Providence, Renaissance Idea of

Abstract

In the Renaissance, under the influence of the Reformation but also of “Neoplatonists” or natural philosophers observing material phenomena, the idea of fortune seems challenged, and providence makes a comeback, albeit in a problematic way. The ancient debate between Stoics and Epicureans seems to be played again, but it is fundamentally transformed by a new idea of human freedom and by the Christian views on God’s personal care for the world. Emphasizing fortune, or a more modern contingency, and the resulting denial of providence, become a way of radically questioning the very existence of God.

But even for those who believe in providence, this very concept is more and more challenged, especially in two main directions. First, for skeptics who revive the Epicurean tradition, providence, if it exists, has little or no relation to the particular affairs of individuals. Second, for Reformers or Christians influenced by authors such as Montaigne, providence operates in ways that are beyond the reach of human reason or experience. These new representations of the relation between man and the heavenly powers tend to weaken the medieval sense of relative security, while a strong urge to find coherence in a troubled world still remains, exemplified in particular by the writing of universal histories or cosmographies.