Renaissance and Middle Ages Overview

General Information

• Renaissance marked a rebirth of Hellenistic and Roman Culture
• Increased interest in arts, humanities, and learning
• Bridged the gap between Middle Ages and modern civilization
• French for "rebirth"
• Humanism emphasized individual potential and ability of humans to shape their lives

Middle Ages

• Lasted from 500-1500 CE (or 1400)
• Experienced decline in population, economic vitality, and city size
• Known as the "Dark Ages" due to a lack of interest in arts and humanities
• The Crusades/Holy Wars occurred during this era

Black Death (Bubonic Plague)

• Killed approximately 30% of Europe's population
• Caused blackened tissue/gangrene
• Zoonotic disease spread by ticks or flea bites

Printing Press (Johannes Gutenberg)

• Developed in Mainz, Germany (1450)
• Allowed mass printing, enhancing knowledge and literacy

Medici Family

• Wealthy Florentine merchant family
• Supported Renaissance artists including Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli
• Produced four popes: Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI
• Supported the arts and humanities, contributing significantly to the Renaissance.

Fall of Constantinople

• Captured by the Ottoman Empire on May 29, 1453
• Marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the beginning of the Ottoman Empire's expansion
• Renaming the city to Istanbul
• Severed trade routes and impacted European society

Renaissance Artists and Works

• William Shakespeare: Regarded as one of the greatest English writers (plays, sonnets, poems).
• Geoffrey Chaucer: "Father of English Literature" known for The Canterbury Tales
• Leonardo da Vinci: A true polymath (painter, engineer, anatomist, scientist) known for The Last Supper, Mona Lisa.

Albrecht Dürer

• German Renaissance artist (painter, printmaker)
• Famous for self-portraits

Donatello

• Italian Renaissance sculptor known for bronze sculptures

Michelangelo

• Italian Renaissance artist (sculptor, painter, architect, poet) known for the Sistine Chapel ceiling

Galileo Galilei

• Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician
• Revolutionized astronomy: observed celestial bodies with a telescope
• Supported the heliocentric model, challenging the prevailing geocentric view

Immanuel Kant

• Considered the most significant metaphysical and ethical philosopher
• Known for Deontology, emphasizing adherence to rules in moral judgments
• Proposed transcendental idealism, focusing on limitations of human knowledge

Karl Marx

• Advocated for a classless society
• Focused on class struggles and historical materialism

Modernism

• Embraces innovation, values individualism, and subjective experience
• Rejection of traditional norms

Pragmatism

• Focuses on practical consequences and real-world applications
• Values problem-solving approaches

Existentialism

• Emphasizes individual existence and freedom
• Individuals create their own meaning in life

Marxism

• Focuses on class struggle and historical materialism
• Advocates for collective ownership of resources

Idealism

• Believes reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual
• Ideas and consciousness are primary

Feudalism

• Dominant social and political system in Europe
• Focused on land ownership and obligations

Classical Antiquity in Renaissance

• Renaissance focused on revivalling classical ideals and thinkers
• Influenced art, culture, and philosophy

2nd Presentation: Bubonic Plague

• Pandemic ravaging Europe (1347-1351)
• Caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria
• Extreme death toll

Italian City-State Potarage

• Renaissance art often commissioned by wealthy patrons
• Artist contracts specified details

Vernacular Languages (3rd Presentation)

• The rise of vernacular languages in Europe (Middle Ages)
• Latin remained the dominant academic language, while vernacular languages gained influence during the Renaissance
• Printing press played a role in spreading use of vernacular languages

Why Vernacular Languages Rose

• nationalism fostered regional identities
• Decline of Latin's widespread use