Explain How The Renaissance Changed Man's View Of Man

The Renaissance was a time of enlightenment through art and literature. Illiteracy spread through Europe. In the Middle Ages people relied on the church and the Bible for an explanation of the world. In the 1300s, numerous serfs gained their freedom and they no longer relied on their lords. People moved into towns and took up trades which caused literacy to spread. The teachings of the church was questioned. Nevertheless, the humanism movement formed which valued the beauty and intelligence of an individual. Once humanism spread into art, science, literature and medicine inventions such as the printing press came into play in the 1400s. This invention caused books and articles to be open to everyone. The Renaissance changed man's view of the world through cultural advancement in art, science, and …show more content…
In the Geocentric Universe of Ptolemy drawing by Claudius Ptolemy (circa 100 CE), the earth is the center, the planets rotate around the world, and the sun is the fifth planet. On the other hand, in the Heliocentric Universe of Copernicus drawing by Nicolaus Copernicus (circa 1500), the sun is the center and all planets revolve around it. Ptolemy’s diagram is considered to be God’s home. The development of the idea of a heliocentric universe went against the religious values of the Church, which said that the earth came before the sun. This challenge to Church authority caused the Church to lose the grip that they had on people’s beliefs. Moreover, Copernicus, “relying mostly on mathematics and observation developed a different understanding of the universe” (Doc C). The Renaissance exemplified reason and shrewdness. These perceptions helped to construct an improved understanding of the universe, and numerous enhancements were made. The changes made specified that man was not tied to the Church, and that he could openly think for