The Humanist Approach
Your Task Create visual representations and a script in order to teach your classmates about the following topic: What is humanism and why was it able to develop?. Break the topic down into smaller questions: What is humanism? (define any other associated words) What factors lead to the development of humanism? Develop visual representations Examples are a stop motion video, time-lapse, or individual drawings. Scripts will be recorded and visuals will be complied to complete a comprehensive review of humanism developed by students!
The word humanist comes from the Latin word humanitas. The Romans used humanitas to refer to the quality of the human mind that sets us apart from animals which they believed to be our spiritual and intellectual abilities. What in a Word?
What is Humanism? Humanism is the term generally applied to the overreaching social and intellectual philosophies of the Renaissance era, in which the beauty of the individual was seen as superior. A philosophy is: the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an area of study. Humanism is the belief that man has beauty, worth, and dignity. As a result, life here on Earth should be cherished rather than simply endured.
Renaissance thinkers are people we refer to as humanists today. They reintroduced ideas from ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. They encouraged people to develop their minds and talents, and to use them for the good of society as well as the glory of God. The Rebirth of Ideas
Seeing Things Differently Educated people began to look at ancient works in a different way. They admired the eloquent writing styles of ancient writers and became interested in their ideas about society, politics, history, and the arts.
Humanism: Creating A New Way Of Thinking As humanists looked back to the ancient classical civilizations of Greece and Rome and applied these classical ideas in their own lives and work.
The Root of Humanism The Renaissance worldview was a result of intercultural contact with earlier civilizations: The Greek and Roman civilizations that form what we call Classical civilization The Islamic civilization that preserved the knowledge of Classical civilization and further developed it, especially in the sciences, math, and medicine of the great civilizations in India and the Far East.
Why Was Humanism able to Develop? The main reason why humanism was able to develop was of the decline of the church.
Guided Notes This decline of the church is the main reason for the development of humanism. People became less interested in thinking about God, the afterlife, and the saints and more interested in thinking about themselves, their natural world, and the here and now. The decline of the church occurred for two reasons: 1. The carnage of the black death and the church s inability to explain or stop the suffering lead many to look for answers outside the church walls. 2. The rise of the market economy which replaced feudalism and freed the individual from serfdom allowed them to make money, grow, and think on their own.
Guided notes As money began to be gained through trade, the power of the Church declined even more. The result was that city-states and monarchies were governed more by economy rather than religious restriction. All in all, the Church became replaced with the secular human's capacity to learn, create, and especially, enjoy! In short, it was replaced with the idea of humanism, where the study of human progress and human nature is at the centre of all things.