Humanism

1. HUMANISM CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMANISM -Humanism was a philosophical and cultural movement.

- It started in Italy, in the 14 th century.

- Society and culture became progressively more secular.

- Main principles: 1.

Antropocentrism: - They rejected theocentric mentality which revolved around God. - Humanists were interested in studying humanity because, as the only species with reason and freedom, they believed humans were the centre of the universe.

2. Classical antiquity: - Humanists studied Greek and Latin texts and were inspired by the philosophers of antiquity.

- They admired Plato and Aristotle for their pursuit of knowledge through reflection and reason.

3. Scientific curiosity: - They were interested in science and technological progress.

- this scientific spirit was devoted to learning about naturethrough experience and observation.

- Their aim was to understand the world through reflection and scientific experiments.

1. HUMANISM THE ORIGIN OF HUMANISM - During the 14 th century, humanism developed in Italy.

- During the 15 th century, it spread from the different regions: 1. Florence: - Arts and culture flourished under the rule of the Medici.

- Famous humanists were : - Machiavelli, author of the political text, The Prince.

- Ficino who studied and translated the works of Plato.

2. Rome: - The papal court contributed to the spread of humanism and promoted authors like Cusa and Piccolomini.

3. Naples: - Many scholars and humanists, like Valla, found support in the court of Alfonso V of Aragรณn.

1. HUMANISM SPREAD OF HUMANISM - From the late 15 th century humanist ideas spread through Europe thanks to:

1.

The use of Romance languages: - Humanists chose French, Spanish and Italian as their means of transmitting knowledge.

2. The invention of the printing press: - Gutenberg perfected the printing press in 1450.

- This changed humanity because it allowed many books to be printed and spread new ideas, like humanism, even faster.

3. Schools and universities: - These centres of study had scholars that translated ancient texts, exchanged ideas and incorporated new thinking models to universities such as Bologna, Florence, Alcalå de Henares‌

1. HUMANISM HUMANISM IN EUROPE 1.

England:

- During Henry VIII regency, Thomas More, an English lawyer who criticised the society of this time and proposed a new model of social organisation in his book Utopia, published in 1516.

2. The Netherlands - Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote The Praise of Folly which is considered to be the best representation of Christin humanism.

- This work combined encyclopedicm knowledge with a strong critical spirit and religious values.

3. Spain: - Cardinal Cisneros founded the University of Alcalรก de Hgenares in 1499 which became the centre of humanism during the reign of Carlos I. - Nebrija worte the first book on Spanish grammar.

- Vives was an important philosopher and educator.