Humanist Writings and English Values
In addition to mentioning humanism in many of her chapters in Classical and Christian Ideas in English Renaissance Poetry, author Isabel Rivers also dedicates an entire chapter to the subject. Rivers explains that “A humanist was a classical scholar with two complementary aims: to recover the moral values of classical life, and to imitate the language and style of the classics as a means to that end” (125). Thus, humanist writers imitate and translate the works of classical writers in order to recapture classical morals and to motivate individuals to virtuous action. Sixteenth and seventeenth century English humanist writings reflect the values and morals of English culture at that time.
One important goal of humanist writers was to recover the works of classical writers. After recovering the works of classical writers, humanists imitated and translated these works into the current vernacular in their nation. Through their recovery of these classical works, humanists aimed to create a synthesis of cultural, intellectual, and religious traditions. Some of the different traditions that exist in humanist works include for example those of Christianity, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman beliefs. Early English writer, John Milton, included references to various different cultures and beliefs in “Areopagitica: A Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing, to the Parliament of England.”
Early on, Milton makes references to the story of Adam and Eve, a biblical story of Life in both Judaism and Christianity. Milton states, “Foolish tongues! when God gave him reason, he gave him freedom to choose, for reason is but choosing; he had been else a mere art...
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Established in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to counter the limited ideals of medieval scholasticism, Renaissance Humanism were educational and social reform ideals that sought to emphasize individualism as a central value in contrast to religious beliefs. Humanists revered the dignity of human kind and called for a life of virtuous action. The writings of Petrarch and Pico exemplify humanist thought by displaying the values of self-knowledge, individualism, and studying lessons from the past; appealing to the authorities of the Greek and Latin classics by Cicero, Vergil, Horace, Plato and Livy. Petrarch and Pico’s thinking can be constituted as a marked departure from medieval attitudes and beliefs, due to the origins of humanist resources being classical and biblical rather stemmed from medieval philosophers and theologians.
Humanism revolves around the central idea of learning more about the world and not so much about religion. Desiderius Erasmus (c.1466–1536, was the most important Christian humanist. 4 Despite disagreeing with some of the theories of Luther, Erasmus was a supporter of the Reformation. One of his principal works was The Praise of Folly, where he utilized a satirical language to criticize the church and the society in general5.
“Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them.” This anonymous quote shows some of the many beliefs of Italian humanists in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including renowned authors such as Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and Francesco Petrarch. A few of their principles include man’s talents entrusted by God and their free will to choose whether or not to utilize them, man’s connection to the divine being, man’s necessity to accomplish as much on Earth as feasible during a short lifetime, emphasis on this life rather than the next, and the rebirth of Classical culture of Ancient Greece and Rome. Petrarch, the father of humanism, and Mirandola were both heavily inspired by Dante’s poem, The Inferno and its sudden hints of humanistic
Knoppers, Laura Lunger. Historicizing Milton: Spectacle, Power, and Poetry in Restoration England. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1994.
The issues of interpreting humanism in regards to art are increased by the idea of renaissance art. Some students unhesitatingly talk of the artistry in the age of humanism and even the art of humanism Insofar as they engaged themselves with the visible artistry. Traditional or modern all’antica, they did so because of what they considered typical passions. For their aspect, many performers and performances of art shown a information about sources, preferences and values in favor among not only humanists, but customers and other sections of the community knowledgeable along humanist collections. It is simple to talk, at a typical stage, of numerous parallels, connections and relationships between humanism and the arts; when to brand any particular specialist or perform of art ‘humanist’ is another, and competitive, query.
...olarly endeavors, rather than strictly practical ones. Humanists also believed that the entirety of society should be well versed and able to speak articulately. The focus also changed during this time period to the “here and now” rather than the afterlife. The worth of individuals began to become more important, rather than just their worth in relation to society as a whole. Renaissance Humanism was the first time in history that people began to question authority and the teachings they had learned, it was the first time in history that individual expression was commonly accepted.
Humanism was a new way of thinking that came about in fourteenth century, the time of the Renaissance. Many scholars refer to it as the "Spirit of the Renaissance." Humanism was a lay phenomenon that emphasized human beings - as opposed to deities - as well as their interests, achievements and capabilities. Humanism is derived from the Latin word humanitas, which Cicero, the noted orator of the Roman Empire, referred to as the "literary culture needed by anyone who would be considered educated and civilized."
A central focus of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was an intellectual movement that claimed the heart of the Renaissance. Humanists studied the classical cultures of Greece and Rome. They used their newly acquired knowledge to develop a better understand of their own times. Humanists, although they were mostly Christian, did not focus of religion. Instead they were fixated on worldly subjects. It was believed that education should stimulate one’s creative mind. Humanists emphasized humanities, which are classic subjects such as grammar and poetry.
Bodrogean, Adina. "Enlightenment Ideas Reflected In The English Literature Of The Time." Scientific Journal Of Humanistic Studies 5.9 (2013): 64-66. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Renaissance humanists shared a common philosophical core. Humanists were characterized by their interest in grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, and philosophy from the fifteenth century onward. The most mainstream humanist goal was the perfection of classical Latin in the art of persuasive speaking and writing as well as grammar. With this, an ideal humanist educators aimed for was that of Latin being like a native tongue to the student. Going on, passages were interpreted by Renaissance humanists with the belief that the work was a product of a living man who was part of a particular time period, whose opinions and views were connected to their biographies and histories. With all this in mind, the Renaissance humanist used the literary and historical context of a piece to interpret it. Moreover, the movement is often characterized by a widely supported interpretation of the humanist movement during t...
Humanism can also refer to a specific happening in history: "the revival of classical letters, individualistic and critical spirit, and emphasis on secular concerns characteristic of the Renaissance." The phrase "characteristic of the Renaissance" shows how ambivalent is the relationship between the two terms, humanism and Renaissance. In other words, which term is the broader, encompassing the other? We associate both with the revival or rebirth of Greco-Roman civilization. Both have been broadened to include more than that. The more specific meaning of the Renaissa...
According to Merriam Webster dictionary, humanism is defined as “system of values and beliefs that is based on the idea that people are basically good and that problems can be solved using reason instead of religion”. In this essay, I will be discussing what humanism is and the assumption and attitudes that it brings to society, culture, and the universe that prevailed in Western Europe before the Renaissance. Finally, I will discuss how Humanism posed a challenge to the traditional worldview of the Catholic Church.
Longman. The Longman Anthology of British Literature, vol. B. Damrosch, D. (ed.). NY, LA: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. 2000.
The Renaissance is the guidance of ideology for the Western European from the medieval society to the modern excessive cultural and ideological movements. Humanism is the core of thought. Humanism is a people-oriented rational thought, mainly concern about human and human nature. It includes human dignity, the value of the human being. The humanism was based on the ancient Greek and Roman literature study, advocate the basis of man’ dignity, think that a man can control his/her own destiny and confirm the value of human. As the rebirth of literature, scholars found out importance of thinking and the power of reason. Therefore, many significant literatures had written by scholars during the Renaissance. Pico della Mirandola and Niccolo Machiavelli were the two of the important humanists during the Renaissance. Pico della Mirandola wrote about the human dignity. His work “Oration On The Dignity Of Man” has brought a new view of belief and influenced the later scholars. Niccolo Machiavelli’s work “The Prince” pointed out the significant being as a king.
Keeble, N. H. "Milton and Puritanism." A Companion to Milton. Thomas N. Corns, ed. Blackwell Publishing, 2003.