Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0232 - Renaissance Theories of Luck

Given powerful developments in scientific technology, probability, astrology, theology, and philosophy during the European Renaissance, ideas about what controlled events in the world were the source of deep and unresolved controversy. Were events ranging from unforeseen personal tragedies to economic investments to imperial rises and falls guided by chance or by an all-seeing God? Did supernatural forces exist, and if so, what form did they take? How was it possible to discern the difference between luck and God's will? And what role did human agency play in controlling events in the world? In this course we will examine the Renaissance roots of many of the same questions that exist in our own world--which, despite its secularity, remains beholden to the forces of religion, astrology, superstition, and theories of the cosmos. We will consider the influence of proto-capitalist economics on beliefs about the role of fortune in the world. We will also examine Calvinist understandings of divine intervention, the influence of secularizing institutions such as the public theater, and the various cultural and political conditions that shaped popular beliefs in early modern England. Readings will include selections from Aristotle, Lucretius, Epicurus, Bacon, Machiavelli, Montaigne, Calvin, Greville, Spinoza, and Hakluyt; plays by Heywood, Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Fletcher; and recent historical and theoretical criticism.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Students are expected to spend 6 hours of preparation and work outside of class time. Prerequisite: At least one previous literature course.