The Renaissance Abul Kalam Azad Senior Lecturer in Sociology, GED Northern university Bangladesh

The RenaissanceThe Renaissance

Abul Kalam Azad

Senior Lecturer in Sociology, GED

Northern university Bangladesh

The RenaissanceThe Renaissance

The terms Renaissance means rebirth, and in the development of Western civilization it designates particularly the rebirth of a secular civilization…

that was inspired in large measure by the civilization of ancient Greece and Rome.

General NatureGeneral Nature

Probably the most basic of the secular attitudes that characterized the Renaissance was humanism.

The focusing of interest on human beings rather than God, changes to an emphasis on a philosophy centered on the nature and condition of human beings.


The people of the Renaissance, like Greek and Roman kin, glorified the human form as a thing of beauty and the human intellect as capable of discovering all truth worth knowing.

Individualism was another important facet of the secular spirit of the Renaissance.


Medieval Christianity taught that individual ego must be carefully held in check, pride as a deadly sin.

The Renaissance was of different significance for women than men, even among the elite.


Despite participating with men in the new urban schools and playing a growing role within the household, women during the Renaissance were held during the Middle ages.

They played supportive, decorous and sexually inferior role to their husbands, excluded from active participation in the public arena.

Italy OriginsItaly Origins

The Renaissance began in Italy. By the fourteenth century many cities in

Italy had gained economic prosperity from long distance trade, commerce Industry and banking.

These cities were located where the remains and traditions of Greco-Roman civilization were most evident.


The elites of the cities continually infused with new members of the wealthy bourgeoisie, participated in commercial and industrial exploits.

Schools arose to serve the upper classes and taught a curricula more appropriate for their secular interests.


These secular characteristics of the Renaissance spirit are richly illustrated by the Italian literature of the fourteenth century.

All the writers of that time paints vivid, sensuous word pictures that smack of the world rather than the next.


There was open revolt against the medieval ideals.

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), in his celebrated The Prince, suggested that Christian morals have little to do with the actual practice of politics.

To acquire and maintain political power, the Prince (or ruler) must be willing to use both amoral and ruthless means.

DeclineDecline of Italian Renaissanceof Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance slowly changed and then declined as the centre of renaissance activity shifted to northern Europe, paralleling the shift of Commerce.

Italian art heavily patronized by the Church, retained its momentum for generations longer.

Impact of theImpact of the RenaissanceRenaissance

The Renaissance was a period of European history, considered by modern scholars as that between 1300 and 1600.

The Renaissance was drastically different from the Middle Ages.

During the Middle Ages the church held most of the power and …


it's economy was agriculturally based. Exploration and learning was almost put

to a stop. During the Renaissance society was

transformed into a society increasingly dominated by central political institutions with an urban commercial attitude.

New schools and colleges became more and more common.


European cities (particularly in Italy) were very wealthy, many merchants started to spend money on different things, such as painting, learning, new banking techniques, and new systems of government.

These things gave rise to a new type of scholar, the humanist.


Humanism was subjects concerned with humankind and culture.

The printing press was probably the most important advance in technology. Europeans first used movable metal type to print a book.

On small pieces of metal they engraved single letters of the alphabet.


By the 1500's printing presses where fairly well spread. The printing press had many effects on the world.

First of all, it made books much easier to come by, which made them cheaper. That meant common people could afford them.


As a result literacy became more widespread, in contrast to the Middle Ages where usually monks and church officials were the only able to read.

Second, since many more people were able to read, they wanted to read subjects other than religious or scientific work. So books on other subjects were published as well.


Also many books were published in languages other than Latin, such as English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Italian.

A third effect was that scholars had better access to one another's work. They could also read the great works of the ancient and medieval periods.


The Renaissance also had an effect on the general society. Many people became interested in politics.

In the Middle ages people were primarily concerned with serving the church and getting to heaven.


But the increase in arts and education gave people something to look forward to, and a life worth living.

People based their lives around various other things instead of the church.


In conclusion, the Renaissance was a time of new awakening in Europe. It include the general loss of power by the church, an increase in literacy and education, and an exploration period

Documents

The Renaissance Abul Kalam Azad Senior Lecturer in Sociology, GED Northern university Bangladesh