Renaissance Vs Enlightenment
Throughout history, huge developments in science, art, building, etc. were usually attributed to a group of people or a civilization. For example, cuneiform was made by the Sumerians, pyramids were built by the Egyptians, and democracy was developed by the Greeks. Very few of the major inventions and ideas in the ancient world were accredited to an individual. In the ancient world, civilizations work together as one, and the individual had no place in society. Everything was about being one. However, starting with the Renaissance, and leading up to the Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment periods, the focus switches. The individual was finally in the picture. This change begins in the 1300s with the start of the Renaissance. The Europeans
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started to take Greek and Roman ideas of art, philosophy, and science, and they began to develop their minds and broaden their knowledge of the modern world. Humanists were the first to challenge the Church’s teachings that individuality and achievement were unimportant. They introduced the idea of the “Renaissance man,” and people were suddenly educating themselves in many areas of study, and they started to break away from what the Church had been teaching them. Sciences such as history, geography, politics, and ideas about the natural world became the topics to study. Renaissance ideas were already being spread very quickly, but thanks to Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in the mid-1400s, ideas could be published and spread through Europe like wildfire. William Shakespeare, a writer in the mid-1500s wrote a wide variety of histories, comedies, and tragedies. A perfect example of a Renaissance man, he had a wide knowledge of natural science, human nature, literature, and humanist topics. Though he wrote for the queen, his message, which included political satire and earthy humor, was directed towards the regular folk. Another writer of the mid-1500s was Miguel Cervantes. The story of Don Quixote is one of chivalry, romance, and dreams--ideas that were the satire of Spanish society. He wrote to show that dreams must be balanced with reality, and that his society was still limiting individual growth. After scholars began to learn more about the world, their eyes were opened to the worldliness and corruption of the Church. Finally, Martin Luther was the one to challenge the Church by publishing 95 complaints including criticism about the indulgences sold by the Church to forgive sins and the unlimited power of the pope. With the help of the printing press, his complaints were published, and caused a stir all over Europe. Other intellectuals began talking about Luther’s ideas, and there was even a religion started because of him--Lutheranism. All the commotion was caused by an individual. While the Protestant Reformation initially began in Germany, it quickly spread to England, where it was started by Henry VIII. Because his wife, Catherine of Aragon, did not bear a male heir, he decided to have the marriage annulled. However, the pope would not allow it. Henry decided to become the head of the Church of England, built public support, and finally had his marriage annulled. At this point, England had officially broken away from Rome, all because of one individual. Not only were people directly revolting against the Church, but they were also revolting against the Church’s theories. Scholars began challenging tradition and exploring deeper into science. Copernicus developed the heliocentric theory, which mathematically proved that Aristotle’s geocentric theory was incorrect. Copernicus explained that the sun, not the earth was the center of the solar system. Galileo agreed with the heliocentric theory, and with the help of a telescope, he proved and supported Aristotle’s theory. The Church took Galileo to court, forced him to say that he would not use Copernican theory, and put him on house arrest. Sir Isaac Newton developed the theory of gravity and explained how objects in space and on Earth were affected by it. During the Scientific Revolution, European thinkers began to rely less on the Church and more on themselves for the truth.
In the 1600s, they started exploring the areas of reason and law as well as science. They believed that reason could be used to solve any problems. During this Enlightenment period, thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Baron de Montesquieu discussed their opinions on government and the human condition. Thomas Hobbes said that laws must evolve to respond to changes in nature and environment. People should first choose leaders and then follow them unless the rules fail to satisfy the needs of the masses. John Locke thought that man was born with a tabula rasa, or blank slate. Environment is what shapes man, and by reforming the environment, laws could be improved. Like Hobbes, he thought that leaders who failed to uphold the social contract should be removed. Around this time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a composer born in Austria, was another influential member of the Enlightenment. Not only was he a child prodigy, but he lived up to his fame as an adult. His music was revolutionary, and he wrote for the general people, not solely for the
aristocracy. Now that everyone was discovering and learning new things about the world, many people were ready to start putting the new ideas to use. America decided to separate from Britain, and modern Renaissance men, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, wrote the Declaration of Independence. This declaration used the ideas of Locke and Rousseau, and it was like America giving the middle finger to Britain. After America’s separation from Britain, France wanted to follow in America’s footsteps and hold a Revolution of their own. King Louis and Marie Antoinette were wasting the country’s money, and were not producing a male heir. Louis tried to tax the people in order to save the country from bankruptcy, at the same time, bread harvests were poor, and prices were higher. People were poor, hungry, and angry. They refused to listen to the king. The third estate broke away and formed the National Assembly. They took the “Tennis Court Oath,” and promised not to disband until they had reached their goals. King Louis sent troops into Paris to calm the masses, and since the people were afraid that he was going to use violence to break up their meetings, they stormed the Bastille and armed themselves. This was the beginning of the Revolution, and the beginning of a long period of fear in France. During this Reign of Terror, thousands of people were executed by guillotine, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After the execution of the monarchy, things calmed down, and a new constitution was written. However, things quickly reverted to the way they were with the Old Order--there were high prices, bankruptcy, and citizen unrest. All this turmoil was a perfect setting for Napoleon Bonaparte to rise quickly to power. He was a strong military leader, and won many dazzling victories. Soon, he desired political control as well. Armed supporters of Napoleon staged a coup de`etat, and the government was handed over to Napoleon. Later, Napoleon declared himself emperor, and used his authority and superior military skill to dominate Europe. During his reign, he started the Bank of France, set up a more efficient tax collection system, established high schools, universities, and technical schools. He created equality before the law, a representative system of government, and he spread nationalism throughout France. In this case, one powerful individual brought much more change than a large group of angry French citizens. All of these examples show how people were able to evolve and develop a hunger for information. Scholars, intellectuals, and even regular people from the Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment periods were constantly trying to prove their intelligence and improve their lives. People wanted to make a name for themselves through all kinds of breakthroughs. The intelligence they gained led to a thirst for power, and a desire to control everything around them. Many nations armed themselves for all kinds of military attack. Everyone was revolting, trying to gain power, keep power, and ultimately strengthen their country. Essentially, this obsession with power was what led to World War I and World War II.
started to take Greek and Roman ideas of art, philosophy, and science, and they began to develop their minds and broaden their knowledge of the modern world. Humanists were the first to challenge the Church’s teachings that individuality and achievement were unimportant. They introduced the idea of the “Renaissance man,” and people were suddenly educating themselves in many areas of study, and they started to break away from what the Church had been teaching them. Sciences such as history, geography, politics, and ideas about the natural world became the topics to study. Renaissance ideas were already being spread very quickly, but thanks to Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in the mid-1400s, ideas could be published and spread through Europe like wildfire. William Shakespeare, a writer in the mid-1500s wrote a wide variety of histories, comedies, and tragedies. A perfect example of a Renaissance man, he had a wide knowledge of natural science, human nature, literature, and humanist topics. Though he wrote for the queen, his message, which included political satire and earthy humor, was directed towards the regular folk. Another writer of the mid-1500s was Miguel Cervantes. The story of Don Quixote is one of chivalry, romance, and dreams--ideas that were the satire of Spanish society. He wrote to show that dreams must be balanced with reality, and that his society was still limiting individual growth. After scholars began to learn more about the world, their eyes were opened to the worldliness and corruption of the Church. Finally, Martin Luther was the one to challenge the Church by publishing 95 complaints including criticism about the indulgences sold by the Church to forgive sins and the unlimited power of the pope. With the help of the printing press, his complaints were published, and caused a stir all over Europe. Other intellectuals began talking about Luther’s ideas, and there was even a religion started because of him--Lutheranism. All the commotion was caused by an individual. While the Protestant Reformation initially began in Germany, it quickly spread to England, where it was started by Henry VIII. Because his wife, Catherine of Aragon, did not bear a male heir, he decided to have the marriage annulled. However, the pope would not allow it. Henry decided to become the head of the Church of England, built public support, and finally had his marriage annulled. At this point, England had officially broken away from Rome, all because of one individual. Not only were people directly revolting against the Church, but they were also revolting against the Church’s theories. Scholars began challenging tradition and exploring deeper into science. Copernicus developed the heliocentric theory, which mathematically proved that Aristotle’s geocentric theory was incorrect. Copernicus explained that the sun, not the earth was the center of the solar system. Galileo agreed with the heliocentric theory, and with the help of a telescope, he proved and supported Aristotle’s theory. The Church took Galileo to court, forced him to say that he would not use Copernican theory, and put him on house arrest. Sir Isaac Newton developed the theory of gravity and explained how objects in space and on Earth were affected by it. During the Scientific Revolution, European thinkers began to rely less on the Church and more on themselves for the truth.
In the 1600s, they started exploring the areas of reason and law as well as science. They believed that reason could be used to solve any problems. During this Enlightenment period, thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Baron de Montesquieu discussed their opinions on government and the human condition. Thomas Hobbes said that laws must evolve to respond to changes in nature and environment. People should first choose leaders and then follow them unless the rules fail to satisfy the needs of the masses. John Locke thought that man was born with a tabula rasa, or blank slate. Environment is what shapes man, and by reforming the environment, laws could be improved. Like Hobbes, he thought that leaders who failed to uphold the social contract should be removed. Around this time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a composer born in Austria, was another influential member of the Enlightenment. Not only was he a child prodigy, but he lived up to his fame as an adult. His music was revolutionary, and he wrote for the general people, not solely for the
aristocracy. Now that everyone was discovering and learning new things about the world, many people were ready to start putting the new ideas to use. America decided to separate from Britain, and modern Renaissance men, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, wrote the Declaration of Independence. This declaration used the ideas of Locke and Rousseau, and it was like America giving the middle finger to Britain. After America’s separation from Britain, France wanted to follow in America’s footsteps and hold a Revolution of their own. King Louis and Marie Antoinette were wasting the country’s money, and were not producing a male heir. Louis tried to tax the people in order to save the country from bankruptcy, at the same time, bread harvests were poor, and prices were higher. People were poor, hungry, and angry. They refused to listen to the king. The third estate broke away and formed the National Assembly. They took the “Tennis Court Oath,” and promised not to disband until they had reached their goals. King Louis sent troops into Paris to calm the masses, and since the people were afraid that he was going to use violence to break up their meetings, they stormed the Bastille and armed themselves. This was the beginning of the Revolution, and the beginning of a long period of fear in France. During this Reign of Terror, thousands of people were executed by guillotine, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After the execution of the monarchy, things calmed down, and a new constitution was written. However, things quickly reverted to the way they were with the Old Order--there were high prices, bankruptcy, and citizen unrest. All this turmoil was a perfect setting for Napoleon Bonaparte to rise quickly to power. He was a strong military leader, and won many dazzling victories. Soon, he desired political control as well. Armed supporters of Napoleon staged a coup de`etat, and the government was handed over to Napoleon. Later, Napoleon declared himself emperor, and used his authority and superior military skill to dominate Europe. During his reign, he started the Bank of France, set up a more efficient tax collection system, established high schools, universities, and technical schools. He created equality before the law, a representative system of government, and he spread nationalism throughout France. In this case, one powerful individual brought much more change than a large group of angry French citizens. All of these examples show how people were able to evolve and develop a hunger for information. Scholars, intellectuals, and even regular people from the Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment periods were constantly trying to prove their intelligence and improve their lives. People wanted to make a name for themselves through all kinds of breakthroughs. The intelligence they gained led to a thirst for power, and a desire to control everything around them. Many nations armed themselves for all kinds of military attack. Everyone was revolting, trying to gain power, keep power, and ultimately strengthen their country. Essentially, this obsession with power was what led to World War I and World War II.