Renaissance Humanism - PowerPoint Presentation

Renaissance Humanism Major themes:Individualism: personal autonomy, potential, and achievement rather than one’s role as expected by society, community, state, or church. Subjective religious experience: personal understanding and relationship with God as opposed to dogmatic teachings of the churchReawakening of Platonic/Pythagorean philosophy as opposed to the prevailing dominance of AristotleOptimism regarding the potential for human understanding to improve the human conditionImportant figures:Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374): Poet; Renaissance optimist. In and out of politics. Argued for positive form of Augustinian subjective religion. Actualizing God-given human potential can improve individual human and society at large. Giovanni Pico (1463-1494): “Prince of Harmony.” Cabbalism with Christianity. By understanding the broad commonalities of various philosophical traditions, humans could draw closer to angelic perfection as opposed to animal brutality. Humans only species without a place in the Great Chain of Being. Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536): “Common sense” philosopher. Virtuous Temperance. Argued against excess in all forms, including excesses of the Church. Cynic simplicity as demonstrated by Jesus was the ultimate goal of religion. Opposed all forms of radical belief, including superstition and blind dogmatism. ‘Foolish’ common sense was often superior to complex erudition because it produced greater happiness and less fanaticism. Martin Luther (1483-1546): Leader of Protestant Reformation. Argued against human free-will. All human action is in accord with Divine command and therefore is of necessity, not freely chosen. Protestantism devalued reason for faith, but also denied dogmatic Aristotelianism of the Catholic Church. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). Renaissance skeptic. Humans too flawed, return to Augustinian view of human nature. Saw little value in human rationality. It cannot provide unassailable knowledge and often just leads to violence.

Rise of Science While empirical observation and theoretical speculation both have long histories, the systematic combination of the two – theory – empirical test – theory revision – further testing; was not achieved until the 17the century. This required “trust:” (1) sense observation was reliable, (2) rational induction and deduction was reliable, (3) that nature was orderly and law-governed. Claudius Ptolemy 100-170CE Geocentric universe, advantages: consistent with sense experience, reasonable accurate predictions, seemed to support Christian Theology. Despite some dissent (Pythagoreans, Aristarchus of Samos), prevailed until 17th century. Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543). Churchman/mathematician. Heliocentric universe, main advantage was parsimony, empirical evidence was scant.

Rise of Science Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)Like Kepler insisted on empirical tests of theoretical ideas, in doing so challenged Aristotelian physics (falling objects).De-’animated’ nature. Impersonal physical forces accounted for all motion However, adherence to Platonic/Pythagorean philosophy kept empiricism at minimum. Once mathematical law confirmed, further tests of generalizability unnecessary. Mathematical truths (primary qualities – frequency of pressure wave) superior to subjective sense experience (secondary qualities – sound experience).Ultimately conscious experience cannot be studied scientifically. Return of Platonic rationalism over Aristotelian empiricism.Johannes Kepler (1571-1630): favored Copernican universe based on Platonic/Pythagorean philosophy (it was more beautiful!). Improved it by elliptical orbits rather than circular. Insisted on empirical verification of mathematical laws.

Rise of Science Isaac Newton (1642-1727) Physicist, philosopher, mathematician, Cambridge professorLaw of Gravity (inverse square law).Universe was intricate machine, created by God, operating by universal mathematical principlesDeism – God the non-interventionistic creator. Principles of Newtonian Science-Deism: Primacy and universality of natural law or secondary causes- non-teleological- Occam’s razor: four causes – space, time, matter, force- determinism: only human intellectual limitations prevent perfect prediction - Classification is descriptive, causation due to external factors (four causes) is explanatoryFrancis Bacon (1561-1626). Lawyer, ambassador, MP, forced retirement for bribe-taking allowed time for writing/philosophical reflectionRadical Positivist: Science should be based on atheoretical, inductive search for causal patterns, not on theory-based deductive hypothesis testing. Theory-based deductive process was too prone to subject biases in interpreting observations. Types of biases:Past experience; Human nature; Semantics; cultural/tribal commitmentsTechnology over theory: Science should lead to practical advances for the benefit of humanity (fruit ), not necessarily ‘knowledge for its own sake’ (light).

Rise of Science Rene Descartes (1696-1650): soldier, mathematician, philosopher, adventurer, true ‘renaissance man.’Took mechanistic view of human nature. Animal reflexes account for most behavior in humans and all behavior in animals. Founder of modern philosophy, legitimized comparative psychologyReflex action: when stimulated, sense fibers opened valves in ventricles of the brain where animal spirits (cerebrospinal fluid) flowed down hollow tubes of nerve fibers back to muscles directed response. Inspired by mechanical water statues Only undoubtable reality is the mind or mental processes Innate ideas: Platonic in origin; I can think of perfection even though I have never experience perfection, must be divinely implanted (others: unity, infinity, geometry, God) Rationality separated humans from animals. Mind could influence body, dualist interactionism or Cartesian dualism. Pineal gland filled with animal spirits was directed by mind which then caused bodily affects.