The Influence Of Humanism In The Renaissance

The Renaissance, which began in the 14th century at the end of the Medieval Period and continued until the 17th century in Europe, was a movement of “rebirth” of the classical Ancient Greek and Roman culture and a new interest in science. Through the Renaissance, Europe was able to develop in every field and produce a lot of great and influential people as well as many masterpieces. Renaissance also brought many new ideas which caused changes that built the foundations of revolutions such as the Reformation, which is a religious movement that rejected the Roman Catholic doctrine and practice and started the Protestant sects (Merriam Webster). The Renaissance encouraged people to increase their interest in learning and question their lives and the Church, which in turn triggered the advent of the Reformation that questioned the validity of the Roman Catholic Church. One of the main Renaissance thinking, ‘humanism’, which put emphasis on humans, influenced people’s perspectives about lives and the Catholic Church. Humanism was outgrowth of increased interest in the philosophy, literature and art of Ancient Greece and Rome and it was totally contrast to direction of the Church during the Medieval ages (Renaissance Humanism). The influx of new knowledge and goods from trade caused people to start to have an interest in learning and eventually, to question the very meaning of life. It was spread throughout the Renaissance period and it affected every field. The themes of the