Self-Assessment

The Grade (based on the Assessment and Grade Distribution sections of the course syllabus):
   

Assuming that the Preparation and Participation portion of the grade is determined by attendance, reading the assigned texts for class and engaged participation in class discussion, I would argue that I have a perfect score of 30 points in that section. [30]
   

Predicting B worthy take-home essays. [32]
    

And assuming that our blogs form the majority (if not entirety) of the Projects and Presentations portion of the grade I would give myself a little less than half credit (since I only completed half of the blogs and surely they aren’t perfect). [17]
   

That adds up to 79 points or C- on a 7 point scale and a C+ on a 10 point scale.

Evidence:   
    

The strongest piece of evidence for my success is the fact that I came to class prepared (having read and taken notes on the assigned text) and was involved in class discussion daily.  I think this fact clearly demonstrates my personal fulfillment of a large portion of the course goals and objectives as outlined in the course syllabus.  How can a person be actively involved in discussion if they do not have knowledge and understanding of the discussion topics?  They cannot.  I accept that the strength of this evidence is dependent upon your opinions as witnesses and argue that because the majority (if not all) members of our class came prepared.  Therefore, if one member were to come to class ill-equipped, their state of unpreparedness would quickly be made known in utter dissimilarity.
    

My competency of the course goals and objectives can also be seen through my blogs.  There is a clear development between my earlier blogs, such as the Rome blog consisting mainly of my opinions and descriptions of the sights, the Florence blog about the Galileo Museum and the Basilica di Santa Croce which is purely descriptive and my later blogs.  For example: the Assisi blog; while the Assisi blog is also descriptive it is a better reflection of my understanding of the course material.  The sentence “This fresco is thought to have been painted by Giotto and, unlike its downstairs counterpart incorporates detail, three dimensional elements like shading and perspective, human likeness and movement.” (Assisi Blog) illustrates my ability to appreciate and criticize a visual work – not a course goal clearly stated in the syllabus however I do believe it was a key concept for our class to at least have experience in criticism and analysis of a musical, visual or written piece.  Additionally, “…this growth and dramatic change occurred over a period of just 35 years.  This is what the Renaissance was about:  A great leap towards humanism including the desire to expand and appreciate the human capacity for knowledge, wisdom, learning, creativity and art, in addition to the pre-existing dedication to the church and papacy.  These two frescos are an appropriate portrayal of the major shift that occurred during the Renaissance.” (Assisi Blog) demonstrates my ability to examine, analyze and interpret the ways that texts illustrate the key concepts of the Renaissance.
    

The Anamorphic Art and Plato blog is an excellent example of my ability to analyze, evaluate and discuss the significance of the Renaissance in its own time and its relevance for contemporary life.  In this blog I associated a technique of art that emerged in the Renaissance with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and continued to include modern anamorphic art.
    

The Giovanni Pico della Mirandola blog is a marvelous example of an analysis, evaluation and discussion of the similarities and differences between my Worldview and that of a Renaissance figure.  In this blog I summarize what I thing Pico was saying, defend his position and then offer my much less important opinion.

However, the obvious lack of blogs is a strong indicator of the effort I should’ve put into the class that I didn’t.  It is also the direct cause of my incomplete set of positive evidence.  Although it does not suggest a lack of comprehension or inability to fulfill the goals and objectives, it is the reason that I believe I deserve a C-.  How are you, as my professors, going to monitor and measure my growth in this course without adequate representation through my blogs?
     

Another sign of inadequacy would be my personal struggle with the philosophies and philosophers.  Having not had any previous experience with philosophy I would often have to read a text two or three times and after finishing would still not have a clear understanding of what they might be trying to say.  My lack of background knowledge in this area made it easy for me to be confused and discouraged me from blogging about the philosophy and led to me defaulting back to the more comfortable topic of art.  This is evidenced by the scarcity of blogs about philosophers as compared to the abundance of blogs about art (only four blogs reference and/or discuss philosophies).  However, I do attempt to write about the philosophers in my blogs.  A couple blogs beautifully combine art of the Renaissance with specific philosophies or concepts of the Italian Renaissance.  For example: the Lorenzo Ghiberti and the Baptistery Doors Blog describes my opinion of why the doors are a fantastic example of Renaissance art and draws a tie to Neoplutonic ideas and other Renaissance artwork.
   

“Before the Renaissance, 3D art was not allowed to be associated with the church for the fear that it would be considered an idol.  The only art in churches were frescoes and icons.  At this time, when artists were commissioned for a 3D piece for the church by the church, the church and art were moving forward hand in hand.  This is a very Renaissance idea; the idea that we as humans can expand ourselves not only upward (celebrating and working towards our eternally lives) but also outward (celebrating humanity and our current lives on earth).  This great expression of skill is also celebrating the human capability and accepting the Neoplutonic  idea that the arts are a pure reflection of the forms, as opposed to being an imitation of an imitation of the forms (Plutonic view).  In my opinion, the baptistery doors are an expression of “ideal art” as we learned about in class.  The doors have fantastic balance, no one panel surpasses another and each panel is balanced with order and proportion.  The panels are precise and the perspective is correct and aesthetically pleasing; just as the School of Athens by Raphael in the Vatican has columns, arches and lines that are symmetrical and visually appealing, so are the Ghiberti doors.  Each panel tells a story and the meaning is clearly communicated.  The Ghiberti doors are a fantastic representation of Renaissance art, how the art grew with the artists, how the church and the people expanded their minds as well as their abilities.” (Lorenzo Ghiberti Blog).
    

My blogs do not reflect my understanding of third section of the course goals and objectives.  Although I hope to reflect my competency in these areas with my final essays, the blogs do not provide substantial evidence.  However, as I have stated above, your bore witness to my competence in these areas during our class discussions.  This is another significant reason I believe I deserve a C; but, inevitably that is for you to decide.

Thinking? That’s Dangerous:
   

Educationally speaking I would give myself a C- however; from the perspective of life (which thankfully doesn’t give grades) I would say this class has been an incalculable experience.  It has been well worth the difficulty of attempting to balance a crash course version of the Italian language and an overwhelming tsunami of Italian Renaissance.  Coming face to face with the philosophers and Arts leading up to and forming the Italian Renaissance has been an absolute blast!  Being blessed enough to go to a University that can fund this kind of trip and making it possible for someone like me.  It has given me an irreplaceable opportunity to expand my education in a way that could not be possible within the boundaries of Boiling Springs, or even America.  It has exposed me to a culture completely diverse from mine, allowing me to see some of the greatest works ever created by man (which are surely not imitations of imitations, but rather reflections of the true forms) – works that most of the human population will die without seeing!  Providing the opportunity to have an interdisciplinary class filled with a fantastic array of students with diverse majors and backgrounds led by none other than the Associate Provost for Arts & Sciences of Gardner-Webb University and his wife (two fantastically amazing individuals that are an enriching joy in and out of the classroom – teachers that genuinely care for the wellbeing and edification of their students).  This class was more than a class; it truly was the opportunity of a lifetime and it genuinely changed my life and the way that I see the world.
     

For that reason I am disappointed in myself.  I feel that my performance in this class is in no way a reflection of my capabilities or typical effort as a student.  My performance is a rude and disrespectful repayment for the effort and funds that went into this class and experience.  I am sincerely sorry.
      

I’m really glad that this blog was due after we left Italy, partially because I’m a procrastinator, because the changes didn’t sink in (and still haven’t finished), changes within myself, in my worldview and my life goals.  I’ve realized that I have a lot more patience, I don’t exactly know how that can be attributed to the trip yet… but it is there.  I have become more flexible with a more optimistic outlook of “things are going to work out” and “the little things really, really don’t matter.”  Living in a city that is thousands of miles away from home, thousands of miles away from the comfort, stability and structure of regularity helped to instill within me the reality of anti-ethnocentricity (not that I believed the American way was best, but living in another country for a little over a month and becoming acquainted with another culture gives me basis in which to compare the two.  What is different?  What is better? Etc.).  Trying to absorb yourself into another culture takes a lot of effort and flexibility to give way for the new.  For example: public transportation and our adventure to Ancona.  After missing the initial train we caught another 30 minutes later.  We waited at that station for two-and-a-half hours for a bus that would take us on an hour-and-a-half beyond nauseating ride through the mountainside to another train station where we would immediately catch a train to Ancona.  After seven-and-a-half hours of traveling we arrived at Ancona for a two hour stay before embarking on another four-and-a-half hour traveling adventure.  Well, I enjoyed it!  You may think I’m kidding, but successfully orchestrating travel westward through a country in which you barely speak the language and actually making it to your final destination was reward enough.  Experiences outside of the classroom like this were the key to a life-changing experience.  In class our views were challenged and our minds were fed new, exciting and testing information which we were given the opportunity to discuss with a diverse set of peers – this formed the foot in the door for the real world experiences to really drive the ideas home.  The Renaissance was a fantastic time of change; it was a rebirth into human knowledge and ability.  What better topic could be found to cover during this great time of change within ourselves?
        

My views on education have favored Liberal Arts Education for a few years and this class has certainly strengthened those views.  Now that I know some of the greatest minds in history would agree with me, why should I change my opinion? J  The men of the Renaissance and the geniuses they studied were often virtuous and versatile; they studied the humanities and focused on the Trivium and Quadrivium along with being proficient in many other fields such as performance and athletics.  I would argue these are the same concepts and characteristics that we, as students at a liberal arts university, should strive to produce within ourselves.  I have also grown to have a deep appreciation for interdisciplinary classes as they offer the opportunity open your mind to the diversity of opinions other than your own or opinions similar to your own.  When a class consists of a Communications major with a background in Dance, four Psychology majors, a Nursing major, two students with Arts majors or minors, a student athlete and three Philosophy & Theology majors it is certain to offer extremely diverse opinions.  I have begun to learn the intellectual wealth and wisdom that diversity offers.  Typically in life we are surrounded by people who are similar to us which makes us unintentionally (and sometimes intentionally) closed-minded.  When we are subject to diversity it shakes our poor perception of the world and offers a bit of reality.  I believe that open-mindedness is required on the path to wisdom.  I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but I whole-heartedly hope that I’m at least on my way to understanding (which I of course will never reach).  I have no doubt that the FOTIR Perugian experience has enriched my life journey and I will be forever grateful to all involved.

Synthesis – FOTIR (Facebook of the Italian Renaissance) Perugian Experience

Throughout my blogs I gain a better understanding of what the Italian Renaissance really was.  In the beginning of the class I was so lost in the words of different philosophers “I often find myself saying ‘I agree… Oh, I disagree… Or maybe I do agree… Maybe it’s some of both?’  I become quickly confused as to how I can be so conflicted with just one person’s words and the many ways you can choose to interpret them.” (Pico Blog) and I was having so much trouble following the class.  But, as the class progressed I found reading and keeping up in class (as far as comprehension is concerned) much easier.  You can see this in my blogs.  Instead of just connecting class ideas with other class ideas – such as my city and art blogs – I begin to draw connections outside of class – such as my last two blogs – and I believe that is an accurate sign to deeper comprehension.

Great Expectations --> Fulfilled and more.  In my expectations I wrote about my excitement for learning about the Arts, but I don’t write at all about the Philosophy.  I would have to say that even though I had an overwhelming excitement about the Arts of the Renaissance (which was in no way unfulfilled), the Philosophy that we learned in this class, For me, far outshined the Art.  I haven’t had a lot of experience with philosophers or their theories; I’ve never thought of studying thought and learning (however, as a psychology major you’d think I would’ve) and with the help of this class I’ve found that I very much enjoy philosophy and I plan on continuing to learn in its field.  This class fulfilled my expectations as an interdisciplinary class; being able to hear each diverse opinion that is founded in differing studies and sources was more of a privilege than I had thought.  I find myself thinking more open-mindedly and arguing my point in my own head before I begin to speak.  Although I don’t know whether this change can be attributed to the interdisciplinary nature of the course or having been immersed in a unfamiliar culture, but I can be sure that the change is because of the FOTIR Perugian experience.

Self-Understanding?  In class we went around the room answering the question “do you think that you are a Renaissance thinker?”  I would like to say yes… and I thought I had a lot to back it up with.  Yes, I am pretty versatile (pretty good at a lot of things, but not super amazing at anything) and I have a great respect for learning for the sake of learning.  I am more of a humanist than I thought I would be (I think along the Neo-Platonist belief that we as humans are capable of more than poor imitations, we should attempt to do these things because we have been gifted the aptitude… to reject that opportunity would be a dishonor).  However, for those same reasons I have proven myself not as much a renaissance woman in my actions.  If I truly thought that learning and human capacity were a treasure, I would have tried harder in this class and thus had many, many more blogs.  So, yes.  I have come to understand myself a lot more through this class.  A short five weeks ago I had no idea who Plato, Socrates, Pico, Machiavelli or any of the fantastic philosophers were let alone anything that they taught/believed.  Not only am I proud that I can now be involved in philosophical discussions and not seem like a complete dummy, but I am also honored to be able to have educated opinions about these philosophers and some of their teachings.  I can explain in a sophisticated fashion why I agree or disagree with Pico, appreciate and discuss the beauty that is controlled Renaissance music.  Learning truly is a treasure, it enriches us; with every new piece of information we can add to our fortune and in the end we will have a marvelous array of precious jewels and metals that complement each other in ways that were never anticipated.

The Prince and Watership Down

After beginning to read Watership Down by Richard Adams I quickly realized that meant the novel and Italy would be forever bound together in my mind.  However, I was delighted when a strong tie emerged between one of the texts in our class and the novel.  In Watership Down there is a character named Woundwort; he is the chief rabbit of Efrafa, a rival warren of the main characters.  He is, in my opinion, a fantastic example of a good prince.  He manages his warren quite well and employs a few of characteristics, skills and practices Machiavelli describes as necessary to be successful in The Prince.

“A prince, first of all, should have no other object or thought in mind than war and how to wage it. … The chief cause of losing power is neglect of the art of war.” (The Prince 279).  “In peace time he ought to pay more attention to it than even in time of war.  He can do this in two ways: first, with action; the second with study.  As to action, besides keeping his forces well trained and disciplined, he ought to go hunting often and thus keep his body used to hardship.  He will also in this way learn the nature of the land …” (The Prince 280-281).

“Woundwort was ready to fight anything except a fox.  One evening he attacked and drove off a foraging Aberdeen puppy. … and hoped someday to kill a weasel, if not a stoat. … If a man was coming Woundwort spotted him half a mile away.  He fought rats, magpies, gray squirrels and, once, a crow.” (Watership Down 309).  “When he had explored the limits of his own strength, he set to work to satisfy his longing for still more power in the only possible way – by increasing the power of the rabbits around him.” (Watership Down 309).  And he did this in multiple ways, one being setting out on wide patrols.  “Wide patrols began as mere forays or raids … On the first occasion they were lucky enough to find and kill a sick owl that had eaten a mouse that had eaten poison-dressed seed corn.  On the next, they came upon two hlessil (wandering homeless bucks) they compelled to return with them to the warren.” (Watership Down 310).  But, wide patrols began to have purpose.  “Woundwort would give them [the rabbits on the wide patrols] tasks – to search for hlessil in a certain direction or to find out whether or a particular ditch or barn contained rats which could later be attacked by force and driven out.”  And then became more militarily oriented. “One of these patrols led by a certain Captain Orchis, discovered a small warren … The General [Woundwort] led an expedition against it and broke it up”. (Watership Down 310-311).

In reference to Philopoemen (prince of the Archaens c. 1450CE) Machiavelli says “’He listened to their opinions and gave his own with supporting arguments, so that because of his constant discussion nothing could happen when he was leading his army for which he did not have an answer.’” (The Prince 280-281).

In summation, Woundwort was a warlord as Machiavelli suggests.  He fully submerged himself and his Owsla (closest military council) in the art of war: fighting, staying fit and at an unsurpassed level of skill (in tracking, fighting, obeying orders, scouting, etc.).  Although the rabbits do not hunt, as they are herbivores, they fight with all types of elil (or predators) and other rabbits.  Also, in the same way that Philopoemen sat at the top of a hill and spoke with his soldiers about strategies, Woundwort used wide patrols to be familiar with the land and to be prepared for any type of conflict (offensive or defensive).

“Is it better to be loved than feared, or the reverse?  The answer is that the prince should be both feared and loved, if possible.  But since it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved … the prince should make himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at least avoids hatred. … but fear, maintained by dread of punishment, never fails.”  (The Prince 285).

 “Soon had become chief rabbit, having killed both chief rabbit and a rival named Fiorin.  In combat he was terrifying, fighting entirely to kill, indifferent to any wounds he received himself and closing with his adversaries until his weight overbore and exhausted them.  Those who had no heart to oppose him were not long in feeling that here was a leader indeed.” (Watership Down 308).

 “Woundwort watched over them with a tireless zeal that won their loyalty even while they feared him.”  (Watership Down 309)  “Woundwort was no mere bully.  He knew how to encourage and fill them with a spirit of emulation.” (Watership Down 310).

 “To feel that rabbits were competing to risk their lives at his orders gratified Woundwort, although he believed – so did his Council and Owsla – that he was giving the warren peace and security at a price which was modest enough.” (Watership Down 311).

Woundwort was surely feared and that is how he kept his power.  In Watership Down it is obvious that there is a lot of unrest.  The residents of Efrafa are unhappy with Woundwort’s authority but the only reason they remain in the warren is because of the great fear they have for Woundwort and his Owsla.  Any member of the warren that tries to escape – or something else disapproved of – is made an example to the others.  For example: Blackavar, a buck who tried to escape, was tracked down and brought back to the warren, after attending “trial” with the council his ears were ripped to shreds, and he was kept around for a short time so all the members of the warren could see him (and then he was scheduled to be killed).  Woundwort is not a “prince” that is loved, he kept his power through fear.

Although there is a point in Watership Down that Woundwort’s authority begins to be questioned, even this is compatible with The Prince.

 “Nevertheless, the prince should make himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at least avoids hatred.” (The Prince 285).

Although Macchiavelli says the greatest way to become hated is to steal a man’s stuff or a man’s woman and Woundwort didn’t do that, he did become hated, partially because his punishments were just too great, partially because his pride and the fear he generated within his warren were too great that they transformed into hatred and partially because he became unsuccessful in war.

Macchiavelli says “… he should chose the natures of the fox and lion; for the lion cannot defend himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.  A prince needs to be a fox to know about traps, and a lion to terrify the wolves .  Those who only behave like a lion do not understand this.” (The Prince287).  This is how Woundwort became undone.  “When the punt floated down the river in the rain, part of General Woundwort’s authority went with it. … they had suddenly shown their own cunning greater his, and left him bewildered on the bank. … He had tried to stop them and he had conspicuously failed.” (Watership Down 415-416).  Woundwort had been previously unrivaled; all of his other endeavors had been successful because he was cunning (like a fox) and powerful (like a lion), until he was outsmarted and thus undone.

Overall, do I agree with Machiavelli’s picture of the ideal leader?  No, not really.  I prefer Castiglione’s picture of The Courtier a Renaissance man that is well educated, versatile and an overall good leader.  Do I agree that Machiavelli’s prince would be able to successfully rule a country?  Most assuredly; some of the world’s most powerful leaders have followed in the path that Machiavelli draws.  But, families that stay in a monarchy for a long time (like the current monarchy in Great Britain) I believe are a more accurate expression of Castiglione’s courtier (but then, is that family truly the reigning government or just a figurehead?).