HUMANISM

Recognizing the Beauty of the

Individual
DEL ROSARIO, VIA ALLISON
3ELS

Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

What is Humanism?
At the heart of the Italian Renaissance
was an intellectual movement known as
humanism.
a system of thought that is
based on the values,
characteristics, and behavior
that are believed to be best in
human beings, rather than on
any supernatural authority
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

Humanism: An Emphasis on the Individual

Humanists formed a
belief in the
importance of the
individual .
Humanism also
valued classical
culture.
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

Humanists nurtured
classicism in the artsthe
application of Greco-Roman
principles such as reason,
balance, and moderation.
Humanists studied the
humanities, the subjects
taught in ancient Greece and
Rome.
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

H
I
S
T
O
R
Y

The history of the term humanism is complex

but enlightening. It was first employed
(as humanismus) by 19th-century German
scholars to designate the Renaissance
emphasis on Classical studies in education.
The rise of humanism can be located in mid13th-century Florence.

Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

During the Middle Ages, between about the

3rd and 13th centuries, life and culture were
primarily focused on the Church and religion.
However, toward the beginning of the 14th
century, the power of the Church began to
greatly decline.
As the power of the Church began to decline,
humanism grew in popularity.
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

Two main causes of the decline:

1.The Bubonic Plague
2.The rise of the market economy

Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

Humanism VS. The Church

Humanism focused on worldly subjects rather than
religious issues.
Humanists focused on the present. The Church
focused on the afterlife.
Humanists believed people should use their own
minds and question everything. The Church believed
people should follow its teachings without question
in order to save their souls.
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

HOW HUMANISM
CHANGED
INDIVIDUAL
INDEPEDENCE

Prior to the 14th century, much of

Europe, and especially Northern
Europe, practiced the feudal system
in which wealth was based on land
ownership.

Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

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Due to the plague and the rise of trade, the power

of the Church and feudalism shrank and the
importance of the individual grew.
Man and human nature were no longer seen as
totally sinful and in need of punishment but instead
as independent, beautiful, and individual creations
of God.
particularly seen in the writings of Petrarch, the
Father of Humanism, in which he states, 'Sameness is
the mother of disgust, variety the cure!,' or in other
words, 'Go on and express yourself!'
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

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Decline of Feudalism = Rise of

Humanism
Humanists believe
that people have the
ability to think for
themselves and
create their own life.
People can do this
apart from social
class or family.
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

King
Nobles.
lords
Knights

Peasants
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KEY FIGURES
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Francesco Petrarch: The Father of

Renaissance Humanism

Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

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 A scholar and a poet who was responsible for the

recovery of manuscripts and works of Greek and
Roman writers (such as those of Cicero) that had
been lost in monastery libraries.
Like other writers of his time, he wrote in Latin
One of the most and influential humanists
Wrote Sonnets (14-lined poems) such as Laura,
The White Doe and Spring
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

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Giovanni Boccacio
Used cutting humor to
illustrate the human
condition
Presents his characters
in all their individuality
and all their folly
Wrote Decameron
Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

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Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

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Niccolo Machiavelli

1469-1527
The Prince
an Italian Renaissance
historian, politician,
diplomat, philosopher,
humanist, and writer.
He has often been
called the founder of
modern political science

Del Rosario,Via Allison B. _3ELS

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SOURCES:
http://www.britannica.com/topic/humanism
http://www.slideshare.net/claudineaireen/humanismpowerpoint
http://www.docfoc.com/the-renaissance-rebirth-1300s1500s-a-time-of-creativity-and
http://slideplayer.com/slide/1564622

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