Lecture 9: The recognition that Humanism could provide the necessary skills to contribute both to a good personal life and to the benefit of the community as a whole animated the Florentine Republic.
Classical rhetoric came to be seen as a useful tool, because it was now necessary to influence one’s fellow citizens in the process of forming public policy.
Their new roles as active citizens in this world, with responsibility to their city and access to political power through election, gave the Florentine patricians in the guild democracy a great deal of self-confidence.