The Struggle for Life in the Middle Ages and the Chaos of the Renaissance

     Humanism started as a rediscovery and a new concern with the manuscripts of antiquity, at first Roman, then Greek. These pagan writers were seldom concerned with an after-life, but were much concerned with the possibility of a good life on earth. It must be emphasized that the secularization of thought brought about this interest forth, for the manuscripts had always existed. Only during this time did scholars begin to bring them forth, read them, translate them, copy them, and within a few years – print them. 

     The movement began in Italy, and Petrarch (1304-1374) is usually considered to have been one of the first humanist. Among other things, he tried to learn Greek so that he might better understand the documents which were coming to light. After Petrarch the movement spread very rapidly as men discovered the ideas of richness, of beauty, of grace and of control which the ancients had known and which had been submerged during the Middle Ages. Scholars, nobles and clergy (though humanism was essentially a study of paganism) became ardent collectors of old manuscripts, and of old statutes which were discovered. Rapidly the movement spread to the schools and the study of history and of languages was stressed in many of the universities to meet these demands.

     While the influence of humanism was good, it did have at least two faults. The movement did become reserved for those of aristocracy and people of money and leisure. The people from the lower levels of society did not have the time, money, or education to devote to the study of humanism, as they were focused on the ordinary struggles to survive. Secondly, the Renaissance was a period of rapid development in science. The humanist movement was essentially anti-scientific. The distinction may be made in this way. Science is the study of the outer world; it is man’s attempt to gain knowledge and mastery of the environment. Humanism is concerned with the development of the human self or spirit. These are the qualities that lie with in humans.

     It is true that science owes something to humanism, for the search for old manuscripts turned up many which dealt with scientific subjects and helped free the minds of the renaissance scientists from the bondages of medievalism. Some humanist, too, had minds of sufficient scope to embrace the good things of the movement and to interest themselves in science also.

An example of one such person was Leonardo da Vinci.