The Impact of Education on the Renaissance Essay

Humanism has played a very large role in history. The Middle Ages was a period in time where religion flourish and everything was based on what the church declared. This “religious fervor” was challenged by logical and secular thoughts and the new philosophical movement called “Humanism” was born. Humanism focused on the secular way of life, they focused on the truth and pursue intellectual inquiry. HUmanism rediscovered the Greek and Roman classical culture and was readopted in society. Humanist scholars focused on humans and glorified them and all of their natural “beauty”. They also ruled out supernatural powers, like gods. They used their own abilities and values to pursue what they wanted and used their wisdom to solve problems and find solutions. This literary and artistic movement crushed religious thought and paved a new way of creativity. This new era was called the Renaissance.

Humanism was a very key and important part of the Renaissance outlook on education because it led to a further study of Greek and Roman culture. Humanism led to many Greek and Roman influences on the Renaissance period.

It focuses on human beings, their values, abilities, and individual worth, and human society as something valuable that could be improved. Renaissance humanism challenged the worldview of the Middle Ages. Humanism led to new attitudes towards art, philosophy, and government. P.336 - P.344 (Document D)

Humanism was the study of Greek and Roman language and literature to educate one’s self and improve one’s reasoning. During the Middle Ages the church was looked upon as the absolute power, and many felt as if it was the end all be all in terms of God and salvation. Because of its high status, not many people questioned the Church. However, this all changed during the Renaissance. As discussed in document 5, the church basically only existed for money. They did this by selling indulgences and collecting money from the wealthy. People saw the corruption within the church and many were not happy. Martin Luther, a German monk and religious reformer, is thought to have started the Protestant Reformation. One of Luther’s boldest acts against the Church was translating the Bible into German. He did this so people did not have to rely on the Church’s interpretation of the Bible. This meant people could listen to God’s word and form their own opinions, something not previously possible during the Middle Ages. Document 2 provides a clear view to the difference of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Jacob Burchhardt compared the distinctness of the Renaissance to how Greeks were distinct from barbarians. The Humanism Reformation clearly separates the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, as does the revival of learning and scientific

Education was always existent through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. However, the education during the Renaissance was extremely different and more widely spread than the education that was provided in

Humanism, an enlightening and theoretical viewpoint that emphasize the special value of the entity, as well as the fundamental meaning of human standards while conflicting to spiritual principle, that was urbanized within Europe in the new beginning. This was predisposed through the lessons of early Greek along with Latin literature in addition to philosophy (“Humanism” 1). Humanism became a learning agenda, which was called “The Humanities”; this program had Christian teachings and secular values. Renaissance humanist were devoted Christians, they had a love for classical antiquity and also supported and promoted secular values. Humanism is by the way of an answer toward the absolute corruption of regular practice. The effects of humanism

First and foremost humanism has affected is by our children's education through the years.“Other than forcefully teaching students in strict conditions, as the usual previous years in the Renaissance, early humanists believed students learned better in encouraging

The Renaissance is described as “a new intellectual and artistic movement in Italy, a movement strongly critical of the present and admiring of a past that had disappeared with the western Roman Empire and the end of Italy’s greatness.” (Pg. 292). Literature from all over Europe was being found and philosophical work also was being spread to more people, and these same people became obsessed with the classical past and soon competition between city-states about their symbols, art, and artifacts began to grow. Humanism also became very popular because of the Renaissance and the goal was “...of a humanist education was the understanding of human experience through the lenses of the classical past, in the service of man’s individual potential in the present.” (Pg. 294).

The advancement of science in the Renaissance contributed to the belief and rapid advancement in modern Europe. Scientific advancement had always been present, however a large portion of the Renaissance worldview was the desire to learn about the world around us, and even, in the case of the human body, the vast and unexplored world within us. This worldview and belief is still present today, with scientists working around the globe to explore parts of the world and universe we previously were not aware of. Some technologies in the Renaissance laid foundations for ideas that are still used today, as the Astrolabe did with latitude and longitude, as well as time of day. Alchemy laid the foundation for modern Chemistry.

This came especially to a humanist and popular poet named Fransesco Petrarch. He and many others showed an astounding interest in the ancient past, the physical remains of what was left of the Roman Empire and the classics of Latin texts. Studiahumanities or liberal studies was known as the study of Latin classics. All programs of study contain an implicit philosophy which is also known as humanism. Peoples acheivements, interests, and capabilities are expressed through humanism. Renaissance humanists had a christian perspective. Women were thought of at a lower degree but both men and women thought they were made in a likeness image of God. Ones special capabilities and talents were expressed through individualism. A life active in the world shoudl be shwon to all individuals and education shouldnt be private or fro religious reasons but expresses and shown to the public.

The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy around the 1500’s to about the 1700’s. Florence, Italy was the mecca of this rebirth because at the time Florence was extremely wealthy and the people of the city had political freedom and those new ideals of the Renaissance were not being condemned in Florence as they were other cities. This was a time where the arts and the logic of one’s own mind was valued rather than criticized, the antiquated medieval ideals no longer matched the needs of those who were living during the early Renaissance. Eventually, a term for this way of thinking arose and was called Humanism, and what humanism is, is an ideology where humans can lead themselves to create a prosperous life and instead of leaning on supernatural forces for answers. Humanists believe that humans have enough logic to create conclusions themselves. This brand-new way of thinking caused a lot of controversy because it did question God’s ability and the church’s power, but the ideas behind it are still heavily used today, even in the 21st century. Humanism in the early Renaissance is important because it called for thinking with reason, it allowed an appreciation for human body and mind, inspired authors and caused a shift in power.

To accompany the movement opposing the Medieval Christian Worldview, the Renaissance saw the development of a humanist

With the arts the artists began to think on their own and those movements began to spread. It was not just what the church said anymore that was right. Humanism, one of the new beliefs which was formed during the Renaissance, said that people should read the works of the greats and focus on writing, and the arts. Humanists believed that they were equal with the ancient Greek and Roman writers and philosophers. Petrarch was the original humanist, and a writer who wrote many letters to the people of ancient Rome. In those letters he spoke as if he was an equal with them. Another of the new beliefs was scholasticism, which was the opposite of humanism. Scholastics thought that people should spend more time the sciences, they also wanted the church and science to be brought together as one. As new scientific discoveries were made many of the churches theories were beginning to be questioned.

Humanism, which involves the study of, among other things, grammar, poetry, and moral philosophy, was a major contributing factor to the evolution of the Italian Renaissance. It was a popular movement among the upper class that emphasized the importance of a liberal arts education, complete with exposure to ancient Greek and Latin texts, as well as the works of ancient philosophers (i.e. Plato, Cicero, etc.). Along with this idea of personal edification, came a newfound desire to analyze, adapt, and adopt the ways of European, specifically Greco-Roman, antiquity. Figures, such as Petrarch and Salutati are credited with bringing these, once lost, concepts to the attention of the Florentine elite; however, I believe it was under the social and political influence of the Medici family that humanism truly began to reshape the cultural landscape of Florence.

The Renaissance was a time of brilliant scholars and great achievements. The thorough learning during this Golden Age resulted in philosophical, cultural, and technological advancements that helped later generations. The Renaissance was a significant rebirth that changed life in many aspects after the Middle Ages where society was weak and feeble-minded because of the lack of education. Understanding ancient Greek and Roman education, religious learning, and having an influence on society were some of the purposes for education in the Renaissance, and the value of Renaissance education was positively impactful because the achievements survived the test of time while being changed for the better over many generations.