- Pico’s “Oration on the Dignity of Man” could be said to be a manifesto of Renaissance humanism as well as a synthesis of Christian and neo-Platonic ideas. How did Pico apply philosophical ideas from Classical sources (Plato in particular) to Christian beliefs? How can these ideas be used to explain the differences between the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance? Give specific examples from at least two disciplines we have studied.
Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola is one of the most influential writers of the Renaissance period, especially due to his attempt to harmonize and reconcile Platonic views with other ideas such as Aristotelian, Christian, and Hebrew philosophies. In his “Oration of the Dignity of Man”, Pico attempts to remap the human landscape and make it the center of human capacity and perspective. He heavily borrows the ideas of both Christianity and Platonic philosophy (Lamm, 2004). Pico believes that “Humanistic” is “not anti-Christian” and attempts to draw Platonic ideas of the universe into Christian belief in creation. How did he insert Platonic ideas into Christianity?
To answer this question, one needs to analyze the problem of “the one to many”. Pico faced this problem. The question was “if the universe is a single thing (object or God), how are all the diverse sections or parts of the universe relative to just one thing?” In Christian belief, the manifold parts of the universe were “created out of nothing” by the power of God (Mathews & Platt, 2010). Thus, Christian philosophers believed in “creation ex nihilo”.
On the other hand, Platonic philosophy held that there is no real or eternal order of creation. They asserted that the universe can be arbitrarily interfered with because it was arbitrarily created. In addition, Neo-Platonism philosophers argued that the manifold parts of the universe were emanations of God (Mathews & Platt, 2010). To reconcile these two factions, Pico drew the ideas of Plato’s philosophy to Christian views. Pico argued that the many parts of the universe were not created by God, but are symbols of God (Lamm, 2004). Thus, every person, animal, object, thought, religion, speech, or philosophy is a symbol of God. Therefore, God is one. The symbolic relation to God unites all creation.
These ideas can be used to explain the difference between the arts of the middle ages and the renaissance. For instance, by reconciling Christianity and the old philosophies that argued against the existence of God, Pico gave way for the modernization of arts. For example, his ideas gave way for the application of social life in arts, reduced emphasis on gothic style, and increased emphasis on secular themes (Lamm, 2004).
- We have found that one important Renaissance idea is that the individual is unique and important, that each person has dignity and worth. Drawing upon examples from at least two disciplines (art, music, philosophy, literature), discuss the idea’s manifestation in works we have studied. How and where does this specifically appear? How was the “individual” seen and valued during the Middle Ages?
One of the most important features of Renaissance ideas is the uniqueness and importance of an individual based on worthiness and dignity attributed to a person. In arts, the famous “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci provides a good example of humanism in paintings. For example, the painting uses color, lines, and perspective to portray humanism aspects in a woman. It also attempts to show the dignity associated with women by holding them with respect in society (Lamm, 2004). In literature, John Calvin’s “Institutes of Christian Religion” provides a good example of Renaissance work that depicts dignity and individuality in humanism. For instance, Calvin believed that every person has an individual relationship with God rather than a collection relationship with God, which previously allowed priests to act as mediators.
- One important aspect of the Renaissance was a revival of classical Greek and Roman culture. Drawing upon examples from at least two disciplines, write an essay that discusses how Renaissance creators incorporate ancient forms, styles, and ideas into their work. What changes as a result of these encounters with ancient culture?
Renaissance creators attempted to revive the ancient Greek and Roman culture. At the beginning of the European renaissance in the 13th and 14th centuries, there was a strong campaign by scholars and artists in Italy to reawaken the ancient Greek and Roman cultures. For instance, Petrarch and Boccaccio emphasized the revival of Latin and Greek languages, arguing that their use was supposed to promote human dignity and worth. They also emphasized the revival of the intellectual traditions and values of Greek and Roman cultures. For example, Leonardo da Vinci studied various aspects of ancient Greek and Roman topics, including physics, flight, hydraulics, anatomy, geology, and botany (Lamm, 2004).
He applied some of these principles in his works. For example, da Vince drew and painted various objects, including a ship and a plane model based on Greek principles of science (Mathews & Platt, 2010). The resulting changes affected Renaissance works, especially arts. For instance, “Mona Lisa” and “David” by da Vinci are products of his knowledge in anatomy and balance, which were borrowed from the ancient Greek and Roman ideas.
References
Lamm, R. C. (2004). The humanities in western culture, Brief version. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Mathews, R. T., & Platt F. D. (2010). Readings in the western humanities: The Renaissance to the Present. New York: McGraw-Hill.