The document summarizes several major historical periods and intellectual movements: 1) The Renaissance saw a rebirth of Greco-Roman learning and culture through humanism, with a focus on man as a subject of art, literature, and intellectual pursuits. 2) The Reformation involved the rise of individualism in Christianity and dissenting religious sects, as well as the development of national churches. 3) The Scientific Revolution established the scientific method of empirical observation and experimentation, viewing the universe through a mechanistic and mathematical lens.