Renaissance humanism
From Geography
Renaissance humanism
Humanism is a school of thought that came into being during the Renaissance era in Italy. This era marked the end of the medieval era and with that the end of a period in which God was the centre of the cosmos and human action. Instead of God, man was put in the centre of human action. Before the Rainaissance peoples decisions and actions were mostly guided by religion and the church. During the rainassance however, people began making use of their own abilities of reason (Ernste, personal communication). Reason made people more independant, because they became less dependant on the church. In this stream of thought man was capable of making its own actions and attaining its own knowledge. Man was free to investigate and experience the world around him, without being submitted to an all-powerful God by the Church. Science was considered to be a human action, and human senses were used in science to make empirical observations in science (Cloke, Philo & Sadler, 1991, p. 61).
Before the rainaissance peoples decisions and actions were mostly guided by religion and the church. During the rainassance however, people began making use of ther abilities of reason (Ernste, personal communication).
The arise of humanism
Humannism as a recognisable intellectual tradition took shape with the European Renaissance (Cloke, Philo & Sadler, 1991, p. 61). In this time the idea game up that humans are a subject on his own. The Renaissance effectively invented the human subject as something indispensable to human thought and action: as something capable of attaining a knowledge of both its external world Cloke, Philo & Sadler, 1991, p. 61). So since the time of the Renaissance it isn’t enough to look only at natural phenomena, event and processes. You must also look at things like the human nature, being and consciousness). Now this thought was accepted, the Renaissance humanism as a science was born. David ley and Marwyn Samuels (1978, pp 4-7) call scientific humanism a form of humanism typified by Galileo’s mobilisation of the human senses in the context of a supposedly objective and empirical method when proving that the earth move round the sun rather than vice versa. Nowadays we see the Renaissance Humanism as a scientific human tool for knowing the world, and that in so doing the capacity of the human mind to acquire knowledge about existence.
Petrarca
Renaissance humanism was founded by Fransesco Petrarca in the 14th century. His philosophy stated that the individual should be free to develop his freedom as he wishes, without interference of the Church or other any other institutions. He studied classical literature and was convinced that true humanity did not exist anymore in his time. With his Studia Humanitatis he wanted to recapture humanity as described in classical literature. By reintroducing humanity, as it was described in classical times, he hoped to make Italy and the rest of Europe civilized again. Petrarca wanted to change society to become more respectful to humans and humanity. In Medieval times God was considered to be more important than man, and man should live according to his principles. In practice this meant people had to live according to the Church’s principles, giving little freedom to individuals. The individual was subject to God. According to Petrarca humans should not be limited in developing personal freedom. Via his literary works he wanted to spread his school of thought across Europe, to introduce humanistic principles (Waszink, 1975, p. 57-63). He especially wanted to reform education and broaden it with physical and moral learning to foster personal freedom. Until then education was greatly influenced by the Church (Smith, n.d.).
References
- Cloke, P., Philo, C., Sadler, D. (1991). Approaching Human Geography. Paul Chapman: Londen.
- David, L. Samuels, M. (1978). Humanistic Geography, prospects and problems. Maaroufa Press: Chicago
- Smith, R. (n.d.). The Humanism of the Renaissance. Vinddatum 5 september 2012, op http://www.all-about-renaissance-faires.com/renaissance_info/renaissance_and_humanism.htm
- Waszink, J.H. (1974). Fransesco Petrarca. Hermeneus, 46. 57-63.
Contributors
- Published by Bert Hegger
- Edited by Frank Simons
- Edited by Pieter van Luijk, 15 oktober 2012
- Page slightly enhanced and added to Category 'Humanism' by Iris van der Wal - 15:50, October 21st 2012
