Renaissance Humanism Renaissance Humanism The term Renaissance means

Renaissance Humanism

Renaissance Humanism �The term "Renaissance" means "re-birth" and refers to Europe's "cultural rebirth" in approximately 1350 -1550. �Cultural and artistic developments that began in Italy in the late 1300 s, and then spread to Northern Europe in the late 1400 s and early 1500 s.

Renaissance Humanism �Renaissance world view—the set of beliefs and attitudes about the structure of the universe and humans’ place within it that was shared by most educated people. �Humanism developed during the fourteenth and turnof-the fifteenth centuries �Appreciation of worldly pleasures. �Personal independence and individual expression.

Renaissance Humanism �The main centers of humanism were Florence and Naples in Italy. �The overwhelming concern of the Middle Ages was God. Restricted individual expression. �The overwhelming concern of the Renaissance is Man. �Rebirth of individualism. �Renaissance Humanists regarded the Middle Ages as a 'barbaric' time and tended to idealize the classical period – Rome and Greece. �Secular and human interests became more popular.

Renaissance Humanism �Humanism is a contrast to the medieval Christian view of humans as sinful and depraved. �The focus on the individual and the natural world would result in persons questioning their personal destinies and roles in the world. �Reliance upon faith and God weakened. �Focus on individual experience in the here and now. �Unconcerned about the supernatural world and the eternal destiny of the soul.

Renaissance Humanism �The philosophy that people are rational beings became popular during the Renaissance. �The dignity and worth of the individual was emphasized. �Humanists had great confidence in the potential of humankind to better itself through knowledge �The movement originated with the study of classical culture and a group of subjects known collectively as the “studia humanitatis”, or the humanities.

Renaissance Humanism �Humanities disciplines included studies in speaking, grammar, poetry, ethics and history. �Preference was to study them as much as possible in their original classical texts (mostly Latin). �Humanism placed importance in the individual’s responsibilities of citizenship and leadership, including the participation in the political process in the community. �Emphasized the virtues of intellectual freedom and individual expression.

Renaissance Humanism �Francesco Petrarch , born in 1304 near Florence, is known as the first great humanist. �Traveled widely collecting ancient texts. �Emphasized the experiences of daily life like climbing mountains or traveling. �Believed he could learn to make the world a better place by studying classical literature. �Imitated classical texts in Latin writings of his own.

Renaissance Humanism �Humanism philosophy spread first through into other parts of Europe. �City of Florence became a center of humanistic learning. �The study of texts was expanded to include Greek. This lead to a more precise understanding of Greek philosophy.

Renaissance Humanism �Humanism in Northern Europe coincided with the Reformation. �Northern humanism is identified with Christian humanism. �Christian humanism attempted to use the scholarly techniques of humanism and apply them to the study of the Bible while ignoring prior medieval interpretations. �Spirit of individualism incited the Protestant revolt. �Individualism in religion.

Renaissance Humanism �Humanists read biblical texts in their original Greek and Hebrew. �Questioned the Catholic Church’s policies and practices. �Questioned several doctrines of the church based on their study of the Greek New Testament. �These questions evoked more support for the reform movement. �The best known Christian humanist was Desiderius Erasmus.

Renaissance Humanism �Erasmus favored flexibility and tolerance and condemned overly rigid belief systems. �Credited with making Renaissance humanism an international movement. �Attacked clerical abuses �Argued that true religion does not depend on dogma, ritual, or clerical power

Renaissance Humanism �The effect of Humanism was to �help men break free from religious orthodoxy, �inspire free inquiry and criticism, �inspire a new confidence in the possibilities of human thought �Humanism emphasizes human freedom and responsibility. �Humanism did not have an antireligious or anti. Christian character.

Renaissance Humanism �Humanists did not doubt the existence of God, but emphasized human capabilities and celebrated individual achievement and genius. �In Shakespeare's Hamlet (written just after the Renaissance), Hamlet describes mankind in terms that steeped in humanism: �"What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form, in moving, how express and admirable! In action how like an angel!“