LESSON 2

RENAISSANCE HUMANISM

INTRODUCTION

From the 15th century, Europeans will enlarge their

outlook and search new perspectives.

They will use sciences to question their knowledge

and they will also question religion

Some humanist scholars will become famous.

Why is Renaissance humanism a kind of revolution?

I/ What was humanism?

A/ A new vision of man and of the world

1- Man

“But when the work was finished, the Craftsman ( GOD) kept wishing

that there were someone to ponder the plan of so great a work, to

love its beauty, and to wonder at its vastness. Therefore, he finally

took thought concerning the creation of man... He therefore took man

as a creature of indeterminate nature and, assigning him a place in

the middle of the world (…). He said to him :” You are constrained by

no limits, in accordance with your own free will, in whose hand We

have placed you, you should find by yourself the limits of your nature.

We have set you at the world's centre(…) and you may fashion

yourself in whatever shape you prefer. “

From Picco Della Mirandola “ An oration to the dignity of man” 1486.

What is the vision of Man here and how did it change

from the Middle Ages’s?

I/ What was humanism?

A/ A new vision of man and of the world

1- Man

“But when the work was finished, the Craftsman ( GOD) kept wishing

that there were someone to ponder the plan of so great a work, to

love its beauty, and to wonder at its vastness. Therefore, he finally

took thought concerning the creation of man... He therefore took man

as a creature of indeterminate nature and, assigning him a place in

the middle of the world (…). He said to him :” You are constrained by

no limits, in accordance with your own free will, in whose hand We

have placed you, you should find by yourself the limits of your nature.

We have set you at the world's centre(…) and you may fashion

yourself in whatever shape you prefer. “

From Picco Della Mirandola “ An oration to the dignity of man” 1486.

What is the vision of Man here and how did it change

from the Middle Ages’s?

Humanistic scholars decided to focus on Man. They broke with the Middle-Ages which focused on God and religion. Humanistic scholars considered Man was free to be how he wanted and was no longer constrainted by God

2- The importance of education

“The intellectual basis for this new outlook is in the

translation of Roman and Greek philosophical texts

through the enthusiasm and energy of scholars who

came to be known as Humanists: they created a new

language of culture, painting and sculpture.

One of the chief differences between the Middle ages and

the Renaissance was in the use of reason. The Middle-

Ages fixed the place of all things in relation with God,

whereas Renaissance scholars began to proceed from

experience and attempted to construct an image of the

world more in line with what could actually be observed

and known. “ From a GCSE book 1986

Why was education important?

2- The importance of education

“The intellectual basis for this new outlook is in the

translation of Roman and Greek philosophical texts

through the enthusiasm and energy of scholars who

came to be known as Humanists: they created a new

language of culture, painting and sculpture.

One of the chief differences between the Middle ages and

the Renaissance was in the use of reason. The Middle-

Ages fixed the place of all things in relation with God,

whereas Renaissance scholars began to proceed from

experience and attempted to construct an image of the

world more in line with what could actually be observed

and known. “ From a GCSE book 1986

Why was education important?

For humanistic scholars, being educated was being a

good man.

It was a means to re-discover the Antique works

It was also a means to research and experiment new

thing to have SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

The new ideas spread fast because:

-scholars translated the antiques works and

expressed their ideas in COLLOQUAIAL/VERNACULAR

LANGUAGE

-In 1454 Gutenberg invented the printing press

This new state of mind brought lots of discoveries and

lots of questioning.

The Catholic Church quickly felt threatened by scientists.

Tension reach a climax when a new religion was founded

II/ A religious revolution

A/ Martin Luther and reformation

1- Video: What was Luther’s view?

1) Luther’s views

What did Luther think would happen when he dies?

He’d have to earn his place in Heaven

If God saved he from the thunderstorm, what did he

promise?

Do give his life to god and he became a monk

What did the poor had to do to be “saved by god”? (

Something Luther disapproved of)

To give all their money to the Church. So Richer people

had more chance to go to Heaven !

What did he do to show his disagreement?

He wrote 95 theses in 1517and nailed them to the

church’s door

He was tried and defend himself. What did he say?

He said he did not regret and that he spoke his

conscience ou

So what happened?

He was declared and outlaw and hid into his friend’s castle

where he translated the Bible into German. He was

excommunicated

Why did he translate the Bible in German?

He wanted people to understand it by themselves! He

invented UNIVERSAL PRIESTHOOD

Priests lied often to people to manipulate them

What was the consequence?

Everybody used the Bible’s content to justify his actions

and people quarreled.

The Church was split in two: THE CATHOLIC Church and

the PROTESTANT Church

2) Others followed Luther…

-the Calvinists created by a French JEAN CALVIN who

believed in predestination

-the Anglicans founded by the English king HENRY

8th who wanted to get divorced

3) Criticisms towards the Church were:

-Some considered the catholic Church was too close to

political power ( Gallicanism: the king had as much

power as the pope)

-They thought the catholic religion was too obsessed

with money ( Julius II sold letters of indulgences)

-They believed the Clergy was too ignorant and

manipulated people

B/ THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S REACTION

1-The council of Trent 1545-1563 ( different sessions)

A Council ( CONCILE) is a meeting of bishops who

explains the Pope’s decisions.

It occurred in a Italian city called Trent, hence the name.

2-What was decided?

-seminaries were opened to instruct priests

-Latin was made the only acceptable language

-A mass book was created

-The Inquisition was created

3-Consequences

QUICLKY THIS OPPOSITION LED TO WARS OF

RELIGION BETWEEN CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANTS

EXAMPLE: In France: 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day

massacre

HOPEFULLY IN 1598 HENRY 4th signed the edict of

Nantes which allowed protestants to practice freely their

religion.

Not only protestants but many others were judged and

sometimes sentenced to death by the Inquisition. ( Witch

hunt )

III/ A scientific and artistic revolution

A/ Sciences

1- Copernicus and Galileo

Nicolas Copernic was from Poland and demonstrated

heliocentrism against geocentrism in 1510.

Galileo in 1610 published a book which popularized the

Copernican revolution.

It helped to understand natural phenomena like the

seasons and the night and the day but It questioned

religion and God.

2- Medicine

1542: first anatomic chart by André Vésale

Leonardo da Vinci made lots of

drawings to study the human body

3- Michel Servet studied the blood circulation in

1535 for the first time but He was sentenced to

death

B/ Arts

So, in arts Renaissance brought a real revolution with

-New techniques

light and shadow

mannerism

perspective with the use of maths

oil paint

the antique style was copied

-New subjects

Man became a new source of inspiration in arts but also

in literature with the description of human feelings and

passions

Ex:Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

Ex: Don Quixote by Cervantes

Religion was no longer the only source of interest even

even Renaissance artists were religious and believed in

God ( Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel or pieta)

PERSPECTIVE AND ANTIQUITY RAFAELO’s SHOOL OF ATHENS

Van Eyck Portrait

of Giovanni

Arnolfini and his

Wife (1434)

New subject-

perspective

Thanks to

perspective, the

artist could

represent his

reflect in the

mirror

It was a way to

sign his

masterpiece

Michelangelo ‘s David in 1504 – New subject, nudes back on fashion

Sistine Chapel About a year after creating

David, Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo to Rome to work on his most famous project, the

ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Creation of Eve Creation of Adam

Separation of Light and Darkness The Last Judgment

Michelangelo’s Pieta 1499

Mannerism

Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa- Oil paint- light

and shadow

Artists were sponsored by rich patrons

popeJulius II (1500-

1513)

David by Michelangelo (1475-1564, sculpture from 1501-

1504) Medici family ( Laurent,/LORENZO

)

CONCLUSION: Why is Renaissance humanism a kind of

revolution?

Renaissance humanism brought many discoveries in

geography, in sciences, culture.

It also enabled/caused/triggered some real paradigm shifts

This is why it can be said it was a revolution.

However, even if I did open some people's mind, only wealth

scholars were concerned and the catholic Church tried to

oppose changes, killing people if necessary…

Colonisation

of the Americas