Essay, Research Paper: Humanism

The Renaissance was a major turning point in western intellectual and cultural tradition. Many of these changes were centered around the idea of humanism. Humanism is philosophy predominantly centered on human interests. During this time period people started to become less "God centered"� and more "human centered."� These changes could be seen politics, education and the arts.
The major political change of the Renaissance was the change from the old feudal system to the more flexible and liberal class system. This was most noticeable in Italy (particularly in Florence), where the divisions consisted of the old rich, the new rich nobles, the middle class, and the lower middle class (the poor didn't count.) The humanism philosophy was very popular with the people and many political humanists even became chancellors of Florence. They used their rhetorical skills to strongly rally the people of Florence against their enemies.
The great changes in education of the Renaissance were inspired at first, by the desire of humanists to be wise and to speak eloquently. The idea of useful education for the people, and very "well rounded"� schooling in many different fields of learning were the new defined goals of Renaissance education. People all over (especially in Florence) revived the ancient Greek studies of Plato, Aristotle and many others. They rediscovered and studied the philosophies of these great scholars and redeveloped the "scientific theory"� in which you didn't just accept whatever was told to you, but you tested the truth of it.
Humanism greatly influenced the area of the arts in the Renaissance. Renaissance artists no longer were subordinate to the interests and the values of the clergy. They were able to create anything of their "artistic will."� People were now able to appreciate arts beyond just religious themes. Artists could also now take advantage of new techniques, such as oil painting and linear perspective to enhance the quality of their works. All of the great artists of the time became who they were solely because of this new artistic freedom that the Renaissance brought them. These artists also created works that were more complex than before. Taking advantage of this were artists such as Leonardo do Vinci and Michelangelo who are two of the most famous artists in history.
As you can see, the philosophy of humanism played a great role during the Renaissance. In turn the Renaissance was a major turning point in history in just about every element of society. This was the time when people questioned what they had always known. They searched for their own truths and believed in themselves. Humanism has helped man to realize his capabilities and made him certain of his own immortality.