Renaissance

Renaissance State of science, philosophy, and religion at advent of the

Renaissance:

Two classes of people- believers and nonbelievers The nonbelievers, if not converted, were punished, imprisoned, or killed

and considered stupid or possessed by the devil

Astrology and Magic was widely practiced Superstition was omnipresent – characterized the behavior of peasants,

kings, scholars, and clergy.

Church control of philosophical/scientific progress. For progress to occur the church’s authority had to be broken and it

was beginning to weaken

The Notion of a Renaissance Renaissance (rebirth)

generally dated from approximately 1350ish to 1600ish

Tendency to return to a more open-minded inquiry of earlier Greek philosophy

Moved from more God centered interests to more human centered interests

Humans had reliable sensory systems, reasoning powers, and ability to enjoy

The Notion of a Renaissance But was there a renaissance? Compared to other periods of abrupt change it

doesn’t stack up to other notable changes, though truly developments were taking place E.g. the loosening of church authority, development of

more scientific inquiry But as we have noted, philosophy was thriving

before, as was an esteem of Greek thought, particularly Aristotle

The development of society and trade were continuations of previous trends begun during the Middle Ages

One thing that did arise, i.e. was born, rather than reborn, regarded man’s place in the grand scheme of things

Humanism Renaissance humanism

Interest in human beings, how we think, behave, feel, and what are our capabilities and capacities.

Characteristic optimism and favorable attitude toward progress

“Universal providence belongs to God, who is the universal cause. Hence man who provides generally for all things, both living and lifeless, is a kind of god… Our soul will sometime be able to become in a sense all things, and even to become a god.” Marsilio Ficino

Humanism Major themes: Individualism

Concern for human potential and achievement. Individual has the power to make a positive effect in the world, the world was

made for man Personal religion

Desire for a less formal, ritualistic religion, personally experienced rather than imposed upon people by the church

The humanism then was Christian, however was not interested in helping the poor etc., i.e. caring for fellow man, as we tend to think of humanism today

In fact a tax levied in Florence for the purpose of helping the less fortunate met fierce opposition from the affluent (not so different these days)

A continued intense interest in the works of the early Greek and Roman poets, philosophers, and politicians, desire to read and study original writings, not interpretations

Highly critical at times Humanist scholars wanted to stop the practice by the Church of strict

adherence to Aristotelian science and philosophy as the prime authority with the Bible

The combination of Aristotle’s philosophy and Christian theology, had created a complex set of rules, regulations, and beliefs that required blind acceptance to be a Christian

The City It is at this time we see the rise of the city

Urban planning Change from city as fortress to city as agent

Medici Family Intensely influential financially, practically built Florence into the prime

example of the Renaissance way of life and leading Renaissance city Also covered the religious side

Produced 3 popes: Leo X & XI, Clement VII The city allowed for the newfound individualism to flourish

No longer confined to a handful of leaders in the Middle Aged feudal system

A person could make their own way (and lose it) in a short time The downside

Relationship with the agricultural class becomes uneven (simply supplier to city’s needs)

Rather than simply living and doing what is simply necessary, the individual must now struggle for success

Fashion, competition and poverty become the norm The modern world begins

Francesco Petrarch 1304-1374 He principally attacked Scholasticism

The classics should be studied directly as works of fallible humans

Although did not agree with many of Aristotle’s views, big beef was with philosophy itself

A “where has it gotten us” sort of stance Four characteristics in his (Renaissance) thinking:

Skepticism toward formal philosophical speculation Reserved opinion on intellectual freedom Desired a more personal religion based on the Bible,

personal faith, and feelings Dedication to spirit and the will within the Christian context

Practical, works-based judgment of one’s worth His skepticism toward all dogma paved the way for

the development of modern science

Marsilio Ficino 1433-1499 Chosen by Cosimo de’ Medici to lead the new

“Academy” in Florence Translated Plato’s and Neo-Platonic works

Albeit with a Christian and Hermetic interpretation Ficino saw, as others discussed, man torn

between the sensual and rational, with the soul as mediator

Another challenge to Aristotelianism authority, though this was not his goal Wanted synthesis of religious opinion and believed Plato

to be suited to that

Hermetism Also translated the Corpus Hermeticum, supposedly the

secrets of the disciples of Hermes Trismegistus (‘the thrice greatest’, a combination of the Greek god Hermes and Egyptian Thoth) Being more ancient than Plato, more revered by some (if the

Greeks are good, those from which they came better) Seen as the founder of learning

These Hermetic beliefs were actually more likely born of the mystery cults of the early Common Era, though perhaps had roots at the proposed time of Hermes

Extremely popular translation Led to a lingering superstition among many, while also

suggesting the possibility of one possessing supernatural powers (man as agent of change) Legacy of witchcraft and science

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola 1463-1494 Proposed that humans only have capacity for

change (unlike angels even) and can choose to live instinctual, sensual lives and became brutish or exercise rationality and intelligence becoming more angelic and Godlike We have choice to accept any lifestyle and any

viewpoint He argued that all philosophical views were

ultimately in agreement and all should be studied and assimilated into the Christian worldview In essence, he sought peace among

philosophical and religious views

Nature and Spirit debate on human character

Hellenistic age: are the Platonic ideas real Scholastics: Nominalists vs. Realists Renaissance: Aristotelians vs. Neo-Platonists Later: Empiricism vs. Rationalism

Patristic psychology: Aristotle dominates until philosophy dismissed all together (e.g. Tertullian)

Augustine puts Plato back on the map but philosophy given lower status compared to faith

Rediscovery of Aristotle in 12th century put his ideas at the forefront, even to the point of settling matters of faith

Nature Spirit Naturalism Spiritualism Stoicism Idealism Materialism Transcendentalism Scientific determinism Psychological Indeterminism

Nature and Spirit With the Renaissance we get

Revival of Platonism Renewed Aristotelian defense Pico’s syncretism: all philosophy brought together under the

heading of Christianity Also an anti-intellectualism (re)rears its ugly head, and a

burgeoning political opposition between the Church and the Secular with its new found freedom and increasing influence

Battle between Nature and Spirit spills out into the streets 1478: Spanish Inquisition

Nature: dignified version of man- near limitless power and abilities of reason, his body beautiful, his mind inquiring

Spirit: transcendental vision, sense of wonder and fear, asceticism

Martin Luther 1483 - 1546 "a drunken German who wrote the

Theses" Insisted on an intensely personal religion,

each person is answerable only to God, a religion that deemphasized ritual and church hierarchy

Concern for the exploitation of the poor by the church led to his stance against it

Initiated the reformation and leader of Protestantism which denied the authority of the Pope and insisted that each person had the right to interpret the Bible for himself or herself

Martin Luther As far as his understanding of human nature, it comes as

one would expect, chiefly from the scripture, and vehemently against the philosophers “God sent [Aristotle] as a plague for our sins”

Man is born in sin, and doing ‘good works’ won’t get you anywhere by themselves (they are still coming from an impure soul) James as the Epistle of straw "Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ

even more boldly... Pray boldly - for you too are a mighty sinner."

For Luther, the will of God is the cause of all, leaving man in a fairly powerless state except to seek God’s forgiveness and grace

Desiderius Erasmus 1466-1536 A sober and critical mind in trying

times Opposed fanatic belief in anything

but gave proper respect when earned (Socrates, Skeptics)

Generally critical of excesses of all kinds

Ridiculed all forms of superstitions and thought best to take lessons from simple life of the Saints and not from the pomp and circumstance of the Church

Michel de Montaigne 1533-1592 Proposed an extreme form of

skepticism by questioning the possibility of indisputable knowledge.

Human rationality caused most of human problems, animals lack rational powers, therefore superior to humans.

Rejected science as a means of attaining reliable knowledge, scientific “truth” is in constant flux.

Leonardo 1452-1519 “Though human ingenuity may make

various inventions which, by the help of various machines, answer the same end, it will never devise any invention more beautiful, nor more simple, nor more to the purpose than Nature does”

Known for his painting and engineering but contributed to psychology with an understanding of visual perception Perspective and depth perception Factors inducing illusions and distortions Color contrast Perception of motion

Knowledge begins with perception “Wisdom is the daughter of experience”

Further challenges to Church authority Once questioning of “truths” began, escalated

rapidly Church scholars attempted to show that

contradictions were only apparent Attempted to censor the challenges but could not curb

the tide of inquiry and challenge Decline in Church’s authority directed related to

rise in spirit of inquiry and empirical observation Church dogma replaced by that which it opposed

the most, direct observation of nature without theological consideration

Further challenges to Church authority Several factors contributed to the reawakening of

the spirit of objective inquiry: 1. Acceptance of reason and examination of

nature as a means of knowing God 2. Work of the humanists recaptured the spirit of

inquiry reflected in the classics, and in the human potential to act upon the world and change it for the better

3. Other events contributed to decline of Church authority and acceptance of objective study of nature Exploration of Marco Polo of central Asia and China Invention of moveable type by Gutenberg Luther’s challenge to Catholicism Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe

The Scientific Revolution Science becomes the way of examining nature’s secrets

and church dogma further questioned Ptolemy (90 -168)

geocentric system of the universe (earth center of all heavenly bodies) was part of Church dogma, puts man as center of the universe and creation.

Copernicus (1473 – 1543) proposed a heliocentric universe (earth and other planets

revolve around the sun), a clear challenge to Church dogma. Not a new idea really, but posed at this point in time it was a direct

confrontation to the church To challenge was to commit heresy, opened many

questions regarding Church dogma

The Scientific Revolution Ficino earlier had translated the Corpus

Hermeticum paving the way for sun-centeredness Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) promulgated the

philosophy of Hermetism which professed the divinity of humans, magical forces used to benefit humans, and an innumerable number of inhabited worlds (solar systems) in which the sun is divine

Bruno therefore took such a heliocentric view for nonscientific reasons, and eventually was convicted of heresy and eventually burned at the stake

The Scientific Revolution Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) Used the heliocentric position as a starting

point for his analysis of the solar system Explained the universe in a simple

mathematical harmony Using data collected by Tycho Brahe, he

worked out and proved many of the mathematical details of the Copernican system and anticipated Newton’s concept of gravity Noted the elliptical (i.e. not the perfect

circular) motion of the planets A very important contribution to science

was is insistence that all mathematical deductions be verified by empirical observation

The Scientific Revolution Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642) Set out to explain the true mathematical

reality that existed beyond the world of appearances and to correct misconceptions about the world and heavenly bodies.

Made observations of the moon, sun, and planets and investigated and measured the laws of motion

For Galileo, in science, observations exemplify laws and then followed by mathematical deduction to describe the law and thus the universe

Published ‘Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems’, which was much too in favor of the heliocentric view for the church’s tastes Ordered to recant Works banned 1992 the Pope finally decided the church had

erred in dealing with him

The Scientific Revolution Objective reality exists independent of an individual’s

perception and includes what later would be called primary qualities, quantity, shape, size, position, and motion of objects

Subjective reality (later called secondary qualities) are psychological experiences and require a sensing organism These are relative, subjective, and fluctuating and include

color, sound, temperature, and taste For Galileo, consciousness can never be studied by

objective methods because conscious experience is made of secondary qualities which cannot be described or understood mathematically

Thus he excluded from science much of what is traditionally included in psychology

The Scientific Revolution Isaac Newton 1643-1727 Conceived of the universe as a

complex lawful machine created by God and then set in motion and then God ceased involvement

He set out to discover and describe the laws of nature, and did so in astonishing fashion Gravitation, laws of motion,

calculus, optics etc.

Was there a Renaissance? Philosophy: No overwhelmingly original contribution that

wasn’t laid out by the Scholastic philosophers Theology: Church still dominant authority Witchcraft, alchemy, fear etc. abundant

However: Growing middle class and increasing skeptical approach Literacy increase and education made more available Art, architecture, and science at levels not seen previously Naturalistic perspective growing

In short, while not necessarily along the lines with which we first gazed historically upon it, indeed an important time period for psychology and beyond