Humanities & Classics 1002
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Renaissance Forum
Humanities & Classics 1002 |
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In Reply to: PLEASE POST YOU FIRST REQUIRED POSTING AS A REPLY TO THIS posted by TOM BACIG on December 13, 1998 at 19:30:06:
Medieval and Renaissance Views of Humanity
Humanity is defined as the quality or state of being human. And just as we as humans are all different, many of our views on the meaning of what being human should be also differ. This point can easily be seen by comparing and contrasting two different times in history, the medieval and the renaissance periods. The renaissance marks a historic shift in history when men and women alike completely restructured humanity, as compared to the thoughts and views of the preceding medieval times. This shift can be most obviously observed by the writings of two men, completed only forty-five years apart from each other.
Thomas a' Kempis lived a monastic life, and so based his ideals and beliefs on the book of God, just as many others had done in medieval times. Kempis was most likely remembered for his passage from The Imitation of Christ, where he basically revealed to the world his views on humanity and what it really means to be human. Kempis writes, "When thou hast Christ, thou art rich and it sufficeth thee; He shall be thy provisor, thy true procurator, in all things, so that thou shalt not need to trust in man…Put all thy trust in God…" Kempis goes on further and writes, "The meek (submissive) man God defendeth and delivereth; the meek man He loveth and comforteth; to the meek man He bareth Himself; to the meek man He granteth great grace, and after his humbling He lifteth him in glory; to the meek man He showeth His secrets and draweth him and calleth him sweetly." These are all classic medieval ideals, seen from the hand of prior Kempis, given to his followers and all of the rest of humanity as a guideline on how one should live their life, and essentially commenting on what it means to be human. The message is very clear; live your live for your God, trust only in God, and live only to serve Him, for he is all that matters in life, and will reward those who live by these standards. The meek or submissive man shall be redeemed for his services, and trust not in your fellow man but only in God.
Surprisingly enough, this way of thought survived for many years throughout the history of humanity. During the medieval period, many fled from wealthy families to join monasteries where they could live life how it was meant to be, surrounding themselves with only work and prayer. Many people whose thoughts and ideas contradicted that of the church were tried and convicted of heresy, and condemned to burn at the stake. Humanity had a very strong connotation during this time, and the stakes were high if one did not abide by the rules. But these ideas saw a great deal of change when man and woman took a deep look inside themselves and redefined what it meant to themselves to be who they are, that is to say, to be human. This incredible new way of thinking triggered an explosive new wave of emotions and ideas, and man was finally free to think and feel for himself. This rebirth of humanity was so properly labeled the renaissance, a movement that brought about some of the greatest pieces of art, architecture, music, and intellectual work that the world has ever seen. The renaissance marks the beginning of modern thinking and feeling, where man learned to trust in man and to live up to his or her own dreams and goals set forth not by God, but by him or herself.
In contrast to Kempis, Pico della Mirandola in 1485 wrote Oration on the Dignity of Man, in which he illustrates these new ideals and views on humanity as seen from a renaissance point of view. Mirandola writes about the creation of man by God, but his views differ dramatically from his medieval predecessor Kempis. In his passage Mirandola writes, "I have given thee neither a fixed abode nor a form that is thine alone nor any function peculiar to thyself, Adam, to the end that, according to thy longing and according to thy judgement, thou mayest have and posses that abode, that form, and those functions which thou thyself shall desire…I have set thee at the world's center…so that thou mayest with greater freedom of choice and with more honor, as thought the maker and molder of thyself, fashion thyself in whatever shape thou salt prefer." These are very powerful words, and as such they accurately reflect the views and thoughts of humanity of their time. Man here is now set free; free to chose and decide for him or herself what he or she shall be and what form one will take. These ideas are powerful in the fact that they opened up a whole New World to all who live in it, and all who desire to be a part of it. The truth shall set us free, and with these new ideas, we have been granted the responsibility to do so.