Humanism

Renaissance Humanism and its
effects on Society
What is Renaissance Humanism?
• Renaissance Intellectuals like Francesco Petrach, Desiderius
Erasmus
• Generally it applies to the social and political philosophy
and literature between 1400 and 1650
• Began in urbanised, Northern Italy.
• Francesco Petrach considered the father of Humanism
though he preceded the actual movement.
• Complete shift of viewpoint.
• Began looking at the antiquities of Rome and Greece as a
source of guidance instead of religious texts.
• Focused on providing education to general people to
encourage independent thinking.
Individuality
• The focus on the individual is one of the deepest concepts
of the Humanist movement.
• In contrast the Medieval period was almost a suppression
of the ego.
• City States of Northern Italy came in contact with diverse
customs of the East which permitted expression in regards
to taste and dress.
• Writers like Petrach, Montaigne and Dante promoted
individualism.
• Montaigne’s essays considered to be some of the best and
most persuasive examples of this.
• “The heart and life of a great and triumphant emperor are
but the breakfast of a little worm.”
• Petrach “ Knowledge of self, is the first step of
understanding others.”
• Petrach raises questions, like how should we live life?
What is a good life? How to adjust to the world.
• Man before this viewed themselves more as part of a
group, religion, class, race, family.
• Began more focus on the self, can be seen in the
growth of artwork like portraits of figures during this
period.
• Honest doubt replaced the idea of unwaivering faith.
• Patrons would commission artists to paint
portraits of them.
• Enhancement of prestige, fame, immortality
through art.
• Secular ,Non- Religious.
• Portrait of a Condottiero
• (Giovanni Bellini)
Worldview/History
• Very Dark and Pessimistic in Medieval times.
• Source of knowledge in medieval times, in Europe, was the Bible.
• Had a very limited worldview, commonly looked world through
Book of Daniel.
• Book of Daniel prophesised 4 Empires, Babylonian, Persian, Greek
and Roman.
• Saw world as in the late Roman empire, believed the world was
ending.
• Poverty, disease, corruption.
• Humanists saw the world as 3 distinct periods, Antiquity (Greece
and Rome), the Middle Ages, and the present.
• Gave them a much more positive outlook and the desire to make
the world better.
Classical Texts
• One of the key pillars of Humanism was the use of the
Classical Texts from Ancient Greece and Rome as points
where Humans began to gain morals and lessons about
life.
• Viewed the times of Ancient Greece and Rome as an
idyllic Golden Age, in contrast to the Middle Ages.
• Wanted to revive this way of living.
• Manuscripts still copied down by monks, but scholars
like Petrach wanted to use this knowledge and apply it
to how to live, and to give it to the layman.
• The Humanist Scholars then copied many of the
classical texts and wrote works that drew from
them and imitated them.
• Represented a step away from the bible and
religious texts, very much an example of the
secular nature of humanism.
• Key difference between Humanism and
Scholasticism is how Humanism to a large degree
abandoned the need to reconcile faith and logic.
• Humanism felt this didn’t allow them to
understand the world they lived in.
Religious Viewpoints
• Humanism is considered to be a secular movement, but
does not abandon a belief of divinity.
• Proposes a very interesting, seemingly juxtaposing view at
the time
• “There is no hostility so extreme as that of the Christian./
(Pg6) would not have failed to arrive at that knowledge in
their reasoning. (Pg 3)” Montaigne
• Very critical of religion at the time, lots of abuse of power
in the Church, manipulation, Nepotism, manipulation of
people to keep ignorance.
• Religious texts translated to mother tongue languages.
• But Montaigne promotes still a belief and faith in God
though he clearly is not blinded by some sort of faith.
• Interestingly disagrees with the notion that humans are
made in God’s image. “ Is it possible to imagine anything so
ridiculous as that this wretched and cowardly creature, who
is not even master of himself/should call himself master
and emperor of the universe?”
• Obvious disdain for the human being and their viewing of
themselves and their role in the universe.
• Religion at the time portrayed the hierarchy like the Pope
as infallible, closest to God and extremely knowing of life.
• Montaigne clearly disagrees as his view on mans
knowledge is displayed in an Apology for Raymond Sebond.
• “The largest part of what we know is the smallest part of
the things we do not know.”
Politics/Social
• Feudal system was the way society worked in
the middle ages
• Crushed individualism as they revolved
around the community rather than
individuals.
• Individuals who challenged authority were
crushed.
• Humanism encouraged the birth of the idea of
individual states as a separate entity.
Art
• Art was another one of the cultural aspects of humanism that saw a
large change from medieval times.
• Humanism was a very aesthetic movement, more so than
supernatural.
• Beauty was something that was scene as transcendental, giving us a
glimpse of divinity.
• Montaignes in an apology for Raymond Sebond describes how
Sebond “shows us how there is no part of the world that disclaims
our maker.”
• Leads to the depiction of the World more realistically in attempt to
capture more the beauty. Use of painting techniques like
perspective, foreshortening and other forms of art like sculpture.
• Patronage also played a large part in affecting art as mentioned, as
art then became more secular and less about religion.
Conversations of St.Paul Carravagio.
Did this bring mankind out of
ignorance?
• In many ways it did
• Rebirth of critical thinking, focus on the
individual, religious freedom, political and
social freedoms. Individual pursuit of life and
philosophy.
• Reformation post the Humanism period
plunged humans into great and bloody
religious wars based on ideologies, and a
closed mindedness to religious challenge.

Humanism

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Humanism

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Humanism

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Renaissance Humanism and its

You might also like