What is the Real Cause of the Renaissance?

What is the Real Cause of the Renaissance?

Ayo visto lo mappamundi (Italian)A Change in PerspectiveDuring the middle agesFind GodProve pre-conceived ideasDuring the RenaissanceFind manPromote learning and discovery

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Cause # 1: Post Plague Awakening After the Plague subsided, more than 2/3 of all people in Europe were dead. The Feudal Lords had trouble finding people to harvest their crops and work for them. This led to peasants demanding more money and eventually freedom from their Lords.44Plague ContinuedWithout the Plague and pure survival to worry about, people began to explore art and sciences, which began the transition to the Renaissance years. Decline in population leads to food surplus and increase in business activityFood surplus leads to low prices-extra incomeAn Extra HourWhat do you think having extra time and not having to worry about food did for people?Go to my website and read the 6 hour work day article.Do a 2,8,32 summary for it.When was the last time you were bored?What would you do with an extra hour?6Problems with the theoryThere is a 200 year gap between the zenith of the plague and the start of the Renaissance67Cause # 2 The decline of feudalismSome nobles went on the Crusades that were wars betweenthe Christians and the Muslim Turks in Asia Minor from1096-1270.

Many serfs left the manor and lived as freemen in towns.Townspeople had greater freedom and were educated.They had more ideas about art and learning and theylooked at things in a new way.

Many of these newly free serfs sought our self improvement in the form of education. Which led to a rise in Universities

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UniversitiesFall of ConstantinopleGreek scholars fled to Italy and began to form universitiesThe invention of a movable type printing press byGutenberg Books could be printed more quickly by the new printingmachine.The price of books fell and people could afford to buy andread books.This helped the spread of ideas and learning.8

9Problems with the theoryThose who left to fight in the crusades came back with greater riches than they could have dreamed of. That increase of wealth might have strengthened Feudalism

Some argue that Universities grew because of the Renaissance, not the other way around9

Cause #3 HumanismPursuit of individualismRecognition that humans are creativeAppreciation of art as a product of manBasic culture needed for allLife could be enjoyableLove of the classical past"The Renaissance gave birth to the modern era, in that it was in this era that human beings first began to think of themselves as individuals. In the early Middle Ages, people had been happy to see themselves simply as parts of a greater whole for example, as members of a great family, trade guild, nation, or Church. This communal consciousness of the Middle Ages gradually gave way to the individual consciousness of the Renaissance." McGrath, Alister, In the Beginning, Anchor Books (2001), p.38.HumanismWhy Its WrongMany powerful families kept control of funding the arts, like the Medici.Not everyone had equal access to success.You had to gain favor to gain support.Humanism is about the good of the group yet everyone was really out for themselves.13The decline of Church InfluenceA Split in the Power of the Church

Early Middle Ages 14th century

Rome in Italy was the Church

Catholic Church There were two Popes and they fought for leadership ofResult:

It reduced peoples support for the Church and also reducedChurch influence.People became interested in the world around them and notjust in religion.12France controlled theChurch and moved toAvignon.

14The decline of Church Influence, issues with the theoryRing around the rosy:

During the plague the people turned to the church for salvation. People still were religious.Many artists were funded by the church.The church funded the Renaissance. 13

Causes of the RenaissanceCause # 1: Post Plague Awakening Cause # 2 The decline of FeudalismCause # 4 The decline of Church InfluenceCause #3 Humanism