Description
Book SynopsisPolitical life in Renaissance Italy was held together by principles which underlay, or were used to justify, political proposals and decisions in practice. This wide-ranging comparative survey showcases the variety of political thinking across all five Italian republics, Florence, Venice, Genoa, Siena and Lucca, as well as princes and signori.
Trade Review'After decades in which scholars have stressed the commonalities of the republican and princely states of Renaissance Italy, Shaw argues impressively that there were features that were distinctive in the practices of the republican governments and she has dived deep into archival record to show what these were.' William J. Connell, Seton Hall University
'Renaissance Italy has often been seen as a laboratory of political ideas and theories. In her remarkable new book, Shaw applies her unparalleled familiarity with the Italian records to a new perspective: by systematically taking the reader into the daily use of the language of political life in Renaissance Italy, Reason and Experience casts fresh light on its mechanisms and concrete workings.' Isabella Lazzarini, Universita del Molise
'Reason and Experience is indispensable for anyone interested in Renaissance republics and republicanism - a thoughtful, well-written, and comprehensive archival investigation into the structure and values of the Italian city-states. Shaw will fundamentally change the way we think of republics and principalities.' Patrick Baker, Patrick Baker, author of Italian Renaissance Humanism in the Mirror
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Reason and Experience; 1. Union, faction and political participation; 2. Sharing in office, sharing in power; 3. Supreme authority and executive power; 4. Public finances and private interests; 5. A well-ordered republic; 6. The legitimacy of princely rule; 7. Libertà and the community of Italian powers; 8. Practice and theory; Conclusion: Republics and Signorie.
