Humanism :: essays research papers fc

1HumanismThe Renaissance, which began in Italy in 1300s, was one of the largest plosives of growth and development in Western Europe. The increase in trade caused an abundance in wealth that resulted in the focusing of the arts. Such things as literature, paintings, sculptures and many more works are known to have blossomed from the period known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance was started by many rich Italian cities, such as Florence, Ferrara, Milan, and Venice (Bram 274). Because these cities were very wealthy, many merchants started to spend money on unlike things, such as painting, learning, new banking techniques, and new systems of government. These things gave rise to a new type of scholar, the humanist, and a new philosophy, humanism.     To understand the term humanism, one must depression know what some assume humanism to be. Many definitions are widely proclaimed by different groups and organizations. The American Humanist Association(AHA) defines humanism as2          a rational philosophy informed by science,           inspired by art, and motivated by compassion. Affirming           the dignity of each human being, it supports the           maximization of individual self-sufficiency and opportunity           consonant with social and planetary responsibility. It           advocates the extension of participatory democracy and           the expansion of the open rescript, standing for human           rights and social justice. Free of supernaturalism, it           recognizes human beings as a part of nature and holds            that values--be they religious, honest, social, or           political--have their source in human experience and           culture. Humanism thus derives the goals of life from           human need and interest rather than from theological or           ideological abstractions, and asserts that humanity           must take responsibility for its own destiny.           (Schafersman)Humanism is also defined as "a democratic and ethical" point of view on life that reiterates the fact that human beings have the right to and responsibility of giving meaning to and shaping ones own life, according to the internationalistic Humanist and Ethical Union (Schafersman). The Union also believes their philosophical view on humanism "stands for t he building of a 3more humane society through ethics" base upon the reason and the inquisitive capabilities of the human nature. The Bristol Humanist Groups view on their ideology is much simpler. It states, "Humanism is an approach to life based on reason and our common humanity, recognizing that moral values are properly founded on human nature and experience alone" (Schafersman).     This new word, humanist, and the principal get along became more prevalent during the late 15th-century in Italy and was used to describe a tutor or teacher of the "humanities".