Truth on Trial: Justice in Italy, 1400-1800

Catalog description

Why do we think that one human being can judge another? How did this activity, enshrined in legal and political systems, profoundly shape society? This course examines the changing face of justice, from the medieval ordeal to judicial torture; the expansion of inquisitorial and state law courts; and the critical role the judicial system played in shaping Italian society. Using Italy as a focus, the course explores how law courts defined social, political, scientific, and religious truth in the early modern period. Taught in English.