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How Did The Renaissance Influence Western Civilization

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Through scientific discoveries, inventions, and the emergence of artists, the Renaissance assisted in the development of Western civilization. Before the Renaissance, in the Middle Ages, the economy was simulated by trade. During the Renaissance, trade was replaced with money. Secularism spread with the advancement of humanism. Knowledge spread with the increased literacy rates related to the invention of the printing press. Western civilization changed dramatically from the beginning to the close of the Renaissance. The economy in Western Europe prior to the Renaissance was based on trade. Homegrown, or homemade, produce was traded for items being imported from foreign lands (“Chapter 11: The Renaissance”). Markets developed and became stronger as fur, wool, and cloth was imported into the West (“Chapter 11: The Renaissance”). Also, the Hansa formed a trading block, where goods were easily transferred throughout the Baltic region. Northern European countries, through the Hansa, were able to purchase, with money, goods from other countries associated with the Hansa. Western Europe transformed from a trade based economy to a money based economy, which would lead to the birth of modern capitalism. …show more content…

The culture of Europe began to be interested in human achievements and the possibilities of humans with the development of humanism (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). In the beginning, secularism was viewed as anti-Christian, or against organized religion. Focusing on humans brought the Renaissance away from the God fearing nature of the Middle Ages into a new world of a secular belief system, where humans had potential beyond waiting for death in order to enter

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