Ap Euro FRQ Sample-renaissance Humanism

The Renaissance approximately encompassed the period between 1300 and 1550 in Europe. It was especially prominent in Italy during the Quattrocento (1400s) as many notable individuals from the Renaissance, aptly dubbed “Renaissance men,” originated from Italy. A huge part of the Renaissance “movement” was humanism, the secular focus on individual values and achievements as opposed to the previously held belief of the dominance of religion. To the Italians, humanism represented a return to the classic ideals and principles of Greek and Rome—not a regression but rather an amalgamation of ancient worldly emphasis and Renaissance advances in various sciences, literature, and education among others. Italian Renaissance humanism had an overall effect of drastically transforming philosophical thought concerning the niche of the individual in such concepts as politics, education, and literature, pushing Europe away from the uncertainties of the Middle Ages and into the familiar modern world.

Machiavelli, an eminent humanist with regard to political science at the time, wrote The Prince with the intent to guide those in power on the fine points of enforcing and maintaining their said power. For example, he says that “it is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both,” as a feared ruler can coerce his subjects while kind ones will be ingratiated by subjects. During the Italian Renaissance, various groups of individuals came to power, notably the de’ Medici family (especially Giovanni, Lorenzo, Cosimo de’ Medici), a wealthy family of bankers who gained so much power in Florence as to practically rule the city through the entire Quattrocento. These commercial urban elites demonstrate an increasingly tightening bond between Italian politics and economics at the time. In a political sense, Italian humanistic ideas affected the public as to promote feelings of nationalism and individual acceptance into society, easing the transition into a period of New Monarchies.

The Italian Renaissance also dramatically influenced the development of education. The development of the printing press in the 1450s by Johann Gutenberg had instantaneous effects regarding the spread of knowledge. Instead of traditional, arbitrary classes with no method of organization, Renaissance humanism set emphasis on the achievement of the individual—that is, pupils were arranged by level of accomplishment and overall knowledge as opposed to a confused clutter of students. As in classical Greco-Roman education, systematized schools would teach appropriate audiences relevant knowledge. Now, the vernacular of the region would be taught as well as the universal Latin, and the importance of expression and application instead of plain absorption of knowledge was highlighted. More importantly, students learned morality and social duty to the world so as to shape character and personality. In 1528, Castiglione published Book of the Courtier, thus creating a guide accentuating manners and etiquette. In school, students learned of the quality of virtu, which every individual should strive for and gain as a result of outstanding personal achievement. This further underlines the growing individuality that Renaissance Italians experienced.