The Influence Of Humanism On The Renaissance World

Arguably the greatest and longest impacting movement brought about by the forward thinkers of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was a cultural and intellectual movement that emphasized the human potential to attain excellence through direct study of the literature, art, and civilization of the classical Greek and Roman societies (Merriam-Webster). The scholars and believers in humanism sought to change the course of society away from the narrow pedantry of medieval scholasticism and utilitarianism. Humanism was a basic desire for every citizen to be able to speak with eloquence and read and write with clarity, so that common citizens were capable of engaging in the civic life of their communities (Gray). The movement also emphasized the value of a human being as well as the importance of rational thought rather than blind faith in spiritualism or superstition. It also pushed people to explore human desires and pleasures while also enriching their minds. The influential nature of humanism was far reaching and most notable for its effects on Renaissance art, literature, and philosophy.

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.

First, humanism is visible in many paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance time period, one example of this is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is a very simple painting as far as what is shown, it is a woman seated in a chair and her upper torso and up is shown and she is sitting in front of a very scenic background with mountains, trees, water, and the sky. She is also dressed in very plain clothing, a brown dress. The Mona Lisa shows humanism in the fact that the painting has nothing to do or

The Renaissance period was impacted by humanism strongly because people were now starting to realize, they weren’t just peasants that worked for a lord but they too were people that could make their own decisions. People valued their self-worth now, and they wanted to learn about reading, writing, and the

Viewing a complete shift in the psychology of the European mind, inspiring literature of this Renaissance time period heavily influenced the thoughts and views of humanity. This belief in the capabilities and views on the revival of humans, known as humanism, impacted not only revolutionary advancements, but also positive emotions of people. At this point in history, countless people in Europe viewed their society as a failure because it could not produce the successes, nor the achievements of the Roman empire. Instead, the overall mood of the society was very morose, for the architects were not even aware, or knowledgeable of how to finish off the domes of churches in Florence. Furthermore, the people living in Italy needed to change their

One of the main ways that the art of the Renaissance was affected by humanism was that many artists of the Renaissance began to turn away from religious themes, unlike their predecessors from the Middle Ages. Humanism was embraced by artists of the Renaissance without hesitation. When humanism spread throughout Italy and Northern Europe, there was an eager audience for the new findings of classical traditions and art. In the beginning of the Renaissance, artists used themes that were taken from Renaissance humanist beliefs and philosophies. These themes were mostly secular, and sometimes involved a slight religious aspect, but usually depicted a scene of an ordinary place. This is different from the Religious scenes that were widely used during the Middle Ages because almost

Rhiana Bishop CHY4U Mrs.Ritsma September 15th, 2017 Humanism and the Italian Renaissance Many people today do not know what humanism is. Even if they don't what it is, many people in this world are humanist. Humanism is the idea behind humanism is the life on earth can be filled with the value not just items, but abilities and individual worth, as well as that humans, can achieve great things. The humanist movement started with a man named Martin Luther. Luther was a German monk who posted what is now known as the 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle (Newman 50). These theses are what started the Reformation and the Renaissance. In the Renaissance was very influenced by the Martin Luther and humanism. The art the writer and the architecture were all majorly influenced by humanism. This is because that it is more acceptable to have beautiful paintings, awe-inspiring novels, and amazing buildings created not just for religious use but for enjoyment. Leonardo DA Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Donato Donatello (1386-1466), Sofonisba Anguissola (c.1532-1625) these are some of the prodigious artist known all over the world. Every one of these artists started in the Renaissance era of art. Each one of these artists created art that still inspires artist today. Before the reformation and humanism came into the picture almost all became famous for the works that they did in the Renaissance. The reason these artists became more famous is the art that is much more lifelike and that captures more detail than the art that came before the Renaissance. Some of the art done in the Renaissance that is still based on belief.in many paintings, in the Medieval era, there were paintings of Mother Mary and baby Jesus they were portrayed as gods. But as they were painted in the Renaissance era, they were painted as average people from that time. Every artist famous or not became very popular with the growing support of humanism. Niccolò Machiavelli, Edmund Spenser, Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas More. theses are a few of the famous writers in the Renaissance. The most well known are Thomas More was a well-known humanist at the time. More was trained as a lawyer and he dedicated to the classic learning

Beginning roughly around the year 1400 an era in Europe began; one that would shape the ideas and the lives of men. This era of rebirth or renaissance came within the fifteenth century through the revival of classical texts. One central effect of the Renaissance was the production of a new intellectual idea: humanism. Humanism being defined as a, “[t]erm invented in the 19th century. . . [regarding] developments relating to the revival of Classical literature and learning in European culture from roughly 1300 to 1600” left its mark on all of Europe leaving nothing untouched not even the artist. Both northern and southern art would be affected by humanism but in different ways ranging from changes in the human form, new choices of

The Renaissance era was a time of "coming out of the dark", implying that it was a time of reestablishment. The Humanism theory contributed to the Renaissance period considerably for the rebirth of education, science, art, literature, music, and a better life for people in general. The theory of Humanism in the Renaissance period is a concept that arose in the 14th century, Humanism was established in response to Utilitarian Approach. Utilitarian Approach is a theory known to be one of the most influential theories before Humanism, classical utilitarianism's two most influential contributors are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. The basis of the theory is to question whether actions are morally right or wrong depending on their effects and

The Renaissance humanism began in Italy for a multitude of reasons, the number one being location, especially in relation to Greco-Roman civilization and the ability for trade. Italy was built in the ruins of the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations, which meant that they had access to artifacts, buildings, and writings that were left behind. In addition, the Latin language was closer to Italian than any other language in Europe, meaning that the Italians had an easier time understanding it. The things that they learned from the ancient civilizations helped them to form new ideas and to reform the education system to reflect more humanist ideas. The second reason humanism flourished in Italy was due to trade. Trading not only brought new ideas,

I believe that the concept and ideals of Humanism created during the Renaissance were the most important. Humanism is an outlook on life that expresses the value and importance of each individual human life rather than attaching importance only on religion and the matriarchy. This led to people challenging the authority and power that the two main governing bodies in their life had. People began to challenge the authority of the royal family, they believed that the common people deserved more rights then what they had. People began to challenge the church, they began to see the corruption and how they exploited their followers. Thanks to the mindset of the Renaissance and the Reformation, people started to question things for themselves instead

What is Humanism? Why is Humanism often considered the foundation for the Italian Renaissance? Why did Humanism take root in Italy? Why did Humanism drastically change the literature being produced in Italy? These are the key questions to consider when attempting to understand why Humanism a spark to a flame for many in fourteenth century Italy. For Humanism not only brought the Renaissance to Italy, but created a whole new form of documentation, which has persevered throughout time.

The specific time period of the renaissance is contested by many, but in general it’s believed to have begun in Florence in the 14th century and ended in the 17th century. The Renaissance period is situated between, and has some overlap with, the Middle Ages and the Enlightenment Period. During this time, major changes and advancements took place in regards to intellectual life and the classical times greatly inspired societies concepts and values. Art, most notably, went through substantial growth, as artists expanded and refined classical ideas of art. Furthermore, a large emphasis was placed on the real world, or the here and now, and human achievement was celebrated as man, or human experience, became the measure of all things.

During the 14th to the 16th century, the human mind and legal constraints gradually weaken, the Renaissance emerged in the West. Renaissance laid the foundation of modern Western culture, the dominant position of the people freed from the ancient Christian tradition, morality gradually decline. During the Renaissance, keen and respected ancient Greek culture makes a huge change people's mentality, and the ancient Greek culture is a form of expression and the promotion of such a change. Unlike the Middle Ages, the Renaissance has a distinct secular spirit, which originated from the ideas of nature and man, new ideas and new experiences. Medieval Christian tradition of human long-term "suppress" the lifting of the people in the outside world,

During the fourteenth through the middle of the seventeenth century, the Renaissance in Europe brought “a humanistic revival of classical influence expressed in the arts and literature and by the beginning of modern science.” (Merriam-Webster) The economy began to stabilize after the Middle Ages causing industries such as textile mills, mining, and metallurgy to flourish resulting in the circulation of currency, ideas, and goods. With the spread of ideas, new inventions were developed such as Johannes Gutenberg's printing press which allowed information and literature to be spread quickly and accurately and enabled a larger amount of the population to become literate and pursue higher education. Humanism was a major theme during the Renaissance with its focus on a way of life centered on human interests and values and the branches of learning such as philosophy, arts, and language. During the Renaissance, there was a debate on the soundness of education and what it could add to society. While some argued education in the liberal arts and classics would benefit society, others believed the education system was corrupt and would distract students from their responsibilities.