Lecture overview: “A New Dawn” —
Humanism, Reformation, and what changed
(clear + complete)
1) Debate: “Break” vs “Continuity” (Middle Ages →
Renaissance)
A) Radical break (discontinuity)
Who: Petrarch and early humanists
Idea: The Middle Ages were “dark,” and the Renaissance was a
fresh new beginning.
Why they said it: It helped humanists define themselves as
“reviving” true classical culture and criticizing medieval learning.
B) Continuity thesis
Who: Charles Homer Haskins (1927)
Idea: The Middle Ages were not simply “dark.” There was already
serious cultural and intellectual growth (e.g., the “Renaissance of
the 12th century”).
Meaning of “Renaissance of the 12th century”: a medieval
revival of learning (schools/universities, scholarship, translations,
renewed interest in classical ideas) long before the 15th century.
Lecture nuance (Lesaffer)
Antiquity was rediscovered earlier too, but in the 15th century
it was rediscovered again in a new way.
Same general idea (rediscovery), different method (how they
studied and used the past).
2) The big comparison: Scholasticism vs Humanism
Scholasticism (mainly 12th–13th century, medieval Western
Europe)
Where / who: university culture (Paris, Bologna, Oxford),
theologians/philosophers.
, Goal: find truth through logic, by making authoritative texts fit
together.
Text view: texts contain timeless truth.
Key concept: Auctoritas = strong authority of recognized
texts/authors (Bible, Church Fathers, Aristotle).
Method: logical argumentation to harmonise authorities.
Humanism (mainly 15th century, starts in Italy → spreads across
Europe)
Where / who: Italian city-states first (scholars, teachers, writers,
officials), later across Western/Northern Europe.
Goal: gain knowledge by studying classical texts as historical
sources.
Text view: texts are written in a specific time and context, so
authority is not absolute.
Method: historical + philological approach (language,
manuscripts, context, history).
Philological vs philosophical (quick)
Philological: careful work on texts and language (meaning of
words, manuscript differences, context).
Philosophical: work on ideas and arguments (logic, concepts,
truth, ethics).
Keyword: Emulatio
“Imitation + competition”: learn from Antiquity, but aim to
improve and surpass it.
3) Impact of Humanism (what changed culturally?)
Humanism encouraged a mindset that reshaped culture:
More challenging of authority: people become more willing to
question “because an authority says so.”
More interest in other times/cultures: stronger historical
awareness and curiosity about difference.
Faster secularisation: more attention to “worldly” topics
(education, politics, ethics, literature) not only theology.
, More focus on individuals and change: less purely
collective/static worldview; more emphasis on individual ability,
reputation, development, and historical change.
4) Humanism → Scientific Revolution (examples)
Humanism supports a new attitude: critical reading, interpretation,
evidence, method. That spills over from texts to nature.
Copernicus
What: heliocentric model (sun-centered).
How: argues it should be judged by mathematics
(“mathematicians should judge”) → authority shifts toward method
and proof.
Galileo
What: observation/physics should not be blocked by literal scripture
readings.
How: the Bible is not a physics textbook → different domains of
knowledge require different methods.
Outcome (17th century): new epistemologies
Rationalism: knowledge through reason (often math/logic).
Empiricism: knowledge through observation and experiment.
5) Start of the Reformation (1517) — step-
by-step
5.1 What happened?
Who: Martin Luther
What: publishes the 95 Theses (often linked to the Castle Church
door in Wittenberg).
When: 1517
Core point: Luther makes his objections public.
Humanism, Reformation, and what changed
(clear + complete)
1) Debate: “Break” vs “Continuity” (Middle Ages →
Renaissance)
A) Radical break (discontinuity)
Who: Petrarch and early humanists
Idea: The Middle Ages were “dark,” and the Renaissance was a
fresh new beginning.
Why they said it: It helped humanists define themselves as
“reviving” true classical culture and criticizing medieval learning.
B) Continuity thesis
Who: Charles Homer Haskins (1927)
Idea: The Middle Ages were not simply “dark.” There was already
serious cultural and intellectual growth (e.g., the “Renaissance of
the 12th century”).
Meaning of “Renaissance of the 12th century”: a medieval
revival of learning (schools/universities, scholarship, translations,
renewed interest in classical ideas) long before the 15th century.
Lecture nuance (Lesaffer)
Antiquity was rediscovered earlier too, but in the 15th century
it was rediscovered again in a new way.
Same general idea (rediscovery), different method (how they
studied and used the past).
2) The big comparison: Scholasticism vs Humanism
Scholasticism (mainly 12th–13th century, medieval Western
Europe)
Where / who: university culture (Paris, Bologna, Oxford),
theologians/philosophers.
, Goal: find truth through logic, by making authoritative texts fit
together.
Text view: texts contain timeless truth.
Key concept: Auctoritas = strong authority of recognized
texts/authors (Bible, Church Fathers, Aristotle).
Method: logical argumentation to harmonise authorities.
Humanism (mainly 15th century, starts in Italy → spreads across
Europe)
Where / who: Italian city-states first (scholars, teachers, writers,
officials), later across Western/Northern Europe.
Goal: gain knowledge by studying classical texts as historical
sources.
Text view: texts are written in a specific time and context, so
authority is not absolute.
Method: historical + philological approach (language,
manuscripts, context, history).
Philological vs philosophical (quick)
Philological: careful work on texts and language (meaning of
words, manuscript differences, context).
Philosophical: work on ideas and arguments (logic, concepts,
truth, ethics).
Keyword: Emulatio
“Imitation + competition”: learn from Antiquity, but aim to
improve and surpass it.
3) Impact of Humanism (what changed culturally?)
Humanism encouraged a mindset that reshaped culture:
More challenging of authority: people become more willing to
question “because an authority says so.”
More interest in other times/cultures: stronger historical
awareness and curiosity about difference.
Faster secularisation: more attention to “worldly” topics
(education, politics, ethics, literature) not only theology.
, More focus on individuals and change: less purely
collective/static worldview; more emphasis on individual ability,
reputation, development, and historical change.
4) Humanism → Scientific Revolution (examples)
Humanism supports a new attitude: critical reading, interpretation,
evidence, method. That spills over from texts to nature.
Copernicus
What: heliocentric model (sun-centered).
How: argues it should be judged by mathematics
(“mathematicians should judge”) → authority shifts toward method
and proof.
Galileo
What: observation/physics should not be blocked by literal scripture
readings.
How: the Bible is not a physics textbook → different domains of
knowledge require different methods.
Outcome (17th century): new epistemologies
Rationalism: knowledge through reason (often math/logic).
Empiricism: knowledge through observation and experiment.
5) Start of the Reformation (1517) — step-
by-step
5.1 What happened?
Who: Martin Luther
What: publishes the 95 Theses (often linked to the Castle Church
door in Wittenberg).
When: 1517
Core point: Luther makes his objections public.
