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Philosophy of the Renaissance. Philosophical and legal thought of the Renaissance and Reformation The concept of the philosophy of renaissance and the idea of reformation

In the 15th century, the Middle Ages were replaced by the era of the European Renaissance (Renaissance), which entailed a cultural flourishing and a change in views on the world. In our article you can read briefly the most important thing about the philosophy of the Renaissance.

Characteristic

The philosophy of the Renaissance developed under the influence of a pan-European passion for classical humanism that arose in the 14th century (Florence). Humanists believed that the study of ancient works would help modern (for them) knowledge and improvement of the social nature of man.

The spread of humanistic ideas among philosophers in the 15th century was the organization of the Platonic Academy in Careggi (1462).

The well-known philanthropist and statesman Cosimo de Medici provided his villa for meetings of scientists and thinkers. The association was headed by the Italian philosopher Marsilio Ficino.

Let's list the main features of the philosophy of the Renaissance:

: basic philosophical questions concern a person. It is separated from the divine principle and is regarded as an independent system. A person must know and develop himself, determine his goals, in achieving which he must rely on personal abilities;
anti-religiousness : official Catholic statements are criticized; philosophy acquires a civil rather than ecclesiastical character. The center of everything is no longer God or the cosmos;
interest in antiquity : ideas of that time were used; the statements contained in ancient works formed the basis of humanism.

In the philosophy of the Renaissance, most often there are such main directions:

Notable philosophers

For convenience, we indicate the most famous philosophers of the Renaissance and their achievements in the table:

*Representative*	*Contribution and general characteristics worldview*
Marsilio Ficino (astrologer, priest)	representative of Platonism. Translated and commented on ancient theological texts; wrote a treatise in which he explained Plato's ideas from the point of view of Christianity
Nicholas of Cusa (theologian, scientist)	representative of pantheism. In treatises, he reflected on the place of man in the world, the infinity of God and his manifestations (one of which is nature). Studied mathematics and astronomy. He argued that the Universe is infinite, and the Earth revolves around the Sun.
Michel Montaigne (writer)
Nicolaus Copernicus (astronomer, mathematician, mechanic)	representative of heliocentrism. He introduced a new monetary system in Poland, built a hydraulic machine, fought the plague epidemic. The main work "On the rotation celestial bodies”, in which he substantiated a new model of the world
Giordano Bruno (monk, poet)	Representative of pantheism and esotericism. He was fond of reading non-canonical texts, doubted some church "miracles", for which he was recognized as a heretic and burned. Treatises on the infinity of the universe and the multitude of worlds, expanded the Copernican model.
Galileo Galilei (physicist, mechanic, astronomer, mathematician)	representative of heliocentrism. He was the first to use a telescope to observe space objects. Founder of experimental physics.

Almost all Renaissance thinkers studied ancient Greek and latin languages which allowed them to independently read and translate ancient texts.

Rice. 3. Marsilio Ficino.

What have we learned?

We found out the characteristic features of the philosophy of the 15th-16th centuries, deciphered its anthropocentric orientation. Learn about the impact philosophical thought Renaissance to the reformist direction in religion.

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Distinctive features of the era:

· attitude to antiquity and anthropocentrism (cosmocentrism, further theocentrism, further anthropocentrism) turn to earthly life;

a new interpretation of man;

humanism;

the godlikeness of man;

Change in attitude to practical activities (mental labor is more respected);

changing the attitude towards nature and God (pantheism);

the secularization of culture; autonomization of most sciences; heliocentric system of Copernicus);
the beginning of the religious reformation of M. Luther;

· the socio-political thought of the ancient Greeks is renewed.

"Utopia" T. More

"City of the Sun" Campanella

New time (17-18 centuries) - the formation of natural sciences.

The Renaissance strengthened a person's faith in his powers, realizing this, a person begins to develop the world of knowledge.

Philosophy is developing: there is a final break with religion, the doctrine of the omnipotence of reason appears.

Reformation and counter-reformation equally represent the revolt of the less civilized peoples against the intellectual domination of Italy. In the case of the Reformation, the uprising was both political and theological; the authority of the pope was rejected, and the tribute that he received thanks to his papal authority no longer entered his treasury. In the case of the Counter-Reformation, the revolt was only against the intellectual and moral freedom of Renaissance Italy; the power of the pope did not decrease, but increased, at the same time it became obvious that his authority was incompatible with the careless licentiousness of the Borgia and the Medici. Roughly speaking, the Reformation was German, the Counter-Reformation Spanish; the religious wars were at the same time wars between Spain and her enemies, coinciding in time with the period when Spanish power was at its height.

The attitude of the public opinion of the northern peoples towards Renaissance Italy is illustrated by an English proverb of that time:

The Italianized Englishman is the devil incarnate.

Let's remember how many scoundrels in Shakespeare were Italians. Iago is perhaps the most prominent example, but an even more telling example is Iachimo in Cymbeline, who leads a virtuous Briton traveling through Italy astray, and comes to England to carry out his treacherous designs on his unsuspecting close ones. Moral outrage at the Italians was closely linked to the Reformation, but unfortunately the Reformation also included an intellectual repudiation of all that Italy had done for civilization.

The three great figures of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation are Luther, Calvin and Loyola. All three are intellectually representatives medieval philosophy both in comparison with the Italians who immediately preceded them, and in comparison with such people as Erasmus of Rotterdam and More. The century that followed the beginning of the Reformation was philosophically fruitless. Luther and Calvin returned to St. Augustine, retaining, however, only that part of his teaching that is connected with the relation of the soul to God, and not that part that is related to the church. Their theology was aimed at undermining the power of the church. They abolished purgatory, from which it was possible to free the souls of the dead with the help of masses. They rejected the doctrine of indulgences, on which much of the papal income depended. The doctrine of the predestination of the fate of the soul after death achieved complete independence from the actions of the clergy. These innovations, helping the fight against the pope, interfered Protestant Church become as powerful in Protestant countries as the Catholic Church was in Catholic countries. Protestant theologians were (at least initially) as intolerant as the Catholic clergy, but they had less power and therefore less opportunity to do harm.

Almost from the beginning, there was disagreement among Protestants about the role state power in matters of religion. Luther would have desired, wherever princes were Protestants, to recognize them as heads of the church in their countries. In England, Henry VIII and Elizabeth stubbornly insisted on their right to be head of the church; so did the Protestant sovereigns in Germany, Scandinavia, and Holland, after it fell away from Spain. This strengthened the already existing tendency to increase the power of kings.

But those Protestants who were serious about the individualistic aspects of the Reformation would not want to be as subject to the king as they were to the pope. The Anabaptists were suppressed in Germany, but their teachings penetrated Holland and England. The conflict between Cromwell and the Long Parliament had many sides; theologically, it was partly a conflict between those who rejected and those who shared the view that it was up to the state to decide religious matters. Gradually, fatigue, which was the result of religious wars, led to an increase in religious tolerance, which was one of the sources of the direction that subsequently developed into liberalism of the 18th-19th centuries.

The success of the Protestants, at first surprisingly rapid, was checked mainly by such an opposing factor as the creation of the Jesuit order by Loyola; Loyola was a soldier, and his order was organized on a military model: in the order there had to be unquestioning obedience to the general, and every Jesuit had to consider himself a participant in the war against heresy. Even at the time of the Council of Trent, the Jesuits gained great influence. They were disciplined, capable, deeply dedicated to their cause, and skillful propagandists. Their theological teaching was the opposite of that of the Protestants. They rejected those parts of St. Augustine, which the Protestants emphasized. They believed in free will and opposed the doctrine of predestination. Salvation was achieved not only by faith, but by faith and activity in their union. The Jesuits gained prestige through their missionary zeal, especially in the Far East. They became popular as confessors because (according to Pascal) they were more forgiving of anything but heresy than other clerics. They focused their attention on education and thus acquired a profound influence on the minds of young people. The education they gave, when theology did not hinder it, was the best that then existed; we see that they taught Descartes mathematics better than he could have learned it anywhere else. Politically, they were the only united disciplined organization that did not retreat before any dangers and difficulties; they urged Catholic sovereigns not to stop before executions and, following on the heels of the punitive Spanish army, they restored the terror of the Inquisition even in Italy, in which free thought had existed for almost a century.

The consequences of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation in the intellectual sphere were at first generally unfavorable, but ultimately proved to be beneficial. The Thirty Years' War convinced everyone that neither Protestants nor Catholics could be completely defeated, so it became necessary to discard the medieval hope of creating unity of faith, and this increased the freedom of people to think for themselves even on the most fundamental issues. The difference between creeds in different countries made it possible to avoid persecution while living abroad. The aversion to religious wars has led to the fact that the attention of the most capable people more and more attracted secular knowledge, especially mathematics and natural sciences. This is one of the reasons why, while the sixteenth century, after the rise of Luther, produced nothing philosophically, the seventeenth century produced greatest names and was marked by the most outstanding progress since the time of the Greeks. This progress began in the natural sciences, which I will discuss in the next chapter.

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The philosophy of the Renaissance - the most important thing briefly. This is the topic for this article in the continuation of a series of articles on philosophy. The article also has a list of books on the philosophy of the Renaissance and a video with brief description the main representatives and main ideas of the philosophy of the Renaissance.

From previous articles you have learned the topics:

Renaissance philosophy - the most important thing in a nutshell

About from the 14th century Western Europe Renaissance begins, which had a huge impact on the entire development of human civilization and the formation of the cultural and social life of society. The main feature of that time was a sharp decline in the influence of the church on all political and social processes in society. The Renaissance is associated with the return of thinkers to the ideas of antiquity, with the revival of Roman and ancient Greek philosophy.

Stages of Renaissance philosophy

Humanistic stage- mid-14th century - 1st half of the 15th century. It is characterized by a transition to anthropocentrism from theocentrism.
Neoplatonic stage- 2nd half of the 15th century - 1st half of the 16th century. It is characterized by a change in worldview.
Natural Philosophical Stage- 2nd half of the 16th century - 1st half of the 17th century. It is characterized by attempts to make changes in the picture of the world.

Historical prerequisites for the emergence of the philosophy of the Renaissance

Feudal relations had become obsolete by the 14th century. Cities and self-government began to grow rapidly in them. Especially in Italy, where the traditions of autonomy of big cities, such as Venice, Rome, Naples, Florence, have not been lost. Italy was a model for other European countries.
By the 14th century monarchs began to be weighed down by the influence Catholic Church in many areas of life. Citizens and peasants are also tired of the taxes of the clergy. This led to a struggle for reform of the Church and to a split between Protestantism and Catholicism.
14th-16th century marked by great geographical discoveries. The systematization of natural science knowledge was required. Scientists have become bolder and bolder in declaring that the world is rational.

Anthropocentrism and Humanism in Renaissance Philosophy

Everything was based on anthropocentrism and humanism. According to anthropocentrism, man is the most important thing, the center of the entire universe. According to humanism, as an offshoot of anthropocentrism, every person has the right to their freedom and development.

Against the asceticism and rigid dictates of the church, a life full of pleasure and a person's own interests were put forward. Many writers and philosophers of that time devoted their works to this.

Representatives of the philosophy of the Renaissance

petrarch in his sonnets, he called on everyone in his country to be healed of anger and forget about the enmity among the townspeople.

Boccaccio he very sharply criticized church ministers who did nothing for enlightenment, but only grew rich, denounced the nobles who were incapable of creation, and put forward the human mind and the intention to get as much joy and pleasure from life as possible.

Erasmus of Rotterdam in his deeply Christian philosophical works, he showed that humanism should be the basis of everything and the old ideology of feudalism can give nothing to a person.

Leonardo da Vinci made a significant contribution to the development of humanism in his works and scientific works.

Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus in their writings on natural sciences and philosophy, they began to identify God not just with nature, but with the infinite Cosmos and the Universe.

We can say that almost all the literature and philosophy of that time were concentrated on the recognition of the right of a person to his life, to development and creative self-expression.

Philosophy was filled with the recognition of a person's right to happiness, his own self-determination and opportunities for his development. The individual has become more important than anything, including the state as such.

The main directions of the philosophy of the Renaissance

heliocentrism- This is the heliocentric system of the world, representing the Sun as the center around which the Earth revolves. Heliocentrism comes from antiquity and became widespread in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Humanism comes from the Latin word humanus (human) and means an ethical position about the right of people to freely determine the form and meaning of their own lives.
Neoplatonism is a branch of philosophy that originated in ancient philosophy in the 3rd century and was based on the ideas of Plato: the transcendental single origin, the cosmic hierarchy, the ascent of the soul to the primary source.
Secularism- the assertion that the rule of law and government should be separated from religions.

Characteristic features of the philosophy of the Renaissance

Freedom of expression against meaningless religious scholasticism and the dominance of the church in all spheres.
Literature and philosophy are increasingly pay attention to human values.
New trends in culture and philosophy began to penetrate more and more European countries and gradually became the basis of all philosophy at that time.
Most characteristic features this era can be called complete rejection of useless book disputes, which lead to nothing, but only confuse the human mind.
In addition, in philosophy everything more dominated by the ideas of natural science knowledge of the world and man. Emphasis was placed on the works of philosophers of ancient times, who preferred materialism.
philosophy gradually began to nominate a person as the main driving force and the foundation of the entire world.

Philosophy of Machiavelli briefly

Niccolo Machiavelli was the first philosopher of that time who completely rejected theocracy as the basis of the whole system. He believed that it was necessary to build a country only according to the secular principle and according to his worldview, the basis of all human life is exclusively selfishness and the desire to get rich. To curb bad nature human essence one must use force that can only be provided by the state.

Order in society can only be created by jurisprudence and the corresponding worldview of each member of society, and all this can be done exclusively by the state machine, and not by the church with its prejudices. Machiavelli studied a lot of issues that concerned the structure of the state and power, the interaction of man and power, methods of countering violence and corruption in the country, and so on.

Books on Renaissance Philosophy

Gorfunkel A. Philosophy of the Renaissance.
Perevezentsev S. Anthology of Philosophy of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

VIDEO Renaissance philosophy in 15 minutes

Summary

The stage of philosophy in the Renaissance can be briefly described as awakening from ignorance, recognition each person's values. Renaissance representatives are philosophers and naturalists such as Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus. They became in their works identify God not just with nature, but with the infinite cosmos and the universe. They fixed their eyes on the sky.

Renaissance philosophy includes not only natural philosophical ideas and ideas of pantheism, but also humanistic views. The philosophy of this period requires a person to constantly self-improvement, courage in the search for the meaning of earthly existence, the divine principle in everything that exists.

I wish you all an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of yourself and the world around you, inspiration in all your affairs!

In the clerical journalism of the Renaissance, we will not find any enthusiasm for the rebirth (spiritual uplift and recovery). Its honest and thinking representatives are filled with deep anxiety; they speak of the depravity of the sacred class, the general decline of morals, the disastrous state of the church and faith. Out of this anxiety, which resonated among the broad masses of the laity, a passionately creative movement for the renewal of the faith was born, which turned against the papacy and already in the first third of the 16th century acquired a truly democratic scope. This movement is a religious reformation. It begins with Luther's vigorous sermon and passes through such dramatic events as the formation of the Lutheran Church in the German principalities, the rise of Anabaptism, and the peasant war of 1524-1525; the establishment of Calvinism in Switzerland; the spread of Protestantism in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, England and France; the struggle of the Netherlands for independence (1568-1572); the monstrous religious wars of the first half of the 17th century, which led to the establishment of the ideas of religious tolerance and the separation of church and state; the emergence of a "second generation" of Protestant denominations (Socinians, Pietists, Hernguters, Quakers, Mormons, etc.); English Revolution 1645-1648 The recognized leaders of the Reformation were Martin Luther (1483-1546), Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) and John Calvin (1509-1564).

There is no doubt that the early Reformation inherited the main initiative of the Renaissance - its personalistic spirit. The Reformation inherited the main initiative of the Renaissance - its personalistic spirit. Continuing the main - personalistic - effort of the humanists of the XIV-XV centuries, the first reformers made an attempt "to create a new doctrine about God, the world and man […] on the basis of free cognitive evidence." The humanists of the Renaissance and representatives of the early Reformation thought were related by the pathos of a free conscience, the idea of returning to the origins (in one case - to the ancient and evangelical, in the other - to the evangelical and patristic); striving for a moral interpretation of Scripture; a deep dislike for scholasticism, dogma and the frozen formulas of church tradition. These coincidences are so obvious that more than once they gave rise to the temptation to articulate the Renaissance and the Reformation in one socio-cultural and spiritual era. But the other side of the problem is no less important. The Reformation is not only a continuation of the Renaissance, but also a protest against it - a resolute, passionate protest, sometimes cast in fanatical formulas of anti-humanism and even misanthropy. To take these formulas under protection would be to abandon a civilized, philanthropic way of thinking. And at the same time, one cannot fail to see that the disagreement between the Reformation and the Renaissance was well founded, and that the very civilized mode of thought owes much to this disagreement. In solidarity with the renaissance recognition of the individual human self, the early reformers categorically rejected, however, the Renaissance generic exaltation of man, his exaltation as a category, as a special kind of being (or - in theological language - as a special kind of creature). In the Renaissance dithyrambs addressed to human perfection (especially expressive, for example, in Marsilio Ficino), they were able to hear the tendency towards the deification of man.

17.07.2020

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