REN - Reading Revolutionizes the World (Lesson)
Reading Revolutionizes the World.
School of Athens by Raphael. Learn more about the symbolism in this painting by visiting Wikipedia.org Links to an external site.
The Renaissance saw a revival of classical Greek and Roman culture that manifested itself in art, literature, and philosophy. Latin, discarded during the Middle Ages, was reclaimed as was Greek and eventually the ancient texts of the Greco-Roman philosophers. What resulted was a movement known as Humanism - a belief in individualism and focus on Virtù, the "quality" or "distinguishing attribute" of being man; a focus on human potential that eventually led to a revitalization of education as well as changes within art and politics. The humanists believed you should be educated in the liberal arts - grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, politics and moral philosophy. This led to the opening of many universities.
Information below is adapted, in part, from the Giant EHAP Review Guide at HistoryTeacher.net
The Four Aspects of Humanism.
Humanism was a new philosophy that came to define the Renaissance. Although it was an intellectual movement and didn't involve most outside of the Popolo Grasso, it had a major impact on the age. The movement encouraged literacy along with writing and speaking skills, and helped expand libraries beyond the monasteries.
Though many believe that humanism replaced religion in the Renaissance, in reality, the two coexisted. Most humanists were actually religious, and the only difference between the beliefs of the Church and those of the humanists was that the humanists believed that this life was important and should be enjoyed while the Church did not. The Church and felt that people should focus on awaiting the afterlife instead.
Humanism consists of four essential aspects, which are as follows:
- Admiration and emulation of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
- Philosophy of enjoying this life, instead of waiting for the next one.
- The glorification of humans and the belief that individuals can do anything.
- The belief that humans deserved to be the center of attention.
Humanism also developed a sub-category known as civic humanism. The civic humanists believed that participation in public affairs was essential for human development, and that individuals should not cut themselves off from society and study the world. Instead, they should help make changes in it by achieving an education, becoming a part of government and becoming better citizens. Eventually, the beliefs of the civic humanists spread to the humanists as a whole.
The Humanists.
Petrarch - the first humanist of the Renaissance. (sometimes referred to as the Father of Humanism). He greatly admired the Greeks and Romans and preferred them to his own contemporaries, whom he saw as barbaric. He felt that the only true examples of moral and proper behavior came from the Ancients, Cicero in particular. Though he was a lawyer and cleric by trade, he devoted himself to writing poetry, papers, and letters, which were often to the famous Greeks and Romans. He is considered the first to critically analyze ancient texts and along with Dante and Boccaccio, for being one of the firsts to write in the vernacular (local rather than classical language).
Boccaccio - writer who became famous for a collection of short stories called The Decameron that is now thought of as the first prose masterpiece ever written in Italian. The Decameron is a book relating how a group of young Florentines went to a secluded villa to escape the plague and began telling stories. It was one of the first books intended for entertainment and is groundbreaking in its frank treatment of relationships and its creation of ordinary, realistic characters.
Baldassare Castiglione - writer who is best known for his novel, The Courtier, which, by taking the form of a conversation between the sophisticated men and women of a court in Urbino, became a manual of proper behavior for gentlemen and ladies for centuries to come. It rejected what were perceived as crude behaviors, and recommended instead that there were specific qualities a gentleman possessed. The concept of a "Renaissance Man," one who was skilled in many areas, was advocated within the work.
Guarino da Verona & Vittorino da Feltre - were educators who turned the ideals of the humanists into a practical curriculum. They founded a school in which students learned Latin, Greek, mathematics, music, philosophy, and social graces.
Lorenzo Valla - one of the great critics of the period, he is most famous for researching and unearthing the forgery of the Donation of Constantine. The Donation was supposedly an imperial decree that granted the Pope territorial rights over Rome and the Western Roman Empire. By using critical text analysis, Valla determined that the donation was a forgery. An expert in Latin, Valla also noted inconsistencies and errors within the translation of the Latin Vulgate (the official version of the Bible used by the Catholic Church). Though himself a devoted Catholic until his death, his works are often seen as helping give proof to those challenging the Church's authority.
Leonardo Bruni - a historian, wrote a history of Florence which is seen by many as the first modern history, was a civic humanist who served in Florence, was the first to use the term "humanist".
Marsilio Ficino was a member of a new, later group of humanists called the Neoplatonists, who believed in studying the grand ideas in the work of Plato and other philosophers as opposed to leading the "active life" the civic humanists lead. Ficino believed that Plato's ideas showed the dignity and immortality of the human soul.
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola - another Neoplatonist who believed that he could reconcile all philosophies and show that a single truth lay behind them all. Mirandola was perhaps the most influential of the Neoplatonists.
Document Discussion.
Its time to take a closer look at Pico della Mirandola's: Oration on the Dignity of Man. Access a copy from the link below and be sure to read it carefully. As you read consider the following:
- Why was it written?
- What can it tell us about the ideals behind Humanism? Neoplatonism?
- How does it fit in with the rebirth of learning we see in the Renaissance?
Click here to access a copy of Oration on the Dignity of Man. Links to an external site.
Printing Press.
Though movable type had been utilized by the Chinese long before the Renaissance, Johann Gutenberg is credited with the invention of the printing press. His use of movable type to create the press revolutionized Europe as it allowed for the rapid spread of humanist literature.
Previously, if a book were to be copied, it was copied by hand, usually by monks. It was a laborious task not without errors. It also made the cost of books out of reach for most. The printing press eliminated errors, rapidly increased reproduction speeds, and lowered the cost of books.
The bible was the first work printed on Gutenberg's press.
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