Renaissance Renaissance PhilosophersPhilosophers

Joe DarvilleJoe Darville

Renaissance PhilosophyRenaissance Philosophy

►New view of mankindNew view of mankind► Individualism – We are not only human Individualism – We are not only human

beings, we are unique individualsbeings, we are unique individuals►Man did not exist purely for God’s sakeMan did not exist purely for God’s sake►Humanism - An outlook or system of Humanism - An outlook or system of

thought attaching prime importance to thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or human rather than divine or supernatural matters. supernatural matters.

PantheismPantheism

►God is present in his creationGod is present in his creation► If God is infinite, then He must be If God is infinite, then He must be

present in everythingpresent in everything►Nature is divineNature is divine

Pico della Mirandola Pico della Mirandola

► Great thinker – wrote book that centered all on Great thinker – wrote book that centered all on human capacity and human perspectivehuman capacity and human perspective

► Wrote that religious truth was revealed to all, both Wrote that religious truth was revealed to all, both Christians and non-ChristiansChristians and non-Christians

► Tried to reconciliate every human philosophy and Tried to reconciliate every human philosophy and every human religion with Christianityevery human religion with Christianity

► Argued that everything in the universe was a Argued that everything in the universe was a symbol of Godsymbol of God

► Argued that every individual could become Argued that every individual could become anything they wanted in the universe, as low as an anything they wanted in the universe, as low as an animal or as exalted as God in understanding animal or as exalted as God in understanding through learning.through learning.

►Empirical Method - Process of Empirical Method - Process of investigating nature with our senses.investigating nature with our senses.

►Every investigation of natural Every investigation of natural phenomena must be based on phenomena must be based on observation, experience, and observation, experience, and experimentexperiment

►Knowledge based on ExperienceKnowledge based on Experience

Nicolaus CopernicusNicolaus Copernicus

►Claimed that the earth rotated around Claimed that the earth rotated around the sun.the sun.

►Pointed out that all observations of Pointed out that all observations of heavenly bodies were easier to heavenly bodies were easier to understand if one assumed that both understand if one assumed that both the earth and the other planets circled the earth and the other planets circled around the sun (the Heliocentric world around the sun (the Heliocentric world picture)picture)

Johannes KeplerJohannes Kepler

►Planets moved in eliptical (oval) orbits.Planets moved in eliptical (oval) orbits.►The speed of a planet is greatest when The speed of a planet is greatest when

closest to the sun (vice versa)closest to the sun (vice versa)►Same physical laws apply everywhere Same physical laws apply everywhere

throughout the universethroughout the universe

Galileo GalileoGalileo Galileo

►Moon is similar to the earthMoon is similar to the earth►Discovered Jupiter had four moonsDiscovered Jupiter had four moons►Law of inertiaLaw of inertia

Isaac NewtonIsaac Newton

►Law of universal gravitation – every Law of universal gravitation – every object attracts every other object with a object attracts every other object with a force that increases in proportion to the force that increases in proportion to the size of the objects and decreases in size of the objects and decreases in proportion to the distance between the proportion to the distance between the objectsobjects

►Gravitation is universalGravitation is universal►One set of lawsOne set of laws►Absence of GodAbsence of God

Martin LutherMartin Luther

►Broke away from the Catholic ChurchBroke away from the Catholic Church►People did not need the intercession of People did not need the intercession of

the priests or the church to receive the priests or the church to receive God’s forgiveness.God’s forgiveness.

►Man receives free redemption from Man receives free redemption from faith alone.faith alone.

►View of mankind – fallen from GraceView of mankind – fallen from Grace