Tuesday, September 24, 2002

Humanism
I hear this term a lot, and I belive it's one of those words which have a lot of different meanings, so many in fact, that when someone uses it, you don't quite know what they mean.

Columbia Encyclopedia says humanism is:

A philosophical and literary movement in which man and his capabilities are the central concern. The term was originally restricted to a point of view prevalent among thinkers in the Renaissance. The distinctive characteristics of Renaissance humanism were its emphasis on classical studies, or the humanities, and a conscious return to classical ideals and forms. The movement led to a restudy of the Scriptures and gave impetus to the Reformation. The term humanist is applied to such diverse men as Giovanni Boccaccio, Petrarch, Lorenzo Valla, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Erasmus, and Thomas More. In the 20th cent., F. C. S. Schiller and Irving Babbitt applied the term to their own thought. Modern usage of the term has had diverse meanings, but some contemporary emphases are on lasting human values, cultivation of the classics, and respect for scientific knowledge.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home