Patronage and the Shaping of Technology

Answer

Historical analysis remains a key way to understand the mistakes and lessons from the past. This work begins by providing examples of how the actions of patronage during the Italian Renaissance shaped the direction of technologies and ultimately exerted a lasting cultural impact upon society. The paper then reviews an example of present-day patronage before providing examples to explain Bronowski and Mazlish’s statement that Leonardo’s attention to detail in his art and inventions was motivated by a desire "to find...meaning." The paper concludes with an opinion on all technologies neutral and benign and an example of a "road not taken" in the history of technological change.

The patronage of the Renaissance served only the desires and wants of the patron. For example, Renaissance courts leaned more on warfare, city building, courtly entertainments and dynastic displays. As Thomas Misa describes it, “The city-states and courts that employed Leonard and his fellow engineers were scarcely interested in the technologies of industry or commerce.” This resulted in little technological creativity in industry or commerce during Renaissance. Another clear example of this is described by Mary Hollingsworth. She describes how Cosimo Tura was sent by his patron, Borso d’Este, to see a painting done fifty years before so that Cosimo could understand the patron’s wishes. The patronage thus served only the desires of the patrons directing any form of technological creativity in the direction of the patron’s wishes and desires. This structure of patronage has had a lasting effect on society as even in the modern society, technological innovation is centered around the desires of whoever covers the cost of the innovation.

                Fiscal patronage is an evident example of present-day patronage. This is where an organization or a state receives aid from international bodies for the purpose of technology advancement. However, rather than let the protégé determine the areas that are in dire need of technological advancement, the patron decides on behalf of the protégé resulting in the technological advancement according to the wishes of the patron and not the actual need. Modern day fiscal patronage directly relates to the example from Renaissance. Warfare, city building, courtly entertainments and dynastic displays were far less important than the technologies of industry and commerce. However, because these are the areas the Renaissance courts were interested in and ready to pay for, these are the only areas where technological innovations were made.

                In explaining that Leonardo's attention to detail was motivated by a desire "to find...meaning”, Bronowski and Mazlish provide an example where Leonardo performed an autopsy on an old man to ascertain the cause of his death. Rather than sit back, Leonardo was driven to find out why the man had so peaceful a death and thus did an autopsy on him and wrote a detailed report on his findings. Bronowski and Mazlish provide another example where Leonardo performed an autopsy on a two-year old child and he compared his findings from the child’s autopsy to the old man’s autopsy. Bronowski and Mazlish also provide an example where Leonardo painted a portrait of a mistress of Lodovico Sforza. However, he did not just paint the portrait, as any normal painter would. He was at the same time doing research into anatomy. He matched the skull behind the girl’s temples with the stoats. Bronowski and Mazlish describe it as, “The portrait is less a likeness than a work of discovery – an emblematic research into anatomy and character together.”

                Not all technologies are neutral and benign as some are harmful than others. As Thomas Hughes explains technology, it is full of unintended consequences. For example, technological advancement in industries and everyday life is very much desirable. The automation of systems and daily life processes makes life much easier. However, can we possibly ignore the number of jobs lost due to this automation? What about the psychological and physical issues such as eyestrain resulting from continuous use of computers? The internet for me ranks as a positive technological advancement as it provides knowledge previously unknown and connects millions of people. Artificial Intelligence, on the other hand, passes off as negative technology for me. I tend to believe that it poses a threat to privacy and security of an individual and their data.

                The use of other alternatives such as natural fiber cloths and platinum-silicone over plastic can best be defined as the "road not taken" in the history of technological change. In just a span of 100 years, plastic has infiltrated each and every sector of life.  It, however, carries negative consequences being a major greenhouse gas emitter and taking long to decompose. Had we known then what we know now, we would have stuck by the ancient ways or at least made use of the alternatives to plastic as it causes major destruction to the environment. 

                In conclusion, historical analysis remains a key way to understand the mistakes and lessons from the past. The patronage of the Renaissance served only the desires and wants of the patron evidenced by technological advancements in warfare, city building, courtly entertainments and dynastic displays and no advancement in industry or commerce. Fiscal patronage is an evident example of present-day patronage and it directly relates with the patronage present during Renaissance. Bronowski and Mazlish provide an example where Leonardo performed an autopsy on an old man, a two-year old child and his painting of the mistress of Lodovico Sforza to explain his desire. Not all technologies are neutral and benign as some are harmful than others. Finally, the use of other alternatives such as natural fiber cloths and platinum-silicone over plastic can best be defined as the "road not taken" in the history of technological change.