During the Renaissance, philosophical thought returns to its origins. Having overcome the scholastic influences of the Middle Ages, the minds of scientists begin to revive and develop the ideas of the thinkers of Antiquity. Hence the name of the period.
General characteristics of the philosophy of revival
In the Middle Ages, the main problem of thinking for scientists was the relationship between God, man and nature. The main feature of the philosophy of the Renaissance is anthropocentrism, or humanism. Man is considered the center of the entire universe, a creator with unlimited potential. Any person is able to develop their talents and improve the world around them. This feature gave rise to a special interest in art: the ability to create images and create something beautiful is equated with a divine gift.
Conventionally, in the philosophy of the Renaissance, 3 large periods are distinguished: early, or humanistic (early XIV - mid-15th centuries), Neoplatonic (mid-15th - early 16th centuries), natural-philosophical (early 16th - early 18th centuries).
Humanist period
The precondition for the formation of humanism as a central feature of the philosophy of the Renaissance was the work of Dante Alighieri. He emphasized that man, like all nature, has a divine principle in him. Therefore, man cannot be opposed to God. In addition, he despised individual clergymen of the Catholic Church, who had forgotten about their destiny and subjected their lives to the lowest human vices: greed and lust.
The first humanist philosopher is considered the Italian writer and poet Francesco Petrarch. He was fond of the works of ancient philosophers, translating them from Latin into his native language. Over time, he himself began to write philosophical treatises in Italian and Latin. The main idea that can be traced in his works is the unity of God and man. A person should not suffer and sacrifice himself during his life, he should use divine blessing as a chance to become happy and live in harmony with the world.
The Italian Colluccio Salutatti put humanitarian education at the forefront in the development of the humanistic ideology of society. He attributed philosophy, ethics, history, rhetoric and some others to the sciences that a person should learn in his life. It is these disciplines that are capable of forming a person with the potential for virtue and the improvement of the world.
Neoplatonic period
Nikolai Kuzansky is one of the founders of Renaissance Neoplatonism, one of the most famous German thinkers. At the center of his philosophical ideas lies pantheism, according to which God is an infinite essence, one with the entire universe. He found the godliness of man in the infinite potential of the human mind. Kuzansky believed that with the power of their intellect, people can cover the whole world.
Leonardo da Vinci is an artist, philosopher, scientist and one of the most brilliant people of his time. It would seem that he succeeded in everything that he undertakes. In all areas of science of his time, he achieved success. The life of Leonardo da Vinci is the ideal of the Renaissance - he did not limit himself in any one area, but developed his divine principle as fully and multifaceted as possible. Many of his drawings were not understood by his contemporaries and were brought to life tens and hundreds of years later.
Nicolaus Copernicus is a scientist and naturalist who initiated the scientific revolution. It was he who proved that not everything in space revolves around the Earth, and the Earth, together with other planets, revolves around the sun.
Pietro Pomponazzi believed that 2 truths can coexist in the world: the truth of philosophy (generated by the human mind) and the truth of religion (created for everyday needs; it is based on ethics and morality). Expressed the idea, unpopular at that time, about the mortality of the human soul. In his concepts, a special place is occupied by reflections on God and his role in people's lives: why, if God exists, does he allow a person to sin and commit horrible acts? In the end, he found a compromise for himself. God, according to his view, is not the creator and the cause of all that exists, he is a kind of fate, nature, giving rise to everything that happens, but not by his own will, but by some irresistible force.
In the philosophy of the Renaissance, it is necessary to mention the controversy between Erasmus of Rotterdam and Martin Luther King. Their disputes concerned the issue of human free will. King argued that a person cannot even think about free will, because his whole life, his entire destiny is already predetermined and controlled by either God or the Devil. Erasmus of Rotterdam, on the other hand, believes that if there was no free will, a person would not need to atone for their sins. After all, how should you be punished for what you were not responsible for? The controversy did not find a compromise, everyone remained unconvinced, but the works of scientists influenced many generations of philosophers.
Niccolo Machiavelli developed the theme of morality and ethics of a person in power. He considered pre-Christian Rome to be an ideal state: virtue should not be the lot of a true ruler, because he should take care of the prosperity and development of the power of the state, and all this was observed in ancient Rome. People who do not submit their lives to theology and believe only in their own freedom create stronger and more resilient worlds. Machiavelli's works put an end to the era of theology, philosophy acquires a clear anthropocentric and natural-scientific character.
Natural philosophical period
Michel de Montaigne assigned a special role to education in the formation of the human personality. Parents, according to Montaigne, must develop the child's intellectual, spiritual and physical beginnings so that he can adapt to the world around him and live in it as comfortably as possible.
Giordano Bruno put forward the idea of infinity and animation of the universe. Space, time and matter are equal to God, infinite and self-propelled. It is very difficult to cognize the truth in this world, but using unlimited potential and perseverance, you can cognize the divine principle of nature.
Bernandino Telesio called upon all philosophers to experimentally study the phenomena of the world and nature, while emphasizing the extraordinary importance of the sense organs as a source of knowledge about everything that exists. Like many representatives of the Renaissance, he was an active opponent of the scholastic worldview and rejected the usefulness of the speculative-syllogistic method. At the same time, Telesio believed in God and believed that God was, is and will always be.
Juan Luis Vives tried to spread the idea that knowing the world through books is useless, you need to contemplate and observe phenomena through the prism of your own experience. He believed that a child should also not be raised solely according to theories and teaching books, because parents must use their own knowledge acquired throughout their lives.
Galileo Galilei influenced many areas of science: mechanics, astronomy, physics, and, of course, philosophy. He was a rationalist and believed that the human mind is capable of knowing universal truths, and on the way to this knowledge it is useful to use the methods of observation and experiment. He considered the universe to be a huge mechanism that obeys certain physical laws and rules.
Juan Huarte believed that the main method of cognizing reality should be induction - the construction of logical inferences from the particular to the general. His works are devoted to psychology, the problems of individual differences between people and the influence and influence of a person's abilities on the choice of profession.
