lesson 2 renaissance humanism · through the enthusiasm and energy of scholars who came to be known...
TRANSCRIPT
LESSON 2
RENAISSANCE HUMANISM
INTRODUCTION
From the 15th century, Europeans will enlarge their
outlook and search new perspectives.
They will use sciences to question their knowledge
and they will also question religion
Some humanist scholars will become famous.
Why is Renaissance humanism a kind of revolution?
I/ What was humanism?
A/ A new vision of man and of the world
1- Man
“But when the work was finished, the Craftsman ( GOD) kept wishing
that there were someone to ponder the plan of so great a work, to
love its beauty, and to wonder at its vastness. Therefore, he finally
took thought concerning the creation of man... He therefore took man
as a creature of indeterminate nature and, assigning him a place in
the middle of the world (…). He said to him :” You are constrained by
no limits, in accordance with your own free will, in whose hand We
have placed you, you should find by yourself the limits of your nature.
We have set you at the world's centre(…) and you may fashion
yourself in whatever shape you prefer. “
From Picco Della Mirandola “ An oration to the dignity of man” 1486.
What is the vision of Man here and how did it change
from the Middle Ages’s?
I/ What was humanism?
A/ A new vision of man and of the world
1- Man
“But when the work was finished, the Craftsman ( GOD) kept wishing
that there were someone to ponder the plan of so great a work, to
love its beauty, and to wonder at its vastness. Therefore, he finally
took thought concerning the creation of man... He therefore took man
as a creature of indeterminate nature and, assigning him a place in
the middle of the world (…). He said to him :” You are constrained by
no limits, in accordance with your own free will, in whose hand We
have placed you, you should find by yourself the limits of your nature.
We have set you at the world's centre(…) and you may fashion
yourself in whatever shape you prefer. “
From Picco Della Mirandola “ An oration to the dignity of man” 1486.
What is the vision of Man here and how did it change
from the Middle Ages’s?
Humanistic scholars decided to focus on Man. They broke with the Middle-Ages which focused on God and religion. Humanistic scholars considered Man was free to be how he wanted and was no longer constrainted by God
2- The importance of education
“The intellectual basis for this new outlook is in the
translation of Roman and Greek philosophical texts
through the enthusiasm and energy of scholars who
came to be known as Humanists: they created a new
language of culture, painting and sculpture.
One of the chief differences between the Middle ages and
the Renaissance was in the use of reason. The Middle-
Ages fixed the place of all things in relation with God,
whereas Renaissance scholars began to proceed from
experience and attempted to construct an image of the
world more in line with what could actually be observed
and known. “ From a GCSE book 1986
Why was education important?
2- The importance of education
“The intellectual basis for this new outlook is in the
translation of Roman and Greek philosophical texts
through the enthusiasm and energy of scholars who
came to be known as Humanists: they created a new
language of culture, painting and sculpture.
One of the chief differences between the Middle ages and
the Renaissance was in the use of reason. The Middle-
Ages fixed the place of all things in relation with God,
whereas Renaissance scholars began to proceed from
experience and attempted to construct an image of the
world more in line with what could actually be observed
and known. “ From a GCSE book 1986
Why was education important?
For humanistic scholars, being educated was being a
good man.
It was a means to re-discover the Antique works
It was also a means to research and experiment new
thing to have SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
The new ideas spread fast because:
-scholars translated the antiques works and
expressed their ideas in COLLOQUAIAL/VERNACULAR
LANGUAGE
-In 1454 Gutenberg invented the printing press
This new state of mind brought lots of discoveries and
lots of questioning.
The Catholic Church quickly felt threatened by scientists.
Tension reach a climax when a new religion was founded
II/ A religious revolution
A/ Martin Luther and reformation
1- Video: What was Luther’s view?
1) Luther’s views
What did Luther think would happen when he dies?
He’d have to earn his place in Heaven
If God saved he from the thunderstorm, what did he
promise?
Do give his life to god and he became a monk
What did the poor had to do to be “saved by god”? (
Something Luther disapproved of)
To give all their money to the Church. So Richer people
had more chance to go to Heaven !
What did he do to show his disagreement?
He wrote 95 theses in 1517and nailed them to the
church’s door
He was tried and defend himself. What did he say?
He said he did not regret and that he spoke his
conscience ou
So what happened?
He was declared and outlaw and hid into his friend’s castle
where he translated the Bible into German. He was
excommunicated
Why did he translate the Bible in German?
He wanted people to understand it by themselves! He
invented UNIVERSAL PRIESTHOOD
Priests lied often to people to manipulate them
What was the consequence?
Everybody used the Bible’s content to justify his actions
and people quarreled.
The Church was split in two: THE CATHOLIC Church and
the PROTESTANT Church
2) Others followed Luther…
-the Calvinists created by a French JEAN CALVIN who
believed in predestination
-the Anglicans founded by the English king HENRY
8th who wanted to get divorced
3) Criticisms towards the Church were:
-Some considered the catholic Church was too close to
political power ( Gallicanism: the king had as much
power as the pope)
-They thought the catholic religion was too obsessed
with money ( Julius II sold letters of indulgences)
-They believed the Clergy was too ignorant and
manipulated people
B/ THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S REACTION
1-The council of Trent 1545-1563 ( different sessions)
A Council ( CONCILE) is a meeting of bishops who
explains the Pope’s decisions.
It occurred in a Italian city called Trent, hence the name.
2-What was decided?
-seminaries were opened to instruct priests
-Latin was made the only acceptable language
-A mass book was created
-The Inquisition was created
3-Consequences
QUICLKY THIS OPPOSITION LED TO WARS OF
RELIGION BETWEEN CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANTS
EXAMPLE: In France: 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day
massacre
HOPEFULLY IN 1598 HENRY 4th signed the edict of
Nantes which allowed protestants to practice freely their
religion.
Not only protestants but many others were judged and
sometimes sentenced to death by the Inquisition. ( Witch
hunt )
III/ A scientific and artistic revolution
A/ Sciences
1- Copernicus and Galileo
Nicolas Copernic was from Poland and demonstrated
heliocentrism against geocentrism in 1510.
Galileo in 1610 published a book which popularized the
Copernican revolution.
It helped to understand natural phenomena like the
seasons and the night and the day but It questioned
religion and God.
2- Medicine
1542: first anatomic chart by André Vésale
Leonardo da Vinci made lots of
drawings to study the human body
3- Michel Servet studied the blood circulation in
1535 for the first time but He was sentenced to
death
B/ Arts
So, in arts Renaissance brought a real revolution with
-New techniques
light and shadow
mannerism
perspective with the use of maths
oil paint
the antique style was copied
-New subjects
Man became a new source of inspiration in arts but also
in literature with the description of human feelings and
passions
Ex:Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
Ex: Don Quixote by Cervantes
Religion was no longer the only source of interest even
even Renaissance artists were religious and believed in
God ( Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel or pieta)
PERSPECTIVE AND ANTIQUITY RAFAELO’s SHOOL OF ATHENS
Van Eyck Portrait
of Giovanni
Arnolfini and his
Wife (1434)
New subject-
perspective
Thanks to
perspective, the
artist could
represent his
reflect in the
mirror
It was a way to
sign his
masterpiece
Michelangelo ‘s David in 1504 – New subject, nudes back on fashion
Sistine Chapel About a year after creating
David, Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo to Rome to work on his most famous project, the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Creation of Eve Creation of Adam
Separation of Light and Darkness The Last Judgment
Michelangelo’s Pieta 1499
Mannerism
Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa- Oil paint- light
and shadow
Artists were sponsored by rich patrons
popeJulius II (1500-
1513)
David by Michelangelo (1475-1564, sculpture from 1501-
1504) Medici family ( Laurent,/LORENZO
)
CONCLUSION: Why is Renaissance humanism a kind of
revolution?
Renaissance humanism brought many discoveries in
geography, in sciences, culture.
It also enabled/caused/triggered some real paradigm shifts
This is why it can be said it was a revolution.
However, even if I did open some people's mind, only wealth
scholars were concerned and the catholic Church tried to
oppose changes, killing people if necessary…
Colonisation
of the Americas