Humanism was the major intellectual movement of the

Renaissance. Majority of scholars say it began in late-

14th-century Italy, came to maturity in the 15th century,
and spread to the rest of Europe after the middle of that
century. Humanism then became the dominant intellectual
movement in Europe in the 16th century. Proponents of
humanism believed that a body of learning, humanistic
studies (studia humanitatis), consisting of the study and
imitation of the classical culture of ancient Rome and
Greece, would produce a cultural rebirth after what they
saw as the decadent and “barbarous” learning of the
Middle Ages. It was a self-fulfilling faith. Under the
influence and inspiration of the classics, humanists
developed a new rhetoric and new learning. Some
scholars also argue that humanism articulated new moral
and civic perspectives and values offering guidance in
life. Humanism transcended the differences between the
Protestant and Catholic Reformations, as leaders of both
religious movements studied and used the ancient Latin
and Greek classics. Because of the vast importance and
broad scope of humanism, it is not surprising that scholars
have studied it intensively and view it in different ways.
This article provides a sampling of some of the best and
most influential scholarship on the subject and
demonstrates the broad impact of humanism in the era of
the Renaissance and Reformation.

Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) has been called the

Father of humanism, and while modern historiography
plays down the role of individuals, his contribution was
large. Petrarch firmly believed that classical writings were
not just relevant to his own age but saw in them moral
guidance that could reform humanity, a key principle of
Renaissance Humanism. Eloquence, which moved the
soul, was the equal of cold logic. Humanism should be a
doctor to human morals.

The 15th Century

By 1400, Renaissance Humanism’s ideas had spread to
allow speeches and other orations to become classicized:
diffusion was needed so more people could understand.
Humanism was becoming admired, and the upper classes
were sending their sons to study for the kudos and career
prospects. By the mid-15th century, Humanism education
was normal in upper-class Italy.
Cicero, the great Roman orator, became the core example
for the Humanists. His adoption jibed with a turn back to
the secular. Petrarch and company had been politically
neutral, but now some Humanists argued for republics to
be superior to the dominant monarchies. This wasn’t a
new development, but it came to affect humanism. Greek
also became more common among the humanists, even if
it often stayed second to Latin and Rome. However, a
huge amount of classical Greek knowledge was now
worked in.
Some groups wanted to adhere strictly to Ciceronian Latin
as the model for languages; others wanted to write in a
style of Latin they felt more contemporary. What they
agreed on was a new form of education, which the rich
were adopting. Modern historiography also began to
emerge. The power of Humanism, with its textual
criticism and study, was shown in 1440 when Lorenzo
Valla proved The Donation of Constantine, ostensibly
transferring much of the Roman Empire to the Pope, was
a forgery. Valla and others pushed for Biblical Humanism
—textual criticism and understanding of the Bible—to
bring people closer to the word of God that had been
corrupted.

Renaissance Humanism after 1500

By the 1500s, Humanism was the dominant form of
education, so widespread that it was dividing into a range
of sub-developments. As perfected texts passed to other
specialists, such as mathematicians and scientists, the
recipients also became Humanist thinkers. As these fields
developed they split, and the overall Humanist program of
reform fragmented. The ideas ceased to be the preserve of
the rich, as printing had brought cheap written materials
to a wider market, and now a mass audience was
adopting, often unconsciously, humanist thinking.

The End of Renaissance Humanism

By the mid-16th century, Humanism had lost much of its
power. Europe was engaged in a war of words, ideas, and
sometimes weapons over the nature of Christianity (the
Reformation) and Humanist culture was overtaken by
rival creeds, becoming semi-independent disciplines
governed by the area’s faith.