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Humanism
AP European HistoryMs. Jennifer L. BlankSocial Studies DepartmentiMater Academy
Petrarch
Ficino
Mirandola
Where did “the Humanities” come from?
• Renaissance Europe• 1350 – 1550• Started in Italy• Spread throughout Europe• Reduced power of the church
• Humanism• Focus on secular endeavors• Focus on human ability & achievement• De-emphasis of church authority & power• Pro-God
The Renaissance• Complete break from the Medieval Period
• Renaissance was anti-church, NOT anti-god
• Amazing explosion of human expression: fine art, literature, political theory
• A movement of the elite; most folks in Europe had no idea what was going on
• Development of the Modern-Nation State
• Humanism became the intellectual movement
2 Main Types of Humanism• Secular Humanism• Focused on physical world• Intense belief in humanity’s capacity to achieve
• Christian Humanism• Focused on the relationship between God, Humanity, & the
physical world• Shared the belief in humanity’s ability to achieve, but only
possible through God
Beginnings of Humanism• Early Humanism • Formed by Monks
• Voluntary poverty was the center of true Christian conduct
• 14th Century = scholarship shifted away from the Church to the hands of laymen• Revived the classical studies of Greece and Rome
• No exclusive focus on God and religion
• More interested in human aspects such as culture, society, and values
Renaissance Humanism• Curriculum based on Liberal studies: grammar, poetry,
rhetoric, history, politics, and moral philosophy
• Study of the classics is path to virtuous and balanced lifestyle and personality
• Importance in human, not divine, matters
• Information gathered from source, not traditional
• Devoted majority of life to the discovery and practice of the classics
• Anti-”scholasticism”, which was the educational curriculum of the medieval times.
Religion Before Humanism
• Catholicism dominates people’s lives
• Criticism crushed
• No “other religions” hold any strength
• Catholic Church “monopolized” religion in Europe
Humanists on Religion
• Criticize the Catholic Church about mistakes, misinterpretations, and corruption
• Liberal knowledge was used to denounce church often in literary works that circulated Europe
• Criticize the Church’s written sources, such as the Vulgate, writings by the Church Fathers, and many other important religious documentation
How this affected individuals
• Catholic Church and her clergymen became more “exposed” and lost reverence
• Loses a lot of influence in the general populace’s daily life
• Lutherans began to acquire more ground
• Humanist works credited by later reformations
Society Before Humanism
• People acted like children; there was very little personal upkeep or manner expectations
• Women were excluded from many social “gatherings”
• Birth was the defining point for social standing and status
• Education and personal capability didn’t exist within the social developments of medieval society
Humanists on Society
• One should uphold personal manners and good-behavior
• Published guides and manuals for being a successful courtier
• Education and universal capability should contribute to social success
How this affected individuals• Transformed society from “barbaric” to “civilized”
• Women introduced to balance male “manliness” with female “tenderness”
• Personal qualifications play greater role in status, giving initiate for “bettering oneself”
• Birth loses some substance
• Preceded gentry, forerunners
Humanists on Intellect• Liberal arts introduced: grammar, poetry, rhetoric, history, politics
and moral philosophy
• More practical, useful than scholasticism
• Education offered to wide audience
• Rekindled interest and influence of Greek and Roman classics
• Incorporated a necessity for literary truth, original and “uncorrupted”
• Desire to investigate info. at source creating large collections of original manuscripts
• Brought a greater purpose to learning: virtue and balance in life through study of classics
Intellect Before Humanism• Educated men were clergymen
• “Schools” were places to learn about God and to spread his will
• Educational curriculum was scholasticism
• Abstract and unpracticed; useless
• Educational power was held by few, allowing manipulation of lay peoples
How this affected individuals• No longer just clergymen
• Humanism replaced scholasticism
• New universities and humanist academies offer greater education
• As well as learning, students gain a greater virtuous and balanced personality
• With larger girth of education, powers less able to use it to manipulate subjects