The Renaissance

The Renaissance

The Spirit of the Renaissance

Why might a person’s view of the world & of life change?

• People hold certain values & make decisions based on their goals, expectations & ideas.• Sometimes values & expectations

change because of events in life (last item)

What circumstances might change the way people view the world & their lives?

• Education increases one’s knowledge

• Wealth gives greater access to goods

• Travel affords contact w/ different people & places (last item)

What might be considered significant influences on the way people view themselves & the world today? (last item)

What characteristics would you use to describe a person from the Renaissance?

• Public minded• Educated• Witty• Practiced military skills• Charming• Artistic• Athletic• Trained in the humanities (last item)

How did the economic prosperity of the Italian city-states encourage the development of the Renaissance?

• Wealthy patrons acquired libraries & art• They patronized artists, scholars &

schools (last item)

How did humanism influence the growth of learning?

• Humanists influenced artists to carry on classical traditions & popularized the studies common to classical education (last item)

Why did ancient Greece & Rome interest many Renaissance scholars?

• They believed that ancient Greeks & Romans excelled in the humanities• Classical ideas were good models to

follow (last item)

What areas of study did the humanities include?

• Latin & Greek languages & literature

• Composition• History• Philosophy (last item)

How did the Renaissance attitude toward earthly life differ from that of the Middle Ages?• Medieval thinkers viewed earthly

existence as preparation for an afterlife• Renaissance thinkers believed in living

a secular (worldly) life• Believed that you could enjoy life w/o

offending God (last item)

What are some Renaissance ideas still valued today?

• Appreciation of individual differences & achievements

• Ambition• Belief in human potential• Importance of education• Respect for public service (last item)

What was the most significant technological advancement during the Renaissance?• The printing press & moveable

type• 1st European one was by Johann

Gutenberg in the 1450’s• 1st book was the Bible (last item)

What were 3 effects of the printing press & moveable type?1. Bookmaking became much cheaper

• More people could afford books• Literacy increased

2. Bookmaking became faster• More books available

3. Scholars had better access to one another’s work & to ancient & medieval texts

• More knowledge (last item)

Why did it take longer for the Northern Renaissance to begin & how does it compare & contrast with the Italian Renaissance?• The north had to recover from the Black Death & the

Hundred Year’s War• Took a little longer for the cities to grow & for merchants to

gain the wealth needed to sponsor artists• The North shared the Italians love of the classics &

respect for the individual & was more concerned with religious matters (last item)