Renaissance Humanism and Enlightenment Thought in Europe

Renaissance in Italy and Spain

Renaissance begins in the fourteenth century in northern Italy and later arrives in Spain in the sixteenth century, coinciding with the reigns of Carlos V (1516–1556) and Felipe II (1556–1598). The Renaissance arises from the diffusion of humanistic ideas, which propose a new conception of man and the world.

Humanism: Concepts and Impact

Humanism is the study of philosophical and literary works of antiquity and an assessment of man — anthropocentrism. The result was the replacement of the medieval view in which God occupied the center of the universe: man would become the center of the universe and all facets would merit praise. This does not mean that there was a rebirth of religiosity; rather, new forms of spirituality emerged (Reformation and Counter-Reformation). Humanist philosophy was typical of the nobility and gentry; their ideas spread in universities and were immediately disseminated by the emergence of printing.

Renaissance Features

Features:

1. Ideal courtier: The ideal courtier occupies a political role in the court, receives a humanistic education, demonstrates military virtues and civility, and is modelled in literature by works such as The Courtier.
2. Figure of the patron: Patrons protected artists who worked for nobles and sponsored artistic production.
3. Imitation of antiquity: Artists imitated ancient works; these classical works served as models for creative production.

Enlightenment: Main Characteristics

Illustration: The innovative ideology of the eighteenth century whose main characteristics are:

• Rationalism: Reason is considered the primary basis of knowledge. This attitude encouraged the development of scientific thought.
• Empiricism: Against all forms of intellectual dogmatism, Enlightened philosophers opposed accepting prior claims without testing; they emphasized observation and experiment to know the world and achieve progress.
• Criticism: The philosophes sought to submit all previous knowledge to rational criticism.
• Desire for knowledge: Enlightened thinkers felt a strong desire to know the world in which they lived, to enlighten it (hence the name), and to disseminate what they had learned. This impulse explains the appearance of one of the major projects of the era: the French Encyclopedia.
• Utopianism: Many believed that the application of reason to all aspects of human life would enable continuous improvement of society and limitless economic and cultural progress.
• Progress and happiness: As a consequence of the previous traits, Enlightened thinkers aspired primarily to achieve happiness in this world.
• Reforms: To achieve human progress, Enlightened thinkers aimed to modernize society through gradual reforms carried out by kings and governments, including absolute monarchs.