Humanism During The Renaissance
Picture a world where reason is considered second tier to blind faith, wealth is the measure of a man, and war, famine, and plague spread like the common cold. Although hard to imagine, this was the reality of Europe in the Middle Ages, a period of about eight hundred years when society primarily focused on religion and the Catholic Church, rather than art, science, or even mankind. Then, something changed. The change began slowly, originated in Italy, and then spread to places such as England, Germany, and Belgium. But with it, this change, known as the Renaissance, brought revolutionary achievements in art, literature, and science. For the first time in hundreds of years, people started to question the Catholic Church, and began thinking
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These developments aided greatly in changing how humanity was viewed, and they depended on humanism. While some may argue that technological advances, or the growing city-states of Italy, were the main contributors to the Renaissance’s success, it must be taken into account that the city-states had been in existence long before the Renaissance era, and had not had a dramatic effect on man until the fourteenth century. As for the technological advances, what was it that inspired their creators to bring them into existence? Humanism. Humanism was the driving force behind achievement in the Renaissance. Its ideas and teachings inspired artists, scientists, and inventors to produce works that would change the world forever. The Mona Lisa, if not for humanism, would just be another religious painting. What was the greatest function of the printing press, if not to spread humanist ideas? And, without humanism, Shakespeare’s writings would not have the influence they did and continue to have today. It was through humanism that the products of the Renaissance gained their significance, that the great thinkers of the era were inspired to create great things, and even that society as a whole appreciated them. In the article “Humanism in the Renaissance”, the author writes, “The people of the Renaissance became interested in other areas of science... People now studied mathematics, engineering, and architecture. Artists, writers, musicians and composers began creating work outside of the church. Artists signed their work and authors wrote autobiographies and memoirs... The values and ideals popular during the European Renaissance can be described by the term secular [not religious] humanism.”(Spielvogel #1/Source 3) Humanism was what made the features of the Renaissance possible. If not for humanism, the ingredients that lead to the golden age of the Renaissance might have
These developments aided greatly in changing how humanity was viewed, and they depended on humanism. While some may argue that technological advances, or the growing city-states of Italy, were the main contributors to the Renaissance’s success, it must be taken into account that the city-states had been in existence long before the Renaissance era, and had not had a dramatic effect on man until the fourteenth century. As for the technological advances, what was it that inspired their creators to bring them into existence? Humanism. Humanism was the driving force behind achievement in the Renaissance. Its ideas and teachings inspired artists, scientists, and inventors to produce works that would change the world forever. The Mona Lisa, if not for humanism, would just be another religious painting. What was the greatest function of the printing press, if not to spread humanist ideas? And, without humanism, Shakespeare’s writings would not have the influence they did and continue to have today. It was through humanism that the products of the Renaissance gained their significance, that the great thinkers of the era were inspired to create great things, and even that society as a whole appreciated them. In the article “Humanism in the Renaissance”, the author writes, “The people of the Renaissance became interested in other areas of science... People now studied mathematics, engineering, and architecture. Artists, writers, musicians and composers began creating work outside of the church. Artists signed their work and authors wrote autobiographies and memoirs... The values and ideals popular during the European Renaissance can be described by the term secular [not religious] humanism.”(Spielvogel #1/Source 3) Humanism was what made the features of the Renaissance possible. If not for humanism, the ingredients that lead to the golden age of the Renaissance might have