1. The Renaissance

2. Beginning Date: 1485 End of the War of the Roses
Founding of the Tudor Dynasty

3. Ending Date: 1625 James I dies.
Some extend the Renaissance beyond this date to 1660.

4. Definition of Renaissance
Literally means “rebirth”.
Began in Italy in the 14th century
Rediscovery of the arts and scholarship of Ancient Greece and Rome
Referred to the flowering of
Literary
Artistic
Intellectual thought

5. Major Influence of the Renaissance
Exploration
Reformation
Martin Luther
1517
Salvation by faith alone; Scripture as the supreme authority

6. Major Influences Continued
Printing Press
Johann Gutenberg
1476 William Caxton, England
Tudor Dynasty
Henry VII; seized the throne after the War of the Roses; restored peace and order after civil war
Henry VIII

7. The Tudor Line

8. Scholasticsm The name given to the philosophy of the Middle Ages
Heavy emphasis on Aristotle’s writings and early Christian writings on the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church
Focus on religion, one church, reliance on authority, placement and acceptance of your placement in feudal society

9. Renaissance Philosophy: Humanism
More of an emphasis on human interests rather than spiritual
Humanity-centered
Religion still important; but changed the nature of religion
More emphasis on the here and now, this life
Celebrates human capacity for good

10. Humanism continued . . .
Questioning: What is a human being? What is good?
Growing importance of reason along with faith.
Results
-tremendous emphasis on learning
-flowering of independent thought in the areas of religion, science, politics, philosophy, and literature

11. Other Basic Beliefs Believe in an ordered universe
Reason is a way to measure truth
Great Chain of Being: things are connected. Importance of consequences for actions.
Free will: potential greatness or potential degradation

12. Comparison of the Middle Ages Renaissance
Strict hierarchy
Religion
God-centered
Order established through religion and hierarchy
Goal: to fulfill place
Chain of being
Reason
Human-centered
Order understood through reason
Goal: to fulfill man’s capacity for good

13. Questions of the Renaissance
Used reason, but there still existed the unexplainable, the paradoxical, and the mystery of the human condition
How much of your existence is determined by fate? Free will?
If world tends to be orderly, why chaos?
If reason is so powerful, why are so many ruled by passion? Why is there injustice? Suffering?
Shakespeare tries to answer or at least explore these questions.