This is an essay I wrote in 10th Grade, it could be better, but its still pretty good. Enjoy :)
The first point of Humanism is Exalt the Individual. Exalting the individual really means praising man and man’s accomplishments. When Francesco Petrarch wrote Sonnets to Laura, he wrote one of the greatest displays of Humanism ever written. Sonnets to Laura is all about the ideal woman. He focused on the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, Laura. He was exalting the individual. Another great display of Humanism was The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli. It was focused around the ideal ruler. This ruler being man, he exalted man. One of the most unique displays of Exalting the Individual was Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. It displayed the perfect love, between star-crossed lovers; the sad part is that they both die. It was the ultimate display of love between a man and a woman. As you can see, Exalting the Individual focuses on man’s accomplishments and displays man as the greatest thing ever.
The second point of Humanism is Enjoy This Life. Enjoying this life really means to understand that this life is the best and we ought to make the best of it. The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio was an excellent display of Humanism by Enjoying This Life. It is about a group of nobles escaping the Black Death (Bubonic Plague). Although times around the Black Death were rough, Boccaccio finds the Joy of life in the book. It was once described as “a book of the love of life”. It really focuses on the good of life and ignores all the disease and despair around the Black Death. Another great display of Enjoying This Life is Utopia by Thomas More. It was focused around the perfect society, where the people rule and everyone is enjoying this life. It displays the idea that a world where everyone does their part, everyone can enjoy their life. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare also displays the idea of Enjoying This Life. Romeo and Juliet do not bother focusing on the fact that no one acknowledges their love, instead, they focus on the love they share, and together they both are enjoying their lives. So clearly, Enjoying This Life is focused on understanding that the life we have now is the best.
Another point of Humanism is Study/ Question Critically. Study or Question Critically really means exactly what it says, we are to study and question everything we hear. We ought to study it for ourselves. That is exactly what Niccolò Machiavelli was doing when he wrote The Prince. In order to understand what the perfect ruler would be, he had to study and question various leaders. When he was finished with all the studying, he compiled what he thought was the ideal ruler, and wrote The Prince. Thomas More did the same thing. He had to study all the different societies and question them in order to write Utopia. He believed that everyone doing their part was the ideal society. In Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus was probably one of the greatest criticisms of the Catholic Church. He studied the church during the Renaissance and questioned the flaws he found. Erasmus also, because of his writings, inspired Martin Luther to spark the greatest event in Church history. Martin Luther was inspired by Erasmus to start the Protestant Reformation. Then John Calvin, and others, went on to reform the already reforming church, having been inspired by Luther. If Erasmus had never pointed out those flaws in the Catholic Church, Luther never would have started the Reformation. As you can see, studying and questioning the things we hear and are taught, can actually turn out to be very useful.
Therefore, the philosophy of Humanism was carried out in many different methods during the Renaissance, but one of the most significant methods was Literature. We see that great things came from these people writing the things they wrote and doing the things they did. In their writings, they carried out the philosophy of Humanism. Humanism was most certainly carried out in Renaissance Literature.
The second point of Humanism is Enjoy This Life. Enjoying this life really means to understand that this life is the best and we ought to make the best of it. The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio was an excellent display of Humanism by Enjoying This Life. It is about a group of nobles escaping the Black Death (Bubonic Plague). Although times around the Black Death were rough, Boccaccio finds the Joy of life in the book. It was once described as “a book of the love of life”. It really focuses on the good of life and ignores all the disease and despair around the Black Death. Another great display of Enjoying This Life is Utopia by Thomas More. It was focused around the perfect society, where the people rule and everyone is enjoying this life. It displays the idea that a world where everyone does their part, everyone can enjoy their life. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare also displays the idea of Enjoying This Life. Romeo and Juliet do not bother focusing on the fact that no one acknowledges their love, instead, they focus on the love they share, and together they both are enjoying their lives. So clearly, Enjoying This Life is focused on understanding that the life we have now is the best.
Another point of Humanism is Study/ Question Critically. Study or Question Critically really means exactly what it says, we are to study and question everything we hear. We ought to study it for ourselves. That is exactly what Niccolò Machiavelli was doing when he wrote The Prince. In order to understand what the perfect ruler would be, he had to study and question various leaders. When he was finished with all the studying, he compiled what he thought was the ideal ruler, and wrote The Prince. Thomas More did the same thing. He had to study all the different societies and question them in order to write Utopia. He believed that everyone doing their part was the ideal society. In Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus was probably one of the greatest criticisms of the Catholic Church. He studied the church during the Renaissance and questioned the flaws he found. Erasmus also, because of his writings, inspired Martin Luther to spark the greatest event in Church history. Martin Luther was inspired by Erasmus to start the Protestant Reformation. Then John Calvin, and others, went on to reform the already reforming church, having been inspired by Luther. If Erasmus had never pointed out those flaws in the Catholic Church, Luther never would have started the Reformation. As you can see, studying and questioning the things we hear and are taught, can actually turn out to be very useful.
Therefore, the philosophy of Humanism was carried out in many different methods during the Renaissance, but one of the most significant methods was Literature. We see that great things came from these people writing the things they wrote and doing the things they did. In their writings, they carried out the philosophy of Humanism. Humanism was most certainly carried out in Renaissance Literature.
Can you comment the sources you used to write this essay.... please? :))))
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