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In fact, the most significant difference between the Renaissance and the Middle Ages is "where God had previously been the centre, Man now takes this place" (Dresden 13). Man in now the focal point of the world and he is the "centre of all that is taking place" (12). The most "corrosive impact" (Cameron 73) that the Renaissance had on medieval Christianity came from the thinker who was as "devoutly, intelligently, and consciously committed to Christian faith as could be" (73). Erasmus took the humanists' textual criticism, moral values, and belief in education and applied them uncompromisingly to theology" (73). Another significant difference between the two movements is that the humanists "showed a fresh and, one might say, unprejudiced interest in ancient texts and that they had an almost insatiable curiosity about unknown interests" (19). Humanism is important to the Renaissance because it allowed man to look at himself for answers instead of looking to outside influences. In short, mankind suddenly had enough faith in himself to trust his own instincts and inclinations to be worthy of consideration.
Looking inward produced many writers and philosophers that expressed personal opinions about humanism or the nature of the human and humanity's role not just on earth but in the universe. Sem Dresden notes that...
We can see how this is true with the works of Michelangelo and di Vinci. They were men that explored the inner man to create, design, and explore the world.
Humanism was a significant factor in the Renaissance because it influenced a new way of thinking that literally changed the world. Without the humanistic way of thinking, the Renaissance would not have been the same. The idea that man might have some of his own answers regarding his place in the universe was not unique but suddenly serious. Man could look at himself and finally consider his own thoughts and ideas. Writers, educators, and philosophers grabbed hold of this notion and paved the way for a new generation where man was the center of all. Humanism was liberating and refreshing and it helped stabilize Renaissance thought. The humanist orientation of the Renaissance is a critical one that helps define not only a movement but also a way of life that lingers still today.
Works Cited
Cameron, Euan. Early Modern Europe. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Dresden, Sem. Humanism in the Renaissance. New York: World University Press, 1968.
Todorov, Tzvetan. Imperfect Garden: The…
Works Cited
Cameron, Euan. Early Modern Europe. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Dresden, Sem. Humanism in the Renaissance. New York: World University Press, 1968.
Todorov, Tzvetan. Imperfect Garden: The Legacy of Humanism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
The Catholic Church was forced to react and respond to the Protestant Reformation. This can be seen in the music of Palestrina. The Council of Trent resolved to eliminate the use of secular and ornate music during masses, which it saw as part of the 'worldly excesses' condemned by Protestants. Palestrina composed masses with a "purer, more restrained style" (Sherrane 2008). Palestrina brought forth a resurgent interest in plainsong, "each
Humanism, Absolutism, Power and Style Read the following excerpt from an article, then discuss the three questions below the excerpt. Then respond to 3 members below. Post comments on what they have to say. In an article in Psychology Today published on September 01, 2008, Hara Estroff Marano writes: It's tempting to think that style is a new invention, open to us only now because we particularly value self-expression, and an extraordinary
Renaissance The term "Renaissance" means "to be reborn," or "rebirth," and as a cultural movement in Europe, the Renaissance is generally accepted to have begun in Florence Italy in the late 13th century. Some claim that it was the result of the fall of Constantinople and the many Greek scholars and texts which found their way to Italy soon after bringing with them not only the knowledge of the classical world,
In one portrait of a Renaissance man, the aristocrat's musical instruments are placed alongside his various scientific instruments, books, and weapons (Arkenberg 2002). Eventually, in spite of "some of the obscure, antiquarian concerns of humanist engagement with the music of the classical past…music came to be thought of not as a branch of mathematics" but as an art ("The Renaissance," Free Encyclopedia, 2009). Humanism shifted the analytical understanding of
The Renaissance gave them the opportunity to explore and create without restraint. As a result of this, learning took on an entirely different meaning in that it included the human experience as a significant aspect of knowledge, increasing the desire to know more. A result of a desire to learn resulted in an invigorated self-confidence that only reinforced the belief that mankind had the power within him to understand all
Renaissance and Baroque An Analysis of Two Davids The humanism, nobility, and power of the Renaissance are reflected in Michelangelo's David (1504). The emphasis on drama, movement, and action is demonstrated in Bernini's David (1624). Both emphasize the heroic and favorite themes of the High Renaissance, but it is Vasari who gives the greatest compliment to Michelangelo's David, calling it more excellent than all sculpture of ancient Greece and Rome and even