Humanism and the Renaissance (Chapter 3)
(p. 58-59)
Humanists added ___________________________ ideas to the Christian beliefs of the Middle ages.
Humanist encouraged people to use and develop their ___________________________ and talents
for the good of ___________________________ as well as for the the glory of God.
A Rebirth of Ideas (p. 60-64)
The word “humanist” comes from the Latin word ___________________________ , which refers to
the quality of the human mind. Why do you think that this word was chosen to describe these
people? __________________________________________________________________________
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Where did the Humanists get their “new” ideas from? ____________________________________
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What was it about the writings that made humanists interested in them? _____________________
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Why can this be described as a form of intercultural contact with an earlier civilization?
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Who were responsible for spreading the Humanist ideas? __________________________________
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Humanism and the Individual
What idea from the classical period (time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans) did the Renaissance
thinkers consider to be the most important? ____________________________________________
How did they make this idea fit with their Christian beliefs? ________________________________
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A virtue is a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of
principle and good moral being.
According to the Renaissance Humanists, what are four virtues of people:
1- _______________________________________________________________________________
2- _______________________________________________________________________________
3- _______________________________________________________________________________
4- _______________________________________________________________________________
Who was Francesco Petrarch? ________________________________________________________
How did he see his own time period, when compared to the Classical
time period of Ancient Greece and Rome? ______________________________________________
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What did Petrarch and other Humanist scholars do to try and promote
their ideas? _______________________________________________________________________
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Look closely at the painting of Petrarch on page 63 and The Ambassadors on page 64. What do the
paintings reveal about the virtues of the Humanists? (identify specific examples and their meaning)
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Thinkers and Society (p. 65-69)
Renaissance thinkers were often the ___________________ ___________________ of their
communities. They were like the politicians, writers, activists and film makers of today. As a result
they were able to affect ___________________________ of Renaissance society.
Civic Humanism
Define the term Civic:_______________________________________________________________
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Civic Humanism interested in how people can be
___________________________ of society.
Cicero, a Roman philosopher, inspired Humanists. His idea that
___________________________ was the duty of everyone in society,
Civic Humanists believed that being a responsible citizen meant educating
yourself about history and politics and working to
_______________________ ___ ___________________________.
Does this value still affect our society today? YES or NO
Explain your answer and provide an example. ___________________________________________
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Humanism and Education
What subjects do all students need to learn in schools today?_______________________________
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Why do you think that we have you study these particular subjects?
What does this tell you about what we, as a society, value? ________________________________
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If you were in charge, what do you think all students should learn? (Explain why) _______________
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Humanists valued education very highly. Many Humanists became teachers who started up schools.
In the Middle Ages, those who were able to gain an education were most often taught grammar,
public speaking, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music, theology, scripture and medicine.
What subjects did the Humanists ALSO teach in their schools? ______________________________
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How doe this compare to today? ______________________________________________________
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How did education help the Humanists spread their ideas? _________________________________
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Humanism and Religion
The writings that Renaissance Humanists used and admired were written _____________________
the beginning of ___________________________ . Despite this, and the focus on individual
achievement, history and the arts; Humanists continued to be devout ________________________.
Humanists blended ideas from the classical period with their Christian beliefs of the time.
Why do you think that this was the case? _______________________________________________
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Read the introduction to the chapter on page 59. Why did Michelangelo choose David to symbolize
the city of Florence? ________________________________________________________________
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What does this tell you about Michelangelo’s view of Florence and its future? _________________
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Do you think that Michelangelo was a Humanist?_________________________________________