Impact Of Humanism In The Renaissance

Many times, throughout history old ideas or past cultural aspects are often used again and are improved to mould current needs. The Renaissance is a prime example of how past ideas were used once again to create a better and more cultured society. There was once a time in ancient Greece and Rome where art, architecture, philosophy and writing flourished, but were later supressed due to a greed of power and male dominance. Right before the Renaissance however, the medieval ages were a time dedicated to religion and revolved around feudal aristocracies. Art was something only reserved for religious institutions and left the rest of society dull especially during the black plaque. It was not until after the mass disruption of Europe in all areas

Poleis at the time in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome had a monumental influence on the government during the Renaissance. Due to the expanding number of Greeks moving to the coasts of the main land, islands, and to the east coast of Aegean to participate in commercial trade, a new social and political system needed to be developed in order to accommodate the growing numbers and limited agricultural land. However, the Greeks desired a place where they could keep their "autonomy and independence, celebrate[d] their own rituals, and honour[ed] its own heroes" (61). This issue was solved with the development of the Polis or "city-state". By implementing poleis, this allowed for different states to enforce their own laws and traditions and not lose their independence. Sparta and Athens are two of the most famous poleis of the thousands found in Ancient Greece and exhibit how two city-states can be so different. Sparta was the most militarized polis, whereas Athens was best known for its agriculture and trade. The idea that two regions can be so drastically different, yet still lie independent of one another may be a reason why Italy once again adopted city states. This type of government was so unique

Great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were all brilliant philosophers, but their works were not truly appreciated until the Renaissance where a look on past works was emphasized. This ideal was called humanism and during this time, works from Ancient Greece and Rome were restored and referenced to create new, crucial writings. In particular, in ancient times Socrates ' beliefs were passed on through his pupils. One of his main ideals was that one should always be aware of the consequences of one 's actions. This can be highlighted in a quote by him stating, "the unexamined life is not worth living". Here, Socrates stresses that those who do not have a concern of how they live their life in respect to others do not live a meaningful life (84). After his unfortunate execution for "corrupting the youth" Socrates legacy and ideals were then continued through the life of Plato (84). Years after, Plato became most known for his dialogues regarding ethics and his challenging of current politics. It was these two classical thinkers who were the spotlight of the Renaissance. Humanists during the time of the renaissance often put precedence of classical works like Plato over works being written at the time (294). Again, this intellectual movement stressed that Greek classics were the most relevant sources of how to lead a