History of ethical and religious thinking in Upper Hungary (now Slovakia) in the 16th century

What is it about?

In Renaissance humanism, a sufficient number of notable works were to be found on the functioning of state, the acquisition and enforcement of political power, and so on. Erasmus of Rotterdam significantly influenced northern humanist thought not only in the sixteenth century, but also in the subsequent centuries. This holds true not only for his understanding of the importance of studying Antiquity and languages for the overall cultural and educational level of Europe at that time, but also, to a significant extent, regarding the impact on political thinking of contemporary Europe. Leonard Stöckel was the most significant humanist pedagogue in sixteenth-century Upper Hungary, which is why he was also called Hungariae praeceptor. The aim of this article is to analyse the influence of Erasmus of Rotterdam on the ethical views of Leonard Stöckel regarding the prince/ruler, politics, ways of enforcing power, defining common good, and public interest. It is, thus, a search for similarities and differences in the political ethics between Erasmus of Rotterdam and Leonard Stöckel, as one of the most significant representatives of Reformation humanism in sixteenth-century Hungary.

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Photo by Ostap Senyuk on Unsplash

Photo by Ostap Senyuk on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The article can be important for scholars interesting in the intellectual, philosophical, ethical as well as religious (especially Protestant) thinking in the Central Europe of the 16th century.

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