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What subjects did Leon Battista Alberti discuss in Della famiglia?
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Leon Battista Alberti
Leon Battista Alberti, self-portrait plaque, bronze, c. 1435; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
In his dialogue Della famiglia ("On the Family"), Leon Battista Alberti addresses a variety of moral and practical concerns relevant to the bourgeois society of the 15th century. Drawing on classical models such as Cicero and Seneca, he discusses the following subjects:
- Moral Philosophy: The work explores how to navigate the fickleness of fortune, as well as how to manage both adversity and prosperity.1
- Family and Social Obligations: Alberti covers topics including husbandry, friendship, family life, and the individual's obligation to the common good.1
- Education: He emphasizes that the home is the natural environment for education rather than scholastic institutions, specifically highlighting the essential role of the father in the educational process.2
Written in the vernacular for a broad urban public, the treatise promotes an ethic of achievement, arguing that virtue is found in action, labor, and productive activity rather than serene detachment.1