Today, poverty is prevalent throughout the world with 80% of humanity living on less than $10 a day. However, this isn’t the first time poverty is seen so frequently in society. During the Renaissance, approximately 50% of Europe’s population lived at a subsistence level with 80% of Europeans facing possible starvation in times of peril. In the midst of this time period, as poverty ran rampant it led to differing attitudes towards helping the poor as well as the concept of poverty.
Poverty was viewed by the upper class as well as humanists as a negative influence to society due to characteristics like idleness which was thought o be the beginning of all evils. Meanwhile, religious officials like the clergy as well as artists thought that the poor should be assisted for spiritual benefits and believed that aiding the poor was only necessary for deserving individuals since helping undeserving people was thought to be like rewarding them for their idleness.
Town councils and poorhouse’s thought that the poor should be punished through regulations and disciplinary actions because they were idle and did not contribute to society. Humanists along with the upper class thought that poverty exerted a negative influence on society. Experience shows that if begging for alms is permitted to everyone indiscriminately, many errors and abuses will result, for they will fall into idleness, which is the beginning of all evils. (Document 4)
This quote is from Emperor Charles Va prominent member of the upper class who states that if anyone is allowed to be a beggar in poverty idlenes will ensue. Furthermore, he states that idleness is the beginnings of all evils like abandoning their children and their trade or occupation for a wicked and contemptible life. Thus, he thought that if the poor became idle, unemployed, they ould be lazy living a worthless life and would continue to mooch off of society while providing nothing. “Instead, I offered to heal them, for God’s sake.
But they would have none of that, for they would much rather be sick and live with ease and idleness than to be well and to honestly earn their living with great pain and labor. ” (Document 6) William Turner is a doctor, a member of the upper class, who thought that the poor were a negative influence to society due to the unwillingness of sick beggars to accept healing instead of alms. This is shown by the fact that he states they would rather stay sick and be useless to ociety then become healthy so they can work for their food. .. those without means of subsistence are driven to robbery in the city and so on the highways; others commit theft stealthily. Women of eligible years put modesty aside and, no longer hold to chastity, put it on sale. ” (Document 3) Spanish humanist, Juan Luis Vives, again supports the idea of the negative influence of poverty on society stating that the poor are driven to robbery, theft and prostitution. He is saying that poverty leads to negative parts of society with crime and immorality.
I have eard the poor talk and learned that those who have grown accustomed to this life cannot leave it. They have no cares, pay no rents or taxes, have no losses to fear. ” (Document 11) This quote from Jean Maillefer, a wealthy merchant, is talking about his experience with the poor and states that the poor have become so accustomed to life in poverty that they can’t live without poverty. He is saying that those who are poor will stay poor because it is easier to have no worries and they have a negative influence on society since they don’t want to assimilate back into society to contribute.
Thus, during this time period umanists and the upper class alike thought that poverty led to negative influences on society due to laziness and unwillingness to change from their easy lives. Religious officials during the Renaissance believed that the deserving poor should be assisted for spiritual benefits. “Instead of working as they should earn a living, vagabonds and good-for-nothings have turned to begging, taking the bread from the sick and deserving poor to whom it is due. (Document 8) Cardinal Richelieu made this unofficial statement on poverty describing the undeserving poor describing the undeserving poor as those who have become eggars out of laziness. Thus, he is saying that instead of helping the undeserving poor he supports helping the sick and deserving poor. “Whoever gives a penny to the poor for God while in good health, it will be worth 240 pennies after [his or her] death. ” (Document 1) This statement comes from a Catholic priest and supports the idea of helping the poor due to the potential for spiritual rewards.
This is shown by the statement that 1 penny given to the poor in good health will be worth 240 more times to God in heaven, so there is a potential for greater reward if you give to the poor in life. In Rembrandt Van Rijin’s Beggars Receiving Alms at the Door of a House an artists’ point of view on the poor is shown. This piece of art shows us a family of beggars receiving alms suggesting that the artist supports the giving of alms to the poor. (Document 9) … we must assist the poor and see that they are helped in every possible way.
And I have heard it said that what enabled bishops to become saints was their alms-giving. ” (Document 10) This quote is once again from a catholic priest, Vincent de Paul, who states that it is absolutely necessary to help the poor as well as suggesting otential rewards of aiding them with bishops becoming saints through alms-giving. During the Renaissance, artists and religious officials viewed the poor as people to be helped as long as they were deserving.
Town councils and poorhouses throughout the Renaissance thought the poor should be punished since they were idle, thus having no value to society. In order to care for the poor begging creatures and the poor children who go shrieking at night throughout this city, we will rent at the city’s cost a barn or other places to put them.. ” (Document 2) This resolution from a town council in Dijon, France shows the viewpoint of the poor in their town. The town thought of the beggars as a burden since they were useless and only created a shelter for them due to their disturbances. “Those who are unwilling to work should indeed be expelled from the city, but those who are simply unable to find work should not be treated thus.
Instead they should be put to work on sites in the city in exchange for food… Idleness is harmful to the public good and should not be tolerated. Idlers should not be considered as poor. ” (Document 5) This town council in Rouen, France states that idleness is harmful and dlers should not be considered as poor. The town council also shows their values by punishing the poor who are lazy and idle through banishment from the city. “Every strong rogue.. shall have 12 stripes with the whip on bare skin..
All unruly and stubborn persons shall be corrected oftener and given heavier shackles… and harder labour until they are brought to reasonable obedience and submission to the master of the poorhouse. ” (Document 7) A poorhouse, a government-run facility providing housing to the poor, had these regulations in England. They reflected the same values of town councils in France with punishment for laziness and idleness that led to poverty. In addition, it repeats the idea that the poor must work for their food and shelter to avoid falling into complete idleness and laziness.
During the Renaissance there were many varying views on the poor and poverty. The upper class as well as humanists viewed the poor as negative influences to society who led to crime since they thought they were poor due to their unwillingness to change from their lazy ways. Religious officials at the time believed that it was their duty to help the deserving poor due to the potential for spiritual gains while town councils nd poorhouses thought that the poor needed to be punished for their idle and lazy ways.
However, a reoccurring theme was the thought that the poor should have a willingness to get out of their poverty and avoid laziness as well as idleness. Despite many different views illustrated by these 11 documents an additional document from the point of view of a poor person during the Renaissance would have been helpful. It would have given greater insight into the perspective of life in poverty during the Renaissance allowing a greater understanding of the views on poverty discussed in this essay.
