Renaissance Humanism finds its roots in the aftermath of the
plague. Mass suffering and deaths caused by the 1348 plague had a deep psychological effect on
those who experienced and survived it. People no longer saw value in living
life for the afterlife and sought to make their current life better.
They began to embrace classical humanistic ideals to better their life. These classical humanistic ideals are rooted in ideology of Classical Era seminal thinkers such as Socrates. Socratic ideals still shape a large part of 21st century culture. And while much of his work is to be embraced; like his focus on the human experience, what it means to be happy and his emphasis on rationality, not all his legacy is to be upheld so blindly; the idea that humans are the most intelligent, most important life form on the planet is rooted in Classic Socratic values. And if we analyze current modern era problems that plague us, particularly the state of our planet and the state of humanity, we could trace back its beginnings to Socratic values of upholding the human agent as superior to all. Were we not so arrogant as to lead our lives unquestionably as such, perhaps we wouldn't be questioning if we will be the cause of our own extinction in a few hundred years.
This 14th to17th century post-plague time period is often referred to as the European Renaissance. This was a pivotal time for humankind bc it led to the wide spread of capitalism, fueled the demand in slavery and led to the consequent industrial revolution.
They began to embrace classical humanistic ideals to better their life. These classical humanistic ideals are rooted in ideology of Classical Era seminal thinkers such as Socrates. Socratic ideals still shape a large part of 21st century culture. And while much of his work is to be embraced; like his focus on the human experience, what it means to be happy and his emphasis on rationality, not all his legacy is to be upheld so blindly; the idea that humans are the most intelligent, most important life form on the planet is rooted in Classic Socratic values. And if we analyze current modern era problems that plague us, particularly the state of our planet and the state of humanity, we could trace back its beginnings to Socratic values of upholding the human agent as superior to all. Were we not so arrogant as to lead our lives unquestionably as such, perhaps we wouldn't be questioning if we will be the cause of our own extinction in a few hundred years.
This 14th to17th century post-plague time period is often referred to as the European Renaissance. This was a pivotal time for humankind bc it led to the wide spread of capitalism, fueled the demand in slavery and led to the consequent industrial revolution.
This wide spread of capitalism is somewhat ironic. Ironic bc fueled from a noble place, fueled from the tragic lessons of the Plague and fueled from a yearning for less suffering and a better life, it leads to the wide spread of misery for centuries to come. With Slavery alone, leaving scars that for many have yet to heal. Humanistic values have led to more suffering of those who were already marginalized. And yet it is still worth noting that the Humanistic Rebirth and some of its tenets such as capitalism have many core ideals which are heavily embraced today.
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