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