what was the relationship between Renaissance ideas like humanism or civic humanism, actual accompolishments..

Question

what was the relationship between Renaissance ideas like humanism or civic humanism, actual accompolishments in the arts and sciences, and political and social life?

consider how real-life politics and social developments might have influenced thinking, or fostered artistic expression and scientific invention

Answer 1

i think really the relationship between the achievements and the ideological beliefs is merely a concept and up to your own interpretation...
For instance "all men are created equal" standard renaissance line - however equality wasnt achieved in many places until the 1990's and still millions live unequal lives. So do we consider contemporary humanist achievements as Renaissance successes? or are they failures that WE have managed to achieved?
Really it all perception of what you believe worked and didnt from the period.
Very ambiguous question

Answer 2

I think that the biggest problem that you have is that you are looking at a specific date range for the Renaissance. There was a precursor period in the 12th century that is called the Renaissance of the 12th century. When did the Renaissance start? There is no specific date. Though I see Dante, for instance, as a thoroughly medieval man when you look at his birth and death rates, but he was one of many who began writing in the street language of th people, which I THINK makes somewhat of a Renaissance man. I don't know what dates you are using to describe Renaissance, but Humanism was well under way prior to the normally used dates. That humanism did many things of which kicking off the Reformation would have been one of the best.

My suggestion is to read Ferdinand Scheville's HISTORY OF FLORENCE since Florence is the king pin for much of what got started during the Renaissance. He does not start with the Renaissance, he goes further back. You need to see how creative the Florentines were, how many different types of government that they had, how strong they were politically.

I think it is important to look at all that preceeded a period and then all that was after the period. Since History is the study of cause and effect, you have to do that. There are people who state date frames, but that cannot really be done. The treaty of Paris is often considered the end of the 19th century, but in many cases we are still suffering from the effects of WWI, so really, where does the 19th century end.

What I suggest that you do is to study the medieval age, which was not dark, and work your way into the Enlightment period to fully understand the cause and effect.

You cannot leave out artistic endeavors, literature, painted arts, sculpted arts and architecture and you should pay particular attention to the painted arts, comparing High Renasissance art to Medieval art

Answer 3

The key idea here is to understand that humanism was a paradigm shift in philosophical ideas. Prior to the Renaissance people believed God pre-determined everything. They didn't believe they had any choice in anything. They weren't inspired to develop their skills, or make an effort at invention.Their lot in life was what God decided it could be. The Renaissance occurred shortly after the black plague wiped out an enormous number of people.
As people gradually began to realize they really did have some control over events in their lives, they began to experiment with their ideas and abilities. This was the "enlightenment" we hear so much about. All areas of endeavor were blossoming.

Answer 4

The difference is that humanism is an ethical philosophy that contains more and broader concepts. "Humanism" emphasizes the value of individual human beings and makes the flourishing and welfare of human beings in THIS life and THIS world -- usually in contrast to or instead of a preocccupation with preparing for the "next life" or "afterlife" according to the dictates of religion. Hence the common tendency for the adjective "secular" to be used to modify "humanism." Modern humanism has its roots in some of the Classical Greek philosophers and in the intellectual movements occurring during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Some consider the Utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham, J. S. Mill, etc. ("the greatest good for the greatest number") as basically humanist. What humanism shares with atheism is a disinterest in the alleged afterlife or in obeying religious dogma in order to go to heaven or avoid hell, etc.