Advancement?

“There’s a dichotomy of simplicity and complexity that is embodied in the Renaissance.” –Stephanie Roberts

           

            As Stephanie, Jacob, Devan, Kevin, Sean and I sat talking, discussing the various aspects of the Renaissance, I was struck by the dual personality that this era seems to have. On one hand there seems to be this emphasis on making things simple, clearer. The Protestant Reformation sought to make religion more accessible to the common man. Sola scriptura, Sola fide—only scripture and only faith were necessary for salvation. Gone were the Catholic sacraments.

            But on the other hand, some things seemed to get increasingly more complex. The list of expected qualities in a courtier began expanding. Not only was one expected to be sociable, wellborn, and smart, but they also needed to be a master of fencing, horseback riding, bull fighting, hunting, etc. And to top it all off, they had to make it look effortless.

            That need to make it seem effortless is perhaps the truest symptom of this split. When both simplicity and complexity are valued, the complex must be made to appear simple.

            For example, Renaissance art is in many ways much more complex than the art of the
Medieval period. Going back to the Greco-Roman style, the effort and detail put into creating lifelike images of the human body (e.g. the Vitruvian Man) greatly exceeded the flat, unemotional images of the Dark Ages. But despite all of this extra “complexity,” the pictures seem simpler. It’s clearer, more defined, and as a result easier to focus in on the humanity of the work. The more realistic art breaks down the barriers that keep us from diving into the work. Immersing oneself in the art is so much easier. You can dive right in. It’s no wonder that the importance in society of the individual increased dramatically as the beauty of the individual was more easily perceived.

            This seems to carry over into written works of art as well. New methods of publication designed by Gutenberg were more advanced. Complex machines were designed to print books, which in turn made access simpler. Reading itself even became simpler (printed type is often so much easier to read than handwriting)!

            But perhaps this duality really isn’t all that remarkable. Isn’t this what technology is supposed to do? We all hold these complex phones in our hands that allow us to communicate with others with greater ease. Finding our ways around new cities is simpler with advanced GPS technology. Even writing this assignment for class is easier thanks to a complex big ball of internet (which is obviously so complex that I don’t even know how to begin to describe it).

            So often though, you hear people long for a “simpler life.” We long for a way to disconnect from all the advancements and the trouble they too often bring. Just as advancement in the realm of exploration brought havoc in the form of smallpox and other disease for the Natives Columbus came in contact with, our modern technology brings its own diseases. Cyberbullying. Porn. These plagues make life far from simple as people struggle to overcome their degrading effects and once again find “the dignity of man.”