This time frame is known as the renaissance, however it has been debated that the renaissance was not unique from the time periods before it. I will examine the renaissance in terms of art, architecture, philosophy, economy and the practice of warfare and come to a conclusion regarding the level of distinction of the renaissance. I find that these five cultural areas are ideal for judging the differences between periods in history.

The Renaissance was a time when scholars became more interested in the activity of studying the world around them. Ideas became more of a tangible thing in the sense that when people traded goods there was a free and open exchange of thoughts and ideas too. It was a valuable time of growth in the quest for knowledge and truth. The Renaissance was a turning point for the idea of history (p. 241). In this important time in history, it is clear that the society was accurately and consciously documenting history.

The word Renaissance translates into “rebirth” which is a very accurate way to define the time. This rebirth is referring to the time known as the classical era; the renaissance had the intention of revitalizing the classical era. A legitimate push for the renewal of the types of speech and writing styles that were common in the classical era was a primary focus of the scholars of the time of the renaissance in northern Italy. This is most likely the foundation of the argument over the distinctiveness of the renaissance. This is a logical source for many modern day historians or philosophers to debate that this era called the renaissance was less than a unique time frame.

A unique concept that was highly utilized during the renaissance was the humanist method of study and analysis (source 3). With this approach the scholars of the renaissance focused on studying areas such as Latin and Greek and it spurred a new kick into the classical thoughts of science, philosophy and the arts.

One prime artistic feature that is unique to the renaissance is the highly developed realistic perspective. As a new wave of artists began creating art, there was a new drive to treat the canvas as a window to space. This eventually led to a trend of realistic perspectives in art of the renaissance. Towards the later part of the renaissance it became much more of a trend to incorporate important figures of the past into artwork. In particular, it was common to see images of figures that were important in the classical era. Artists such as Raphael incorporated a realistic perspective in his artwork. This is clearly represented in many works, such as The Engagement of Virgin Mary and Lady with a Unicorn.

On a similar note, Architecture took a unique trend during the renaissance. Familiar patterns of the renaissance architecture include symmetry, geometry and regularity of parts (source 2). What is commonly thought of as typical Roman architecture was also a trend during the renaissance. Here again it is easy to see how some people may confuse this repeat in architectural fashion as being simply an extension or repeat of the times before the renaissance.

The renaissance was a booming time for philosophy. An interesting aspect of the time is that there was a shift from an Aristotelian method of thinking back to a Platonic form of thought. Another huge aspect of the philosophy of the renaissance was the move to a real humanistic idea and outlook on life. This new philosophy encompassed ideals such as human dignity and potential and attempted to tackle the issue of the natural place for humans. Popular philosophical questions during the renaissance era would have been: What is the nature of Humanity? What makes the difference between humans and animals? And what duties do humans have to nature and animals. The philosophy of the time was fairly introverted and focused on developing reason rather than many of the Christian ideals of the times before the renaissance.

I find that economy is a vital defining point for differentiating eras in time. Many philosophers and politicians would agree that with as little as an economic shift, the entire era can be changed into a completely different time frame. For a significant portion of the renaissance the economic growth was fairly stagnant until the end of the 1400’s. Until there was steady population growth, the supply of the markets and farms often out-weighed the demand. There wasn’t enough people and money for the amount of goods that were being produced. Later in the 1400’s the population of the northern Italian area experienced sustained and steady growth. This led to a rise in demand and a push to a healthy economy. This shift from a time of recession to a period of economic prosperity seems to me to be a very clear indication of a unique time in history.

Another key section of culture is the type of warfare that a given society takes part in. For as long as there have been people on this Earth, war has been a significant part of the narration of humanity. During the renaissance there was an explosion of technology and much of that technology made a huge impact on the warfare of the time. One major step in the warfare technology direction was the sophistication of plate armor. Plate armor found booming success from about 1400 to around 1650. This breakthrough drastically changed the capabilities of the foot soldier and made the death toll considerably lower. Plate armor performed well when pitted against the use of blades. However, at this time gunpowder and firearms were beginning to become a useful weapon of war and this is where plate armor met its equal. From a greater distance the firearm had little effect on plate armor, due primarily to the projectile being inaccurate. This era spurred another great movement in industrial development in warfare. A vast number of technologies can trace back to the Northern Italian Renaissance as a great leap in the technology used in warfare. One of the first firearms, the Arquebus, was a light musket style firearm that was in use towards the beginning of the 1400’s (source 1). It required a stand to be fired from, but it allowed for a two-handed aiming style which helped with accuracy.

The technology of the weapons was only one part of the renaissance warfare. Another vastly important part of the warfare of the renaissance was the types of fortifications being used. In the later part of the renaissance we began to see what is now called the “Italian style” of fortifications of cities and castles. This unique style used thick, sloping walls with the intention to absorb or glance off the incoming cannon barrage (source 2). Again I see that this style of military technology leads to a very unique time period.

I can understand the statement that the renaissance was not a unique time period, however, I do not agree with it. It is clear that the culture made a major shift to and from the renaissance, as is common for cultures to do. I have demonstrated the unique characteristics of this time period and how it is a vast difference between the times before it. The re-occurrences that are present in the renaissance are just like the trends that we encounter today in our society. Knowledge of the past is our fuel for the drive for the future. Some might contend that the renaissance was merely a relapse into the classical era, but I contend that it was much more than that. The renaissance led to a huge wealth of technological, industrial, artistic, and philosophic gains. These gains are more than the medieval ages could ever have dreamed of. It is understandable to see that some of the motives for the growth in the renaissance were similar to the motives from the dark ages, but the facts are that the culture was vastly different.