2. Who were the humanists?
The humanists were
scholars who focused on
the humanities or the
liberal arts instead of on
law, theology, or medicine
This field of study became
extremely popular in the
1300s and 1400s in
Europe—and especially in
the Italian city-states
3. The Humanities
Subjects which deal with human
society (as opposed to studying
the natural world or studying
God)
Poetry, literature, rhetoric,
politics, history
The humanists of the 14th and
15th centuries believed that the
ancient Greeks and Romans had
reached the highest forms of
these disciplines
Cicero—Hero of the Humanists
4. Pietro Paolo Vergerio (1370-1444)
“We call those studies
liberal which are worthy of
a free man, those studies by
which we attain and
practice virtue and wisdom.
Amongst these I would
accord the first place to
History….Next in
importance ranks Moral
Philosophy…. I would
indicate, as the third
branch of study,
Eloquence.”
5. Quote from historian Diarmaid MacCulloch
“Humanists were connoisseurs of words. They saw
them as containing power which could be used
actively to change human society for the better. The
words which inspired such excitement were found in
ancient texts from long-vanished societies with the
same belief in the transforming power of poetry,
oratory, and rhetoric—ancient Greece and Rome.”
6. The Inheritance of the Ancient World
The humanists were enthusiastic about reading
Greek and Roman literature
Forgotten manuscripts were being rediscovered in
monasteries across Europe
As the Byzantine Empire declined, Greek scholars
brought other books to Western Europe
The humanists believed that ideas from the
ancient past could be used to create a better
future
After 1450, ideas and copies of books spread across
Europe much more quickly….
9. The Printing Press!
Johannes Gutenberg—not the first printing press,
but the most significant
Much cheaper and quicker than copying by hand—
Europe soon became flooded with books
Most people still could not read, but most villages
would have at least a few who could and would read
out loud
Previous intellectual revolutions had been confined
to the Church and universities; now new ideas could
spread to ordinary people
10. Why Italy?
Humanism emerged in
Italy—why?
A variety of city-states with
different forms of
government—interest in
political science
Italian city-states facing
warfare from outside
powers
Easy access to Greek
scholars from the east
Memory of ancient world
all around—ruins from
Roman Empire
11. Early Italian Humanists
Petrarch (1304-1374)—
Florentine poet and
teacher; fan of ancient
Greek and Roman
writers
“Father of
Humanism”: his
students spread
enthusiasm for
ancient literature
across Europe (first
time laypeople, and
not just priests,
became interested)
Lorenzo Valla
Used his knowledge of
ancient languages to
prove that a famous
Church document, the
Donation of
Constantine, was a
forgery
Created a new task for
historians—analyzing
sources critically (the
historical-critical
method)
14. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)
Greatest humanist political
thinker
Born in Florence—worked for
Florentine government as a
diplomat
Enemy of the Medici family
Medicis forced all their rivals,
including Machiavelli, out of
power in 1512
Imprisoned and tortured—
allowed to live but political
career over
Spent the rest of his life
studying and writing, mostly
about politics
Lived at a time of warfare and
chaos in Italy
Great powers of Europe
(France, Spain, and Holy
Roman Emperors) were
struggling for control of the
peninsula
15.
16. The Prince
Machiavelli’s most
famous work
Meant to be a guidebook
for rulers
Believed that order was
the highest good
A weak ruler was worse
than a repressive ruler
who prevented chaos
The ruler must be
realistic—the ends justify
the means
Machiavelli was and
remains a controversial
figure
17. Erasmus (1466-1536)
The “Prince of the
Humanists”
Born in Rotterdam, in the
Netherlands
Lived in a monastery while
young, but left to become a
wandering scholar
Trained in ancient
literature
Worked for nobles and
scholars across Europe
Friends with other famous
humanists like Sir Thomas
More of England
Took advantage of the printing
press to become famous
throughout Europe
Published sayings from Latin
poets (Adages); a translation
of the New Testament;
religious writings; and satire
Deeply religious, but harshly
critical of corruption in the
Church
He spent the last years of his life
sadly watching growing divisions
and violence among Christians
due to the wars of the
Reformation
