Did "the Plague" that hit Europe in the 14th century positively contribute to the rise of the Renaissance?

Question

From the early 14 th century the Renaissance caused an unique renewal of Western culture. It always astonished me how quickly this deep cultural change took place all over Western Europe. Several causes that certainly have contributed to this astounding development have been proposed. I wonder however if the enormous decimation of the population by the pestilence of the Plague (the Black Death) that ravaged Western Europe several times in the course of the 14 th century, might be one of the root causes. My feeling is that these catastrophic epidemics destroyed so much of the suffocating Middle Age social structures, that "breathing space" became available for entirely new cultural and scientific thinking. More or less like new plants and trees immediately shoot up in a wood where the old trees have been destroyed by a storm or a fire. Until now I did not find any references that support this idea. What do you think of it? Does anyone know references?

Louis Harmsen

Answer 1

I think it really depends on the region. The plague of 1347-49 hit nearly all of both Europe and Asia, but the degree to which different areas had a "renaissance" varied. Someone who knows more than I do about Asia could be more specific for that area, but I do know that there were Renaissance occured at different times and rates in different areas within Europe.

It seems logical that the much smaller poplation could possibly have been a contibuting factor to the renaissance in terms of finding more labor-efficient ways of doing things, but I don't really know. That said, it is likely that the labor shortage precipitated some of the 14th century's peasants' revolts.


Two good books:

John Kelly, "The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time." (Describes the Black Death thuroughly)

Barbara W. Tuchman, "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century." (Describes the 14th century in Europe, including the Black Death. Readable, but it takes a long time.)

Answer 2

Well, actually, I agree with you. I cannot remember where I got this, it's been so long, but before the Plague hit in the 14th century, many people were beginning to starve, because of overpopulation. So, after the Plague wiped out so many, there was "breathing room," or at least eating room. There was enough food for everyone again, so people weren't kept down in the dregs of society anymore. I believe I saw this hypothesis on the History Channel, on a program about the Black Death, and it specifically stated that, had the Plague NOT occurred, thousands of people would have started to starve to death within a decade, which would have had an enormous negative impact on European civilization, because those who starve first are going to be those whose food goes to the feudal lord, which disappeared after this time. If all those serfs and tenants had starved, there would have been no one to work the land. Thus, less food, and greater starvation. It would have been quite a nasty little circle.

As it is, I think the Renaissance was kick-started by the Plague, because otherwise people would have been too concerned with getting food to work on great works of art or reason.

Answer 3

The problem is that the renaissance is fictional.

The city states of Italy had urbanized, educated cultures for centuries. Spain had been in constant contact with the islamic world (since muslims ruled most of spain) and the Spanish had advanced learning from that contact. It was northern europe that was backwards. It is the northern european emphasis of history books that invents the renaissance as a rebirth in europe. It is in fact just a respreading of civilization from the mediterranean to the north.

The root cause of the renaissance was the crusades. That caused the northern europeans to have contact with the civilized italian, byzantine, and muslim world. The returning crusaders built round towers, adopted the pointed arch, and in general brought back pieces of civilization.

The plague spreading from the Black Sea to Europe was also a result of the trade developed during the crusades.

Answer 4

The plague had impacts both ways. Economically with a reduced workforce labor was in demand, and wages rose. Land owners fearing the loss of workers enforced serfdom to keep them on the land. In that sense the social structures became more suffocating.

I think the positive impact was to reduce the ability to wage war. The Hundred Years War in France ending coincided with the plague and the English War of the Roses. With peace, the economy was able to flourish. The aristocracy was able to sponsor learning and the arts. This prospertity impacted Italy.

Answer 5

the plague didnt really change much in the social structures... i dont think it had any influence on that.
but it is a matter of fact that it caused the loss of many midlle ages construction and artistic techniques. this because the techniques were transmitted through apprenticeship or from father to son, orally and practically.
following the plague there was a big drop in the artistic culture and technical skills, but this black hole was to be filled by the "new" revolutionary ideas inspired by the study of ancient classical times.

Answer 6

~Have you read Barbara Tuchman's "Through a Distant Mirror".
Actually, I submit, the plague probably retarded the start of the Renaissance by several decades, but the memory of the Dark Ages brought on by the plague may have been a catalyst for the tremendous speed of the Renaissance once it began.