Humanism in the Renaissance

1. Humanism in the Renaissance The Spirit of the Renaissance

2. From Scholasticism to Humanism • Scholasticism was an intellectual movement that was intimately associated with the theology of the Catholic Church. • In essence, scholasticism was an effort by scholars to reconcile Christianity with human reason and the honored philosophers of the past. • They used reason to make faith more intelligible. • They believed all knowledge was from God and so there should be no conflict between religion and science or religion and philosophy. • Medieval Scholasticism reached its height during the 13th century with Albertus Magnus and St. Thomas Aquinas.

3. Humanism • Renaissance Humanism developed in the 14th century. They challenged the Scholastics belief that life was mundane and instead said that it had intrinsic value and meaning and the promotion of worldly pursuits wasn’t sinful. • Devoted themselves to the study of the humanities (liberal arts) • Particularly focused on the classics of Greek and Rome- one of their biggest contributions was the preservation and popularization of classical literature.

4. Father of Humanism • Petrarch: called the father of humanism because he was the first of the Italian writers to abandon the medieval thought in favor of the classical texts. • He believed that the key to living a virtuous life was the quest of truth and knowledge. He encouraged humans to appreciate themselves and their beauty as a manifestation of the divine. • Famous for his vernacular poems and tales. He pointed the way the humanist movement would go for the next century by upholding Cicero as the model for orators and poets. • Petrarch was religious, split between secular learning and religious devotion. Everything he did he did in the framework of Christianity. • Boccaccio: Petrarch’s example soon gave way to a revival of learning of the ancients. Boccaccio was his most illustrious successor. The Decameron was his most famous work.

5. Petrarch (Petrarca) 1304-1374

6. Fascination with the Classical World Petrarch’s age (14th century) was one of discovery of the classical past while the 15th century was a time of recovery, analysis, exploration and philosophy. Platonism: the principal factor in the development of humanist philosophy was a revival of interest in Plato. Revived his focus on the spirit and soul (world of forms); the importance of contemplation, Platonic Love– a spiritual and intellectual thing between two people and a belief in the existence of truth outside the traditional church. Pico della Mirandola-- Most influential work was the “On the Oration of Man”—which stressed man as an intermediary between the divine world and the earthly world and man’s potential to determine his own destiny. Mans ability to reason can move him towards the divine. Potential to fall into the depths of creation or rise even above the angels. Leonardo de Bruni was the leading humanist of this generation, advancing the ideas of Plato and Aristotle into this century. Aristotelianism: the study of logic, natural philosophy and medicine led people to the same believes about immortality of the soul, human dignity and freedom as Platonism but through naturalism versus idealism.

7. Civic Humanism • Another feature of humanism was civic humanism. This centered around the humanists new awareness and participation in political life. • The Roman and Greek Republics, vs. Empires were held up as models. • The impact humanism had on practical affairs. • A life of scholarship was a life of public service- Leon Battista Alberti was one of the main proponents of this in his writings.

8. Secularism and Individualism • The prestige of the Church took a major hit during the middle ages. • People began to focus on more worldly or secular things. • After the 100 Years War and the Plague, many Europeans adopted an eat, drink and be merry attitude. • Writer Lorenzo Valla even went as far as to say that pleasing the senses and feeding a man’s appetites should be perfectly acceptable. • The Church did not escape the influence of secularism, as many popes and cardinals sponsored the arts and lived very extravagant lifestyles. • While humanism focused on the greatness of all humanity, individualism shined the spotlight on the individual. • The Renaissance celebrated the genius of man, so it was only natural that great individuals would bask in the limelight. • Huge increase in the number of portraits painted during this period.

9. A League of His Own… During the High Renaissance (late 1400’s) the interest in humanism continued, however, a prominent non humanistic philosopher was Niccolo Machiavelli.. He wrote The Prince a guidebook on behavior and a manual for how princes should rule. (practical advice rather than always good or moral advice). What is politically effective versus what’s moral. Asserts that people are naturally selfish, deceitful, greedy and gullible. Didn’t use the classics as a reference or point of study. Claims a prince should be hypocritical, cruel and deceitful when necessary (for the good of the state). Have faith in nothing but yourself and remember that the ends justify the means. He claimed it was better for a prince to be feared than loved.