Renaissance Man Research Paper

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The Renaissance was a time where new ideas and view on the world were spread. The Middle Ages that came before the Renaissance were all about God. Religion and the Church had all the power. The church also controlled art, but during the renaissance, the Church endorsed art as opposed to controlling it. During 16th century Europe, the Renaissance changed man’s view of man by increasing focus on the individual, secular achievements, and the study of humanism. The increase on the focus on the individual promoted achievements and advancements in the arts, which evolved man’s view on man. The promotion of achievements created the Renaissance man. A Renaissance man was a well educated humanist, an artist, a scientist, an inventor, a musician, and …show more content…

Humanism was a movement started during the Renaissance that included learning grammar, logic, philosophy, and history. As a result of humanists spreading the movement, there was an increase in learning about humans and the earth and people wanted to learn. Scholars wanted to learn more about the world they lived on and about themselves. In order to do this, they looked at ancient Greek and Roman literature. The author of “Characteristics of the Renaissance” states, “Students of humanist teachers took classes in which they learned Greek and Latin, and studied Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, and history to learn how to be knowledgeable scholars, public speakers, and politicians”(“Characteristics of the Renaissance”). Education became a priority and the subjects that humanists learned became the example on how to live life. Scientist also wrote books in order to inform people of their knowledge. Authors like Alberti, “...also wrote about astronomy and geography. He wrote rules for surveying and mapping an area of land and contributed to creating the maps that Christopher Columbus used to guide his voyage to the Americas in 1492”(Kelly-Gadol). Alberti and other authors, and scientist, wrote more about specific studies which made people look at the world in a whole new perspective as well as man in a whole new perspective. Most humanists were also renaissance men. One of the most famous Renaissance men was Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci used his art work and inventions to portray science and how he looked at the world and at man. A biography on Leonardo da Vinci states, “Like many leaders of Renaissance humanism, da Vinci did not see a divide between science and art. His observations and inventions were recorded in 13,000 pages of notes and drawings, including designs for flying machines, plant studies, war machinery, anatomy and architecture”( "Leonardo da Vinci

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