While Humanism initially began as a predominantly literary movement, its influence quickly pervaded the general culture of the time, re-introducing classical Greek and Roman art forms and contributing to the development of the Renaissance.

People began to move out of the social classes and the feudal system began to break down. People began to move to the cities and start businesses and support them selves. The middle class emerged, there are now wealthy merchants who can afford and purchase expensive goods.

Overview. Humanistic economics can be described as a perspective that imbues elements of humanistic psychology, moral philosophy, political science, sociology and common sense into traditional economic thought. describe, analyze and critically assess prevailing socio-economic institutions and policies.

It allowed emperors to justify conquering new territories. It inspired merchants to spread European ideas about democracy. It led scholars to support religious leaders over independent monarchs.

Humanism affected culture and the arts because it caused an up turn on the classics, and it renewed cultural freedom. Humanism led to the start of studia humanitatis. This was the ancient study of Latin and Greek, grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, politics, and moral philosophy.

Television presenter Stephen Fry has lent his voice to a new campaign promoting a humanist approach to life’s big moments, like weddings, funerals and baby naming events.

The Golden Rule can be expressed positively: ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. ‘ or negatively: ‘Do not treat others in a way you would not like to be treated yourself.

The humanist view rejects the idea of an afterlife and interprets death as the end of an individual’s consciousness. They believe that human beings are simply another part of nature and that death is nature’s way of cleansing. Through death, we clear the way for new life.

Christian humanism, otherwise known as humanistic Christianity, is thus a religion (or a kind of religion). Secular humanism combines the humanist ethic with the metaphysical doctrine that God does not exist (or the epistemological doctrine that knowledge of God is moot).

According to sociologists Ariela Keysar and Juhem Navarro-Rivera’s review of numerous global studies on atheism, there are 450 to 500 million positive atheists and agnostics worldwide (7% of the world’s population), with China having the most atheists in the world (200 million convinced atheists).

noun. a person having a strong interest in or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity. a person devoted to or versed in the humanities.

Humanistic philosophy and values reflect a belief in human dignity and science — but not religion. Also, humanistic thinkers believe in science as a way people can achieve their greatest potential. Humanistic ideas place great importance on thinking and reason as ways people can be fulfilled.

The four characteristics of humanism are curiosity, a free mind, belief in good taste, and belief in the human race.

Such Renaissance thinkers as the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch (1304 – 1374), the Dutch theologian Erasmus, the English philosopher Sir Thomas More, the French writer Francois Rabelais (c. 1494 – 1553), and the Italian scholar Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463 -1 494) can all be considered early Humanists.

1a : devotion to the humanities : literary culture. b : the revival of classical letters, individualistic and critical spirit, and emphasis on secular concerns characteristic of the Renaissance. 2 : devotion to human welfare : humanitarianism renowned for his humanism.

Secular humanism considers all forms of religion, including religious humanism, to be superseded. Humanism addresses ethics without reference to the supernatural as well, attesting that ethics is a human enterprise (see naturalistic ethics).

The philosophy or life stance of humanism embraces human reason, ethics, social justice, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition as the bases of morality and decision making.

Summary:

• Students’ learning should be self-directed.
• Schools should produce students who want and know how to learn.
• The only form of meaningful evaluation is self-evaluation.
• Feelings, as well as knowledge, are important in the learning process.
• Students learn best in a nonthreatening environment.

Consequently, the “spirit” central to humanism is a spirit that belongs to this world, it is a manifestation within the finite world of finite ends; whereas the spirit at the core of Christianity is God, and God is not found in the world of finite ends, but rather he is an absolute and eternal end beyond this finite …

The intellectual movement began in the 13th century Renaissance Humanism—named to differentiate it from the Humanism that came later—was an intellectual movement that originated in the 13th century and came to dominate European thought during the Renaissance, which it played a considerable role in creating.

Renaissance Humanism created new subject matter and new approaches for all the arts. Subsequently, painting, sculpture, the literary arts, cultural studies, social tracts, and philosophical studies referenced subjects and tropes taken from classical literature and mythology, and ultimately, Classical Art.

Shakespeare himself can be understood as the ultimate product of Renaissance humanism; he was an artist with a deep understanding of humanity and an uncanny ability for self-expression who openly practiced and celebrated the ideals of intellectual freedom.