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 1300s, and then spread to Northern Europe in the late 1400s and early 1500s.

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.

 Appreciation of worldly pleasures.

 Personal independence and individual expression.

 Break from religious orthodoxy. 

Renaissance Humanism

 Inspire free inquiry and criticism.

 Inspire confidence in the possibilities of human thought.

 Human affairs are rationally comprehensible rather than manipulated by supernatural means

 Faith in the benefits in science and technology.

 Interest in art as a means of human creativity.

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!“