Humanism

We explain what humanism is, its types and how this philosophical current emerged. Also, what were the humanists like?

What is humanism?

Humanism was a philosophical, artistic and cultural movement that emerged in Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries which was based on the integration of certain values ​​and practices recovered from Classical Antiquity. Some of its most famous precursors and representatives are Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca and Giovanni Boccaccio.

Also called Renaissance humanism (although Renaissance humanism has only been a period within humanism), this movement was characterized by anthropocentric thinking, which placed the human as the axis of its concerns, motivations and desires. In this sense, humanism opposed medieval theocentrism that operated around the idea of ​​God and monotheistic morality. As in the Greco-Latin culture, the study of science was privileged, with special interest in all those disciplines that aimed to develop the values ​​of the human being.

In a more general sense, it is usually considered humanistic to any study that focuses and dedicates itself to the reading and exegesis (interpretation) of classical literature. Nowadays we call “humanist” any interest in human values.

However, many thinkers from various disciplines note this difficulty and maintain that the term must be used carefully, to protect the particularity of its own meaning. However, we can call humanism thoughts as diverse as those of Werner Jaeger, Erich Fromm, Eramo of Rotterdam or Jean-Paul Sartre.

See also: Illustration

How did humanism emerge?

Humanism originated in the 15th century in Italy with the influence of 14th century authors such as Francesco Petrarca and Giovanni Boccaccio, who defended a return to studies on Greco-Roman ideas and culture. This period of humanism, in particular, is known as renaissance humanism.

Certain historical events contributed to the proliferation of this thought. One of them was the appearance of the printing press in 1450, invented by Johannes Gutenberg. Thanks to the printing press, the fair and even distribution of academic texts was made easier and cheaper previously in possession of ecclesiastical power.

Another important factor was the creation of large universities (such as Alcalá, Henares and Leuven), from which critical studies on different classic works proliferated, such as the Aristotelian corpus and the work of Plato. Humanist ideas and critical thinking had a place there from which they could be developed.

Humanism was positioned as an access route to the different branches of knowledge commonly reserved for the ecclesiastical canon. The studia humanitatis (humanist studies) consisted of a complete training regarding all aspects of man, always based on the reading of different classical sources. Translations were made of many works that were lost or only spoken in Latin which allowed different branches of knowledge to be developed in depth such as rhetoric, moral philosophy, history and grammar.

At the same time, the appearance of patronage (as a form of intellectual financing) and the emigration of Byzantine scholars, together with the emergence of Pope Nicholas V, simultaneously allowed the development of critical thinking.

From these active and diverse beginnings, the idea of ​​humanist, progressive and liberal thought was developed which sought the intellectual fulfillment and ideological freedom of man above the pressures of the Church and the political institutions of the time.

Characteristics of humanism

• He developed an anthropocentric notion of the world and left aside the theocentric idea that had governed the last centuries of history.
• He raised the idea of ​​a much purer model of knowledge than that existing in the Middle Ages.
• He defended the idea of ​​using human reason as an engine to search for answers and leaving aside beliefs and dogmas of faith.
• He reformulated the education model that existed until then, gave importance to the study of Latin and Greek classics and opened new schools that promoted the study of other languages ​​and classical literature.
• He developed sciences such as grammar, rhetoric, literature, moral philosophy and history, closely linked to the human spirit.
• He sought to eliminate any closed system that did not allow the multiplicity of perspectives of thought. It was thought that with this change the total development of man would be achieved: physical and spiritual, aesthetic and religious.

Some representatives of humanism

The humanists wanted to give back to human beings the value they considered they deserved. Unlike the ideas of the Middle Ages, humanist principles stopped seeing man from a theological perspective and turned their thinking to a radical anthropocentrism.

Secular thinkers but also religious thinkers sought answers to their questions about the world in ancient thinkers. They did not invalidate religion, but rather considered that it had a civil function and was a tool to maintain the peace of a society.

Among the most prominent scholars of this time are:

• Leonardo Bruni (1370 – 1444). Italian historian and politician, he had an outstanding work in rescuing the classics of Greco-Roman literature.
• Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463 – 1494). Italian philosopher and thinker, his most representative work “The 900 Theses” is a compendium of the most resonant philosophical ideas that existed until that time.
• Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466 – 1536). Dutch philosopher and theologian, he was a critic of the institutions, the power of the time and the abuses of the members of the Catholic Church to which he belonged. In his “adages” (sayings) he defended freedom of thought and Greco-Roman traditions, and he sought to ensure that all people could have access to the gospel and with it, the teachings of Jesus Christ. His work “In Praise of Madness” had a great impact.
• Thomas More (1478 – 1535). English theologian and politician, he dedicated much of his life to the practice of law and the study of theology and Greco-Roman culture. “Utopia” was one of his famous works, written entirely in Latin. He was beheaded in 1535 for refusing to sign the act establishing King Henry VIII as leader of the Anglican church.
• Juan Luis Vives (1492 – 1540). Spanish philosopher, he was a precursor of the idea of ​​applying reforms in the academic field and the need for social assistance to those most in need. He sought to adapt classic works to make them accessible to students.

Types of humanism

Within humanism, and depending on where its starting point was, there were (and exist) different expressions and schools of humanist thought.

• religious humanism. It is a religious movement that seeks to enable man to fulfill himself from a framework of integration of humanist ideas with different religious practices and beliefs. Auguste Comte's positivism can be thought of as religious humanism. Christian humanism is also a form of religious humanism: its specificity comes from integrating humanism into a monotheistic belief system, such as Christianity.
• evolutionary humanism. It is a current of thought that oscillates between philosophy, epistemology and anthropology and places the human being as the center of the world and of all philosophical or anthropological theory.
• Secular humanism. It is a movement based on certain philosophical currents and the scientific method to rule out those supernatural explanations, such as creationism, that exist for the origin of the universe and humanity. It is also known as secular or atheistic humanism. It is a branch of humanism that takes different philosophical and cultural elements from the history of humanity and presents them together according to the area in which it develops and the political affiliation to which it ascribes.
• Marxist humanism. It is a branch of Marxism that studies the early writings of Carl Marx from a humanist perspective. His work focuses mostly on Economic and philosophical manuscripts of 1844where Marx exposes his theory of alienation.

Humanism and Renaissance

The Renaissance was a historical period that extended from the 14th century to the 16th century sought to leave the Middle Ages behind and gave way to the Modern Age.

This period was characterized by great artistic, scientific development and social, political and economic changes that sought to bury the vestiges of the Middle Ages (which were considered a dark period) and give rise to the development of the bourgeoisie.

Humanism was an intellectual current that developed during this historical period and promoted an anthropocentric vision of the world, leaving aside the theocentric tradition and highlighting the capacities of man and human reason. In addition, he sought to rescue the traditions and works of Greco-Roman culture.

Importance and impact of humanism

Humanism is considered one of the predominant ideologies during the Renaissance. His anthropocentric ideas represented a paradigm shift that focused on the development of the qualities of the human being and established rationality as the way of understanding the world.

The importance of humanism lies in the rescue and dissemination of Greco-Roman traditions. During this period, translations of great classic works were made, allowing access to them to a larger portion of the population.

Besides, promoted educational reforms to make knowledge more accessible gave value to humanistic studies and contributed to the development of sciences such as rhetoric, literature and grammar. Humanism stands out for having spread values ​​such as tolerance, independence and free will.

Continue with: Rationalism

References

• Kristeller, P. O. (1982). Renaissance thought and its sources. FCE.
• Heidegger, M., & Girardot, R. G. (2000). Letter on humanism. Editorial Alliance.
• Sloterdijk, P. (2000). Norms for the human park: a response to Heidegger's Letter on Humanism (Vol. 11). Siruela.
• Levinas, E. (1993). Humanism of the other man. 21st century.
• “Thomas More” at the Santo Tomás More Foundation.
• “Humanism” in Encyclopedia Britannica.