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Humanism
Humanism, an Italian-based philosophy that advocates a new knowledge, was the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Throughout the Renaissance, scholars and students studied the works of early philosophers in an attempt to glean new knowledge about philosophers and their beliefs. During the Enlightenment, Humanism became a point of view in which human values became the focal point. While modern Humanism is a combination of both Renaissance and Enlightenment beliefs, the condition in which it exists today is closer to that of the Enlightenment.
There are many basic principles of Humanism, the first of which is similar to that of Existentialism. For Humanists there is no area of thought that is not to be explored, questioned, or doubted. Humanists are also unwilling to follow any set doctrine because of the belief that perception is different from person to person and what may be a fitting law for one may be unfair for the next. However, Humanists believe that man must take responsibility for his own actions and decisions. While Humanists and Existentialists promote the ideals of individuality, both philosophies agree that reason and logic must be used to determine appropriate actions. However, without logic, decisions are unreliable and dangerous to oneself and others.
Sensory perception is another important aspect of Humanism. Much like the third theme (the universe) in Existentialism, Humanism bases all understanding of the world on what can be seen, heard, or touched. Anything that is said to make sense should make sense in the mind of Humanist or else there is little reason for its existence. Rarely do Humanists abandon their reason and make a leap of faith because religious ideas cannot be concretely verified. Although Humanism has a strict position on what constitutes as sensible and reasonable, the first principle states that one is free to make his own choices, thus Humanists rarely judge those who believe in religion. In fact, neither God nor religion was denounced by early Humanists. However, main goal in Humanism was to remove religion as a dominating force and establish it as a separate function. While Humanists may not believe in God, the attitude toward those who do has breed an air of tolerance among Humanists.
Tolerance is one of the main points in the tenets of Humanism. After the Renaissance, tolerance for religious beliefs began to decline and finally culminated just before the Enlightenment. One of the finest examples was the fourteenth century Catholic queen Mary I. Mary, also known as �Bloody Mary� had more than 300 Protestant �heretics� burned at the stake because she believed that Catholicism was superior to the Protestant faith. While persecution had been a problem before the rise of Humanism, it increased expeditiously between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
Humanism, much like the Renaissance, has been the subject of many misunderstandings. For example, many people believe that Humanism was simply an isolated Italian philosophy, but Humanism (along with the Renaissance) spread to Germany and Switzerland in the 15th century. While Italy was still the capital of the movement, cities such Antwerp, London, Paris, and Augsburg became Humanist centers.
In such Humanists centers, subjects such as mathematics and sciences were becoming more and more influential in the philosophical world. To look at this scientific advancement, one must look at the root word of Humanism: �humanitas� or humanities as it is known today. To Roman philosopher Cicero, education was crucial to one�s bolster one�s potential and future. Such education was the brain child of the Renaissance and allowed it�s recipients to experience a new range of knowledge, including mathematics and sciences. The novel interest in such topics led to the birth of modern science and mathematics in the work of such men as Galileo, Copernicus, and Leonardo.
While Humanism is most notably represented in the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, many humanistic ideals were featured in the Reformation during the 16th century. Most likely, the little Humanism that was featured was just a prelude to that of the Enlightenment. While this may be true, the overall effect of Humanism was not nearly as great as it was in the 14th and 17th century movements.
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