Humanism was a school of thought that arose during the Renaissance period (14th to 17th century CE). Its main focus was on rethinking human history from an objective standpoint rather than a religious one. While it was not a religious movement, it did seek to reconcile this new view of history with the Christian faith. Humanists emphasized both the greatness of the human race as a whole and the spirit of each individual human being.
Until the advent of humanism, the large majority of the study of ancient texts was concerned with advancing and supplementing church doctrines. Humanists were instead more interested in the actual words and ideas of the ancient philosophers than in how they could be used. The biggest example of this would be Petrarch's climb of Mount Ventoux in 1336. Saint Augustine had previously warned against taking too much pleasure from the senses, but Petrarch made his climb solely to enjoy the surrounding countryside. This new-found appreciation for nature became one of the most important contributions of the humanists to the Renaissance, and this appreciation has made a long-lasting impression on many different fields of study, including architecture.
The most profound effect that humanism had on society was that it made man the center of his universe. The individual man was given greater emphasis, while still retaining the importance on mankind as a whole. This sense of greatness and accomplishment led to a desire to reflect that feeling in their architecture. The Renaissance, therefore, was in part a re-imagining of architecture and building design.
Image sources:
--http://www.humanetwork.org/about_humanism/about_humanism.htm
--http://www.humanismandculture.com/the-call-to-rediscover-humanism/
--http://www.life123.com/arts-culture/architecture-2/renaissance-architecture/european-renaissance-architecture.shtml
Good Reading Response! Like how the title ties with the response!
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