Machiavelli and Politics, Culture and Society in Renaissance Italy (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

None

Content of Course

Using The Prince and his other key works, including his Histories and Discourses, the course will examine Machiavelli’s ideas and influences against the backdrop of Florence and Italy in the late 15^th and 16^th centuries.

We will explore a wide range of themes during this extraordinarily dynamic period: the key players in the politics of the time, such as Popes, the Borgias, and the Medici; instability and conflict, with the French invasion, and the Sack of Rome and Siege of Florence; and the development of art and politics as the Renaissance progressed.

Students will consider Machiavelli’s place within these themes, as well as assessing his reputation, at the time and beyond to the present day.

Teaching method(s)

The course will include a combination of informal lectures and classroom discussions. Learning will be informed by written and visual primary evidence and by secondary source analysis. Students will be introduced to a range of primary sources which they will be encouraged to explore in more depth in their independent study time. Students will receive formative verbal feedback in class on individual contributions and class discussion. 

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Assess the political and cultural situation of Italy in the late 15^th and early 16^th centuries.
2. Analyse some of the main themes of Machiavelli’s key works.
3. Critically assess primary sources from the period, comparing with the evidence across a range of sources.
4. Place the milieu of Machiavelli in the wider context of Renaissance Italy and Europe.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Bondanella, P. and Musa, M. (1979) The Portable Machiavelli. London: Penguin. Available online. 

Recommended:

• Benner, E. (2017) Be Like the Fox. Machiavelli's Lifelong Quest for Freedom. London: Allen Lane.
• Black, R. (2013) Machiavelli. London: Routledge. Available online.
• Skinner, Q. (2019) A Very Short Introduction to Machiavelli. Oxford: OUP. Available online.

Web Sources

A range of BBC In Our Time podcasts on the Renaissance period, including Machiavelli and The Medici:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01hctcl

Quentin Skinner, Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction (2020) Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKGuzJ6GwHM

Catherine Zuckert, Machiavelli’s Popular Prince (2017) Available at:

https://media.csuchico.edu/media/Machiavelli%27s+Popular+Prince/0_odoiv7nz

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.