Humanism

Humanism is a way of looking at our world which emphasizes the importance of human beings—their na­ture and their place in the universe. There have been many varieties of humanism, both religious and nonreli­gious. But all humanists agree that people are the centre of their study. As the Latin writer Terence said more than 2,000 years ago: "I am a man, and nothing human is foreign to me." Humanism teaches that every person has dignity and worth and therefore should command the respect of every other person.

Although humanism had its roots in the life and thought of ancient Greece and Rome, it flourished as a historical movement in Europe from the 1300's to the 1500's. Its approach to the study of humanity formed the intellectual core of the cultural reawakening called the Renaissance. The humanistic attitude toward life has continued to the present day.

The development of humanism

The humanistic movement in the early Renaissance began with the exciting rediscovery of the writings of the classical Creeks and Romans. These writings had ei­ther been unknown in Europe since the decline of the Roman Empire, or they had been known in partial and inexact form. The humanists were interested in the an­cient classics not only because they were models of lit­erary style, but also because they were guides to the un­derstanding of life.

This understanding was in contrast to the emphasis of many medieval scholars, who taught that life on earth should be despised. Such persons viewed human be­ings as sinful creatures who should devote their lives to trying to earn a place in heaven.

Humanists rejected this view of the sinful nature of humanity. Their fresh way of looking at life during this revival of learning began in Italy in the 1300's and spread to France, Germany, the Netherlands, and England. At its height in the 1500's, humanism was an international fel­lowship of scholars.

Leading humanists and their influence

Much of modern Western culture comes from hu­manistic achievements. The spirit and goals of human­ism still influence the arts, education, and government.

The arts. Most early humanists were religious. But the main drift of their work led away from the ascetic teachings of the Middle Ages which urged the rejection of this world and its pleasures. Instead, the humanists urged a more robust recognition of the realities of human nature. see the travelling guides.

Humanistic literature is realistic, critical, and often hu­morous. The Italian humanist poet Petrarch portrayed the "Laura" of his sonnets as a real woman, not a medi­eval religious symbol. The brilliant Dutch humanist Eras­mus was a priest who tried to find common elements in Greek philosophy and Christian thought But his great work The Praise of Folly was a witty and satiric criticism of kings and churchmen, as well as a recognition of gen­eral human error.

England's Geoffrey Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales and Italy's Giovanni Boccaccio in his Decameron told humorous stories that show a keen understanding of human nature. Frangois Rabelais of France satirized the church, universities, and other institutions in Gargantua andPantagruel Rabelais combined vast learning and wisdom with rollicking nonsense and earthiness. The English humanist Thomas More was a devout church­man who died a martyr. But Utopia, his best-known book, criticized the society of his time. Although all these humanists held high ideals for humanity, they looked at human nature candidly and honestly.

The humanistic attempt to view life both ideally and realistically is also seen in painting and sculpture. Ren­aissance painters and sculptors continued to create reli­gious art to decorate churches. But they gradually aban­doned the stiff, conventional style of medieval art, and developed techniques that emphasized individuality. Humanist painters also turned to nonreligious subjects, such as battles, portraits, and classical themes. In the Netherlands, Pieter Bruegel the Elder painted accurate, vivid scenes of peasant life. Humanist sculptors, includ­ing Donatello and Michelangelo, created realistic, richly detailed, and highly individualized statues. All these art­ists showed men and women as they are, with their va­rieties of attitudes, gestures, and personalities. Their art also presented people as majestic and worthy of admi­ration.

Education to the Renaissance humanist meant the training of the "ideal gentleman" or "universal man."

Such a person was skilled in many fields of knowledge, including art, science, sports, and politics.

Much later, in the 1800's, the English humanist Mat­thew Arnold set goals that are probably the best de­scription of the modern humanistic ideal of education. Arnold wanted people to know "the best that has been thought and said in the world." His ideal was the person whose powers were all in balance—who had knowl­edge, who knew how to live in harmony with others, who appreciated beauty, and who had high standards of moral judgment.

Today, humanistic education centres on the humani­ties, which usually include religion, philosophy, lan­guages, literature, history, and the arts. Together, these subjects have humanistic ideals at their centre. They try to interpret the meaning of life, rather than just describ­ing the physical world or society.

Government. Humanism's opposition to political tyr­anny in the late 1700's was an important influence in the American and French revolutions. Both the American Declaration of Independence and the French Declara­tion of the Rights of Man declare the dignity of human­ity. They are, therefore, humanistic as well as political documents. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and other American revolutionary leaders were among the leading humanists of their age.

Humanism today. Many educators and philosophers believe that the greatest challenge to humanism, and in­deed a threat to the safety of society, comes from too great an emphasis on science and technology. They re­alize that scientific achievements have greatly increased our knowledge and power. But they also believe that hu­manism must teach us how to use this knowledge and power in a moral, human way. See also Renaissance and its list of related articles.