Humanism and the Renaissance + Protestant Reformation Essay

The subsequent position Ages is characterized as a eon of great transition and advancement, especially pertaining to areas of politics, economics, art and intellect. A revolutionary trend towards the pursuit of bare-ass companionship and ideas first emerged in fifteenth century re present Italy. This untried area of intellect marks the emergence of humanitarianism, which essentially came to be the defining characteristic leading up to the scientific novelty in the eighteenth century. The Protestant reclamation can be ascertainn as the arcsecond catalyst to the Scientific Revolution, which occurred around the turn of the fifteenth century.It was the combination of the expansion of humanism first witnessed during the Renaissance creating the desire for association, greater meaning and ultimate truths, with the power gained on part of the individual during the Protestant Reformation allowing for the pursuit of these new questions and ideas which, at the time, opposed exis ting knowledge that was universally accepted to be verit satisfactory this combination at last culminated in the methods, principles, knowledge and set in motionations realized during the Scientific Revolution.The Renaissance is a seen a diaphanous period of time emerging in the beginning of the fifteenth century, immediately following what is now termed the Middle Ages. First manifesting itself in Italy, it is considered a period which witnessed transition from the knightly to the late age, that is to say, the latter part of the fifteenth and the beginning of the one-sixteenth century (Bishop, 130).i Renaissance literally means rebirth, referring to the rebirth of antiquity, or Greco-Roman civilization. introductory to this, the advanced knowledge of the natural world possessed by the ancient classics meant little to the Romans, and for a pine time that knowledge went into decline, this is, until now (Henry, 557).ii Many aspects of aliveness were greatly impacted, includ ing areas of politics, economics, art and intellect. This new outlook sparked the installation of a movement toward greater gentility.Education was seen as the key to living a prosperous and effectuate life. In particular, the importance of liberal studies was widely agreed upon. Several key events during this time allowed for the spread of knowledge, creating the beckoning toward wider horizons (Buttimer, 11).iii For example, the blind of the printing press encouraged the printing of books, which culminated in scholarly research. Additionally, there was a greater availability to the lay people than ever before previously, there was plainly no access to such information. A historian describes this occurrence alien tongues and races have been drawn together, and have learned once again to date each others speech, and to enter into each others thought (Bishop, 131).iv Intellect and education began bringing people together who otherwise would not have ever circulated his or her new ideas and thoughts. more or less individuals in particular are credited with the fact that the reforms enacted were substantial. At an increasing number of Northern universities, Greek became a regular subject and specialists were hired to teach it. Old Textbooks were abandoned after having been used for centuries and were replaced with products of humanism (Nauert, 429).v Among the individuals more or less recognized for their impact on this time in history exists Desiderius Erasmus. Inarguably, Erasmus can be seen as a perfect demonstration of a humanist. Erasmus was before all else a scholar and a humanist. He was filled with a genuine enthusiasm for learning (Bishop, 137).vi It was this motivated spirit that drove the culmination of the humanitarian movement.Intellect and scholarly research was greatly dedicated to religion. Erasmus insisted that the dialectic method of the academic theologians had produced a theological science that concentrated on trivial, abstruse ques tions of little or no real value to the unavoidably of the church (Nauert, 431).vii This argument became the basis for much of Erasmus highly esteemed, accredited exercise he was determined to carry on his status as orthodox Catholic (Nauert, 431).viiiSoon, modern-day humanists greatest aspiration was the church. Many criticized Erasmus, believing that he lacked theological training and hence had neither a legal nor an intellectual right to speak and notify on questions involving theology and the Bible (Nauert, 431).ix Until this point in my discussion thus far, not much opposition has been mentioned. It is very important and essential to note that this new topic of new knowledge created extreme amounts of tension, ultimately culminating in the Protestant Reformation.At the same as scholars such as Erasmus, Bacon and Galileo emerged, scholastic theologians arrogantly sit down back and issued condemnations, which greatly hindered the advancement of intellect (Nauert, 431).x Cl early established thus far was the recently re-create desire for new knowledge in response, many new education establishments received great take over and ideas began to circulate. In order for the continuing and pursuit of the ever evolving goals of humanists, there needed to be some diversify that would allow for this. This is one contributing factor to Erasmus dedication to reforming the church. Conflicts among humanists and scholars reflected a disharmony that is fundamental, and furthermore came to define the divergence over academic competency and exacerbation of the debate during the Reformation as the two forces behind the weigh (Nauert, 432).xiBy this point in time it was seen as a necessity that religion be transformed. Among some(prenominal) attempts throughout history, the Protestant Reformation is the only attempt that was successfully institutionalized (Bellah, 369).xii So much work thus far had been the foundational truth scholastic philosophers and theologians s pent long years acquiring the skills of dialectical cable and familiarity with the opinions of the past authorities, both ancient and medieval (Nauert, 433).xiii It would take great influence to override these criticisms, but Erasmus place the foundation for Martin Luther.Erasmus pains were those of a delicate body and a sensitive and intellectual mind, amid surrounds which were uncongenial and thusly fatal to any humane culture (Bishop, 135).xiv Whereas this was so, Luthers misery arose from the pains and travail of his moral reputation in his endeavor to find peace with God (Bishop, 135).xv For, it was out of these throes of conscience a great spiritual movement was to be born (Bishop, 135).xvi It was the combination of the significant influence witnessed having been imparted by Erasmus and Martin Luther that eventually instigated the long time coming Protestant Reformation.The Protestant Reformation was the main event occurring during the Renaissance that allowed for the in stitutionalizing of knowledge and new shipway of obtaining and exploring it. The defining characteristic concerning the Protestant Reformation is the collapse of the hierarchical structuring of both this and the other world (Bellah, 368).xvii It was the lead of modern intellectuals, or humanists, such as Erasmus and Luther that proved to be a catalyst to the movement Luther by a spiritual declaration of independence in which he boldly cast off, once and incessantly the ecclesiastical authority of Rome (Bellah, 370).xviii It was the consistency marked by the motivation of the ever evolving humanists, with the newly found sense of confidence toward the ability to influence society that culminated in the beginnings of the Scientific Revolution.During the late Middle Ages ,the application of natural philosophy logic to theology transformed it into an analytic discipline. The extraordinary nature of this switch is manifested when we see the kinds of questions that were routinely dis cussed in the average theological treatise.xix The humanists demands for answers and unceasing attitudes at the time finally paid off. earlier to the Protestant Revolution, the many attempts of humanists to voice their opinion and freely explore their new interests without having to fear the authorities. Historians have accentuate human attitudes and values in this fight for intellectual freedom (Buttimer, 5).xx The Protestant Reformation as a continuation of the beginnings of the humanism movement paved the way for the Scientific Revolution.Before science could have reached the full stop it did in the seventeenth century, there had to be a widespread use of reason and reasoned analysis. The medieval universities supplied the intellectual context for all of Western Europe. They developed a new approach to nature (Grant, 420).xxi The new religious organization allowed for intellectuals and humanists of the time to truly pursue their ideas that were in opposition to previously exis ting knowledge that had been universally accepted as being true. Overall this culmination of the split between Church and State, the power granted to the individual due to the Protestant Reformation, and the defining characteristics of humanism during the Renaissance were the leading factors in the birth of the Scientific Revolution.Intellectuals in the seventeenth century soon came to view the world and universe as neer before. For example, it was now known that rather than existing in an earth-centered universe, they were in fact living in a sun-centered universe. Famous figures in history existing at this time continued the already established tradition, and were able to impart great influence. These figures include, but are not limited to, Galileo, Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, and Isaac Newton. There emerged a shift from mentation the abstract, such subjects that previous philosophers had once been dedicated to, to pondering and experimenting the physical world around them. Prior to this time, Aristotle, Galen and Ptolemy were relied on for foundations concerning the fields of physics, medicine, and astronomy.Just as there were certain individuals and movements that laid the foundations previously, there are also those researchers who were trusty for the carrying on of life into the Scientific Revolution. It remained for Galileo, however, to apply the mean speed theorem to the motion of real falling bodies and to meditate and experiment to determine if bodies really fall with uniform acceleration. Thus began the new science of mechanics and the beginnings of modern physics (Grant, 421).xxii Before Galileo was even able to begin his investigations concerning the previous, it was essential that the events and transformations during the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries occurred. More modern discoveries attributed to the seventeenth century and furthermore during the Enlightenment, would have been seriously delayed had this transformation not occurred. P eople were finally granted the power, and discovered a new found sense of confidence when it came to the pursuit of new knowledge and ideas. If it had not been for this fight, individuals like Galileo would have had this job to do themselves.It is important to note that the culmination of the Scientific Revolution did originate with the great scientific minds of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the likes of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton (Grant, 421).xxiii Furthermore, this historian in particular states that although it is thinkable to insist that the full-blown concept of intertia did not appear before Newton, there can be no denying that Galileo, Pierre Gassendi, and Descartes played a role in opposing the Aristotelian concept that everything that moves must be continuously moved by something else and in suggesting instead that once something was moving perhaps it might simply carry on moving until something else stopped it (Henry, 554).xxivSeveral importan t foundations for the study of nature, and in general life at its core, were products of the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, and ultimately the Scientific Revolution. If it were not for the perseverance of humanists, and their sense of devotion, the advancements included in the Scientific Revolution may have not come for some time down the road. One of the most important outcomes that is still used as a basis today for scientific experimentation is the scientific method. The scientific method is such that, whatever the weaknesses of human endeavor, scientific truths impart steadily emerge and will come to be recognized and established as a matter of inevitability (Henry, 555).xxv In a way, Henrys definition of the scientific method can be seen as already applying to the transformation that created it.ENDNOTESi Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/ persistent/27530759ii Henry, J. H. (2008). Isis. Ideology, Inevi tability, and the Scientific Revolution, 99(3), 552-559. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/591713iii Geography, Humanism, and Global Concern. Anne Buttimer. Annals of the Association of American Geographers , Vol. 80, No. 1 (Mar., 1990), pp. 1-33.iv Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The Sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/27530759v Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as mode grow of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2544524.vi Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The Sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/27530759vii Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as system Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2544524.viii Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29 (2), 427-438. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2544524ix Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2544524x Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2544524xi Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2544524xii Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 xiii Nauert, C. G. N. (1998). The sixteenth century journal.Humanism as Method Roots of Conflict with the Scholastics , 29(2), 427-438. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2544524xiv Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus ,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/27530759xv Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/27530759xvi Bishop, W. S. B. (1906). The sewanee review. Erasmus,14(2), 129-148. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/27530759xvii Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 xviii Bellah, R. N. B. (1964). American sociological review.Religious Evolution, 29(3), 358-374. Retrieved from http//www.jstor.org/stable/2091480 xix Grant, E. G. (2004). Scientific Imagination in the Middle Ages.