Renaissance Humanism

 

        Humanism was an intellectual movement that developed through the Renaissance by thinkers who wanted to create a better world by reviving the lessons of the ancients (Discussion, week 5).  It inspired many scholars to rediscover their cultural roots by reading Greek and Roman classical thinkers, such as Cicero and Virgil.  As a result, Latin and Greek became widely taught during the Renaissance. 

New perspectives in art were prominent as many artists sought to recapture the divine elements of the ancients, including works that depicted Biblical scenes with more modern touches involving contrapposto, chiaroscuro, and sfumato (Kahn Academy, week 6).  Politically, the rise of republicanism echoed ancient statecraft that the Greeks and Romans had initiated.  Advances in many fields were facilitated by humanists, including legal scholars, geographers, and administrators (Brotton, ch. 2), sparking a rise in republican bureaucracy as nation-states emerged.

            Humanism influenced intellectual development during the Renaissance by strengthening general literacy, which included rhetoric and grammar among the educated classes (Discussion, week 5).   Humanists believed this made society more ethical by imitating how the Greeks and Romans engaged in discourse.  As a motivator of intellectual development, humanism became the fertile breeding ground from which the printing press enabled countless new fields and careers to develop, from the sciences to the priesthood.

            Humanism’s influence on religion was less obvious but perhaps the most profound.  Religious leaders and writers like Martin Luther were considered humanists because they were educated in classic learning and changed the way people thought.  From such a vantage point, it can be construed that the Reformation would not have been possible without the influence of humanist thinking.  The writings of Leonardo Bruni d’Arezzo (week 5) provide evidence that religion was indeed part of a humanist education that would have inspired other Christian reformers to challenge the tenets of the Church.

            Humanism marked a turning point in the history of education by putting students in touch with classical thinkers who had strong ideas about living in a better world.  This idealism drove scholars in virtually every discipline to improve their techniques and communication to come together in building institutions that evolved into nation-states.  Without humanism the nation-state would probably not have been possible, because it needed the coordination of scholars in many fields to operate effectively.