja family was one of the most prominent and influential families in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. They were infamous for their malicious lust for power. At the time, it was taken for granted that the Roman Papacy was connected to the political goals of a select group of families. The Botjas produced: three popes, eleven cardinals, chancellors ofthe Holy See, a queen …show more content…
Three notorious Borjas were Rodrigo Lanzo] Borja and two of his illegitimate children Cesare and Lucrezia. Their activities and immoralities were representative of how the Church had lost its way from the values and ethical wisdom of Christianity. In spite of sparks of reaction against the Borjas and other wealthy clans by those aligned to the /( :) Reformation, the systemic corruption they fostered remained for generations. c;>() .... H'Gt The philosophy of humanism became increasingly prominent in the Italian papal states during the period from 1400-1600. Renaissance man was split between faith and reason. Medieval man saw life on Earth as horrid, and he feared that a lack of complete submission to an almighty God meant unspeakable tortures in the afterlife. In contrast, humanism placed importance on the here and now and accepted worldly pleasures just as they had been celebrated in Classical times. Individual expression such as in art, architecture and music was encouraged as a means of glorifying God. Beauty was considered a glimpse at Brymer 2 the divine and the human experience of beauty was the measure of all things. Humanists admired ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and revived pagan earthly …show more content…
McBrien states Alexander's choice method for having his political enemies murdered was "an unexpected Brymer 3 dose of arsenic poisoning" (267). During his rise to power, Rodrigo's main adversaries were the Medici family, the Sforza family and the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola of Florence. When he became pope, he took vicious revenge on his rivals and critics. Friar Savonarola's fate was an prime example of Alexander's free-wheeling wrath. -:;:::::::::::- Savonarola sought a return to a mystical piety in which divine providence was the only frame of reference. He had developed a following in Florence where he preached for the destruction of secular art and culture, and he denounced despotic rule and the exploitation of the poor. In 1495, Savonarola defied the Pope by preaching against corruption i~~pite of a crackdown on the city of Florence. In retaliation, the Pope had him excommunicated and imprisoned. Under extreme torture that lasted for weeks, Savonarola confessed to inventing his holy visions, was hanged, and then burned in the main square of Florence. Alexander VI was noted for having multiple intimate relationships as a member