What is the European Renaissance a "rebirth" of... ? What is being created in this elite cultural revolution from the medieval worldview? Think about the Christian humility that was stressed during the medieval world and the new individualism of the Renaissance. Let's explore! Politics in the medieval world was the realm of idealistic monks. Modern political thought stems from Machiavelli's The Prince which starkly admitted that "it is important for a prince to learn how not to be good." An effective prince then must be bold as a lion and stealthy as a fox - anamilistic instead of divine. The ends (national unity and stability) justify the means (war, fear, guile). Can you imagine modern politics without a touch of Machiavellianism?