The Renaissance was a time where the human mind was one of the main concerns for artists. Artists were concerned with music and literature and other subjects dealing with the human condition. This is not a new idea, it simply has a name. Historians now call this idea, Humanism. However, it is simply a revival of the type of thinking that happened during the golden years of ancient Rome and Athens. Bernardo Giustiniani believed that “letters and culture always followed a great empire.” During the 15th century, Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome started to emerge as powerful city-states with vast economic resources. Those resources held great appeal to artists, because that meant commissions. The majority of commission would eventually lead to a subject concerning Humanism.
Humanism was the predominate thought for about 60 years, from c. 1400 to 1460. It however, didn’t just stay in the realm of art. It bled into the civic realm as well. It was a train of thought that encompassed so much of the 15th century population. They had to reconcile the ideas of the ancient world with the modern Christian world. Also they had to deal with humanism in terms of their government.
Lauro Martines’ article “Humanism: A Program for Ruling Classes” deals with the idea of Humanism in terms of the dominate social class. So mainly dealing with, what would now be considered the upper-middle class. Martines uses historical data and literary references to prove his points. He uses literary references written from the 15th century making them more reliable than if they had been written in modern times. Overall, Marines uses strong references and makes a good argument that Humanism was largely restricted to the upper-middle class.
I like the background on humanism in your post. You said that humanism wasn't necessarily a new concept but during the Renaissance it was actually given a name.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that the ideals of humanism, the concerns with music, literature, and other subjects dealing with the human condition, still exists today? Does it go by a different name or does it not exist?
Interesting questions. I think for the most part music and literature still deal with some aspects of the human condition. I think it just looks different than what most scholars consider humanism. Creative aspects of our lives continually deal with aspects of humanism, whether we realize it our not. As humans, especially in today's world, we are constantly asking what the point of life is. In my mind that is one aspect of humanism thought that has survived.
DeleteImportant comments thru-out, and I agree with Texel that you make a unique point about an old concept given a new name (at least for the Renaissance). Also the problem of reconciliation and author's use of 15th c quotations. You want the word "predominant" rather than "predominate."
ReplyDeleteIsn't it always sort of a glorified repackaging of older ideas, though? We talk about how Titian precedes the Baroque artists by several years, but there were loads of typical renaissance things in his work too.
DeleteIn reply to Texell and Patricia, I briefly touched upon the idea of Humanism existing today. It is in my response
ReplyDeletehttp://bigskydreamin.blogspot.com/2013/09/humanism-in-modern-setting.html
The idea that Humanism and studia humanitatis laid the foundation for today's education system.
Even though the humanism movement in the High Renaissance was only available to people of high social status, it has continuously evolved into a Humanities course that is available to all people. I am in favor of the ideology of virtue and wisdom in moving people to do things in their community for the greater good; however, oftentimes wealth and profit overrides civic duty.
ReplyDelete