PHILOSOPHY, ART & CULTURE

Renaissance Society

What is the Renaissance?

Simply put, Renaissance means “Re-Birth”It is the time when Europeans embraced the

knowledge and culture of the ancient Romans and Greeks

The time saw great advancements in all areas of lifeS.ocialP.oliticalR.eligiousE.conomicM.ilitary

This lessons focuses on the social changes

Humanism

During the Dark Ages, God was the centre of everything.

However, the people of the Renaissance understood that they were part of a New Era

Humanism was the most popular and far reaching idea of the period

It was based in Roman and Greek PhilosophyHumanism stressed living in this world (not

in heaven) , human dignity, knowledge, learning and being a responsible citizen

Humanists were still deeply Christian but searched for worldly answers to questions about people and nature

Renaissance Art

During the Dark Ages, all art was centered around God

During the Renaissance, classical Roman and Greek styles were rediscovered

There was an explosion in artistic expression, especially in Italy

Painting and Sculptures were made to be extremely realistic (Previous styles were more symbolic, designed to show the glory of God)

Artists of the day went so far as to dissect human bodies to better understand anatomy and movement

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The Renaissance Man

A Renaissance Man was the ultimate expression of Humanism.

This was a person who excelled in many different fields (science, math, art, athletics, philosophy, writing etc.)

He strived to learn as much as possible about the world he lived in and worked to improve it.

The ultimate goal of this person was to maximize his individual potential . . . To be the greatest person he could be.

The best example of a Renaissance Man is Leonardo DaVinci

DaVinci was an accomplished painter, Sculptor, Architect, Mathematician, Inventor, Anatomist, Geologist, Cartographer, Botanist, and Writer

Renaissance Society

Families of the Middle Ages were communal (large extended families would live and work together)

In the Renaissance there is a shift towards nuclear families (Mom, Dad and Kids)

Education and self-improvement become a priority and literacy rates skyrocket

However, there was a dark side to the renaissance

Europe was still suffering from a population shortage

Therefore, they turned to slaves to perform manual labour

Black Slaves were the most common (Moors and Ethiopians)

Most slaves were female domestic servants

The Renaissance: Italy and beyond

The Renaissance started in Italy and it was the Italians who led the way forward.

The small city states of Italy became centers of wealth, trade, art and learning

The powerful land owners were replaced by merchants and businessmen, whose wealth and talent allowed them to climb the social ladder

A new economy was born as modern banks and accounting methods were developed

However, the movement soon spread to all of Europe and an entire continent was re-born

Great merchants, authors, scientists and artists soon flourished across Europe