The Balance Of Rationality And Spirituality - 1241 Words

Ashley Lamphere Professor Matytsin 9/18/15 Renaissance Humanism: The Balance of Rationality and Spirituality The Renaissance was a period of cultural and intellectual rebirth, when the arts, sciences, religion evolved and transformed society. Those who defined its features and contours perceived it as a complete break from an imaged â€Å"Dark Ages,† when Europeans had purportedly turned their backs on antiquity. Renaissance historians, intellectuals, and theologians â€Å"rediscovered† Greek and Roman philosophy and text in the Renaissance period. Yet theirs was not a rediscovery but simply a different use for such material, as intellectuals, politicians, and theologians of this period looked to works and ideas from the classical period for guidance on how to solve contemporary problems (Cameron, 68). Yet the thinkers of the Renaissance period glorified their counterparts of the classical period and the era itself, as Petrarch demonstrates with his letters to Marcus Tullius Cicero. Petrarch laments in the fictional letter, â€Å"we of today are too feeble a folk to read [Cic ero’s works], or even to be acquainted with their mere titles†¦those who really know you are very few, be it because the times are unfavorable, or because men’s minds are slow and dull, or, as I am the more inclined to believe, because the love of money forces our thoughts in other directions,† (Petrarch, Letter to Cicero, http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/petrarch1.asp). Such glorification coincided withShow MoreRelatedA Good Life Is A Central Goal Of Humanity979 Words   |  4 Pagesthat people desire. In doing so, they must find the fundamentals of humanity and overlook the ideal person the world want to make to find truly a good life for oneself socially, morally even spiritually. The quality of a good life comes down to the balance of an inward habit and the outer world. Fundamental issue with humanity wants people’s approval. 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Increasingly churchRead More Faith, Reason, and Imagination Essay1995 Words   |  8 Pagesin many aspects, and are vital to one another. Reason precedes faith in the process of knowing God’s existence and reigning power; alt hough one cannot truly know the reasoning of something to be known without knowledge first. Faith is built on spirituality surrounding one’s cultural beliefs, behaviors, and thoughts. To have reason is simply based on logical principles; as to why faith is important in people’s lives. To have faith without the perspective of reason will shatter; and reason withoutRead MoreEssay about Ecofeminism4924 Words   |  20 PagesThe dualistic structure of the western thought results in structure of separation and hierarchy in society. 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SummarizeRead MoreMartel s Life Of Pi1879 Words   |  8 Pagesback to Martel not establishing Pi’s claims on religion as being the master narrative, but rather the notion of faith not depending on the the institution of religion. Martel is asserting an important similarity between narrative fiction and the spirituality that come from believing in God, where doubt and disbelief are rejected in both. The two different types of narratives can be represented in the characters of Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba near the end of the novel. Mr. Okamoto can be a representedRead MoreLiterary Themes, Styles, And Techniques Of Edgar Allan Poe2358 Words   |  10 Pages(420-1). Since man is incapable to fully remain in that supernatural and unconscious state, the characters of Poe often are tormented with obsession and grief. Poe’s male characters that are in love often have troubled minds and struggle with rationality. 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