The philosophy of the Renaissance is brief. Representatives of Renaissance philosophy

Philosophy of the Renaissance - a phenomenon typical of Western Europe XIV-XVII centuries. The term "Revival" (also used the Italian version - Renaissance) is associated with the conversion of thinkers to the ideals of antiquity, a kind of revival of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. But the understanding of what is antiquity, in people XIV-XV centuries. Was somewhat distorted. This is not surprising: a whole millennium separated them from the time of the fall of Rome, and almost two - from the heyday of ancient Greek democracy. Yet the essence of Renaissance philosophy - anthropocentrism - was derived from ancient sources and distinctly opposed to medieval asceticism and abstract from all worldly scholasticism.

Background

How did the Renaissance philosophy originate? A brief description of this process can begin with a reference to the fact that there was an interest in the real world and the place of the person in it. It happened not by chance at this time. By the XIV century. The system of feudal relations has outlived itself. The city self-government grew and developed rapidly. Especially it was noticeable in Italy, where since the times of antiquity traditions of economic autonomy of large cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples have not faded away. Italy was equal to other European countries.

By this time, the dominance of the Catholic Church in all spheres of life began to weigh people: the monarchs sought to dethrone the pope's influence and come to absolute power, and the urban population and peasants languished under the heavy burden of taxes on the needs of the clergy. A little later this will lead to a movement for the Reformation of the Church and the split of Western European Christianity into Catholicism and Protestantism.

XIV-XV centuries. - the era of great geographical discoveries, when the world began to become more understandable and real, and increasingly fell into the Procrustean bed of Christian scholasticism. The need for the systematization of natural science knowledge became obvious and inevitable. Scientists are increasingly speaking about the rational structure of the world, the impact on the ongoing processes of the laws of physics and chemistry, rather than a divine miracle.

Renaissance philosophy (briefly): basic ideas and basic principles

What determined all these phenomena? The main features of Renaissance philosophy are the desire to explore the world through the natural sciences that originated in ancient Greece and were disreputably forgotten in the dark Middle Ages, attention to man, to such categories as freedom, equality, to the unique value of human life.

However, the specifics of the epoch could not but affect the course of development of philosophical thought, and in an irreconcilable dispute with the adherents of the scholastic tradition a completely new view of the world was born. The philosophy of the Renaissance briefly mastered the foundations of the ancient heritage, but significantly modified and supplemented them. The new time posed a slightly different question for the man than 2000 years before, although many of them are relevant in all epochs.

The ideas of Renaissance philosophy were based on such principles as:

• Anthropocentrism of philosophical and scientific search. Man - the center of the universe, its main value and driving force.
• Particular attention to natural and exact sciences. Only through teaching and development can we understand the structure of the world, to know its very essence.
• Natural philosophy. Nature should be studied as a whole. All objects in the world are one, all processes are interconnected. To know them in all the diversity of forms and states is possible only through generalization and simultaneously through the deductive approach from the greater to the concrete.
• Pantheism is the identification of God with nature. The main purpose of this idea was to reconcile science with the church. It is known that Catholics zealously pursued any scientific thought. The development of pantheism gave impetus to such progressive trends as astronomy, chemistry (as opposed to pseudoscientific alchemy and the search for a philosophical stone), physics, medicine (in-depth study of the structure of man, his organs, tissues).

Periodization

Since the Renaissance encompasses a rather large time interval, for a more detailed description, it is conditionally divided into three periods.

1. Humanistic - the middle of the XIV - the first half of the XV century. It was marked by a turn from theocentrism to anthropocentrism.
2. Neoplatonic - the second half of the XV - the first half of the XVI century. It is connected with the upheaval of worldviews.
3. The natural-philosophical - the second half of the XVI - the first decades of the XVII century. Attempt to make adjustments to the established and approved by the Church picture of the world.

There are also such areas of Renaissance philosophy as:

• Political (developed in the Neoplatonic period), which is characterized by a search for the essence and nature of the power of some people over others.
• Utopian. The social philosophy of the Renaissance (coinciding with the second and third periods in time) is somewhat similar to the political direction, but in the center of search there was an ideal form of coexistence of people within the city and the state.
• Reformation (XVI-XVII centuries) - is aimed at finding ways to reform the Church in accordance with new realities, preserving spirituality in human life, non-negation of the primacy of morality over science.

General characteristics of periods

Today the term "humanism" has acquired a somewhat different meaning than in the Renaissance. Under him is understood the protection of human rights, tolerance, charity. But for the philosophers of the Renaissance, this concept, above all, meant that in the center of philosophical search is not God or divine nature, but man and his earthly life. Thus, if we summarize briefly, the philosophy of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance are different phenomena. They were interested in diametrically opposed issues and could not coexist side by side.

First ideologists

The first vehicles of humanistic ideas were Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca, Lorenzo Valla, Giovanni Boccaccio. Their works in different ways, but quite clearly claimed the anthropocentrism of philosophy of the Renaissance, that is, the central place of man in the picture of the universe.

Humanism first spread not from the university department, but in private conversations with nobles and aristocrats. Scholasticism was the lot of the masses, or rather those who ruled the masses, the official doctrine, and humanism - a philosophy for the chosen narrow circle of the intellectual elite.

Polar dots are the philosophy of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It can be briefly presented in the statement that it was the first philosophers of the Renaissance who created the image of the dark Middle Ages that had been established for centuries as a dark dream of mankind. They also turned to ancient subjects and images to illustrate their ideas. The humanists saw the task of philosophy in the return to the "golden age" - antiquity, and for this they launched an activity aimed at popularizing the ancient heritage - the transfer to the noble Latin and even the folk languages of the surviving examples of the ancient Greek tragedy and comedy. It is generally accepted that the first annotated translations of ancient texts, made in the 15th-16th centuries, laid the foundation for modern philological science.

Dante Alighieri - a bright representative of the period of humanism

To characterize the humanistic period in the history of Renaissance philosophy, one can not help but dwell more fully on the biography of such a symbolic figure as Dante Alighieri. This outstanding thinker and poet in his immortal work "Divine Comedy" made a person the central figure of the narrative. This is all the more interesting because in the rest of the picture the world remained the same as in the Middle Ages - the foundations of the Church and the postulate of divine providence have not yet been touched. But still in the "Divine Comedy" a detailed and detailed map of the Christian afterlife. That is, a person has invaded the domain of divine providence. Let only as a spectator incapable of interfering and influencing the course of events, but man is already present in the divine circle.

This church the Church appreciated very negatively, even hostile.

The purpose of man in the world view of Dante is in self-improvement, striving for a higher ideal, but not at all in renouncing the world, as it seemed to the philosophers of the Middle Ages. In order for the "Divine Comedy" to draw in the colors all the prospects of the life of the soul after the death of a person, in order to push it to decisive actions in the fleeting life of the earth. The author points to the divine origin of man with a single goal - to awaken his responsibility and thirst for unceasing enrichment with knowledge. Anthropocentrism of Renaissance philosophy briefly in Dante found its expression in the "hymn to the dignity of man", sounding in the "Divine Comedy." Thus, believing in the highest destiny of man on earth, his ability for great deeds, the thinker laid the foundation for a new, humanistic doctrine of man.

The development of ideas in the work of Francesco Petrarch

The foundations of the humanistic outlook, outlined by Dante, found their development in the work of Francesco Petrarch. Although the genre focus of his works (sonnets, canons and madrigals) is strikingly different from Dante's majestic and sedate syllable, the ideas of humanism show up in them with equal clarity. Peru of this poet also belongs to a number of philosophical treatises: "On a solitary life", "Invective against the enemy", "On one's own and another's ignorance", "On monastic leisure", dialogue "My secret".

In the example of Petrarch, it is very clearly seen that anthropocentrism did not remain only a new invention of philosophers, but acquired features of a world outlook, a system of cultural values. He openly opposed the scholastic doctrine, considering the lot of the true philosopher to present his own thoughts, and not to comment on others. And among the philosophical issues Petrarch believed that those who concentrate around the person, his life, inner aspirations and deeds, are considered priority.

The main idea of humanists - a person has the right to happiness

Initially, in the works of Dante, the philosophy of the Renaissance (humanism) carried a call for self-improvement, asceticism and resilience before the blows of fate. But her follower of the first half of the XV century. - Lorenzo Valla - went further and called for active action to fight for their ideals. Among the ancient philosophical schools he most sympathized with the Epicureans - it is noticeable in the dialogues "On Delight" and "On the True and False Good", in which he contrasts the followers of Epicurus and Stoics. But the desire for sinful pleasures, typical of the Epicureans, has taken on a different character. His idea of pleasure is purely ethical, spiritual. For Lorenzo Vall, the features of Renaissance philosophy are reduced to a firm belief in the boundless possibilities of the human mind.

The main achievement of the philosophers-humanists XIV-XV centuries. In that they defended the human right to development, self-realization and happiness in real earthly life, and not in the promised after-life Church. God was thought to be good and kind, he personified the creative beginning of the world. And man, created in the image of God, the only one among living beings, endowed with reason and active spirit, should strive to change the world and people around him for the better.

Creative search has touched not only content, but also forms: the humanists resort to a purely secular genre of verse, philosophical treatises, for example, are given the form of dialogue, develop fiction and revive the epistolary genre.

Social equality

The social philosophy of the Renaissance undermined the foundations of the medieval social hierarchy by an absolutely simple and natural appeal to the Holy Scripture: all people are equal in their rights, for they are equally created in the image of God. The idea of the equality of all people will find more active participation among philosophers in the Enlightenment, but for the time being it was only declared, but this was already a lot after the feudal Middle Ages. Humanists did not argue with the Church, but believed that the scholastics and demagogues distorted its teachings, and humanistic philosophy, on the contrary, would help return to the true Christian faith. Suffering and pain are unnatural to nature, which means they are not pleasing to God.

In the second stage of its development, beginning in the mid-fifteenth century, Renaissance philosophy briefly interprets the teachings of Plato, Aristotle and the school of the Neoplatonists in accordance with the realities of modern times.

The main representatives of the idea of social equality

Among the thinkers of this period, a special place is occupied by Nikolai Kuzansky. He was of the opinion that the movement towards truth is an endless process, that is, it is practically impossible to comprehend the truth. This means that a person can not contemplate the world around him, insofar as God allows him to do this. And to understand the divine nature is also higher than human strength. The main features of the philosophy of the Renaissance are summarized in his works "The Proverb" and "About the learned ignorance," where the first clearly emerges the principle of pantheism, since the unity of the world, according to Cusa, is contained in God.

Directly to the philosophy of Plato and the Neoplatonists, the reader is referred to the treatise "Plato's Theology on the Immortality of the Soul" Marsilio Ficino. He, like Nicholas of Cusa, was an adherent of pantheism, identified God and the world in one hierarchical system. The ideas of Renaissance philosophy, which proclaimed that man is beautiful and similar to God, is also not alien to Ficino.

Pantheistic worldview reached its apogee in the works of Pico della Mirandola. The philosopher imagined that God is the highest perfection, enclosed in an imperfect world. Similar views already at the beginning of the XV century. The philosophy of the Renaissance was revealed to the world. The summary of Mirandola's teaching is that comprehension of the world is tantamount to comprehension of God, and this process, although difficult, but finite. Human perfection is also attainable, for it is created in the image of God.

Pantheism. Pietro Pomponazzi

The new philosophy of the Renaissance, briefly described in this article, borrowed the Aristotelian principles, which affected the writings of Pietro Pomponazzi. He saw the essence of the world in a constant progressive movement in a circle, in development and repetition. The main features of the philosophy of the Renaissance found a response in his "Treatise on the immortality of the soul." Here the author provides reasoned evidence of the mortal nature of the soul, thereby affirming that a happy and just existence is possible in terrestrial life and should be sought. This is how Pomposonzi's brief philosophy of the Renaissance is. The main ideas he professed were the responsibility of man for his life and pantheism. But the last in a new reading: God is not only one whole with nature, he is even unfree from it, and therefore is not responsible for the evil that occurs in the world, because God can not break the predetermined order of things.

Hymn of Erasmus of Rotterdam

In the description of such a phenomenon as the philosophy of the Renaissance, it is briefly necessary to touch the work of Erasmus of Rotterdam. It is profoundly Christian in spirit, but even more so, it represents a person, and the more he demands from him. This gives a tremendous responsibility for the constant self-development and self-improvement of the individual. Erasmus mercilessly exposed the limitations of scholastic philosophy and feudalism as a whole, setting forth his ideas on this score in the treatise "Praise of Nonsense." In the same foolishness, the philosopher saw the causes of all conflicts, wars and strife, which the Renaissance philosophy in its essence denounced. Humanism also found a response in the writings of Erasmus of Rotterdam. It was a kind of hymn to the freedom of the will of man and his own responsibility for all bad and good deeds.

Utopian ideas of universal equality

The social trends of Renaissance philosophy were most vividly embodied in the teachings of Thomas More, more precisely in his famous work Utopia, whose name later became a common name. Mor preached the rejection of private property and universal equality.

Another representative of the socio-political trend, Niccolo Machiavelli, in his treatise "The Emperor" expounded his vision of the nature of state power, the rules of policy and conduct of the ruler. To achieve higher goals, according to Machiavelli, any means are suitable. Someone condemned him for such illegibility, but he only noticed the existing pattern.

Thus, for the second stage, the most significant issues are: the essence of God and his relation to the earthly world, human freedom and the ideals of the state system.

Bright trace of Giordano Bruno

In the third stage (from the second half of the 16th century) of its development, the Renaissance philosophy turned to the world around the world, reinterpreting the rules of social morality and the laws of natural phenomena in a new way.

Michel Montaigne's "Experiences" are devoted to moral instructions, in which some or other moral situations are analyzed and examples of advice on correct behavior are contained. It's amazing that Montaigne, without rejecting the experience of past generations in the field of such literature, managed to create a teaching that is relevant to this day.

An important figure of natural philosophy of the XVI century. Became Giordano Bruno. The author of philosophical treatises and scientific works, he, without denying the divine nature, tried to comprehend the essence of cosmogony and the structure of the universe. In his work "On the cause, the beginning and the one," the philosopher argued that the Universe is one (this was in general the central concept of his teaching), immovable and infinite. General characteristics of philosophy of the Renaissance in Giordano Bruno looks like a sum of ideas of pantheism, natural philosophy and anthropocentrism of scientific search. He argued that nature is endowed with soul, this is clear from the fact that it is constantly evolving. And God is the same as the universe - they are infinite and equal to each other. The goal of human search is self-improvement and, ultimately, the approach to contemplation of God.

General conclusions

This kind acquired at the final stage the philosophy of the Renaissance. Briefly, representatives of her described in their writings as the awakening of the human mind, as the liberation of it from the darkness of the ignorance and oppression of the powerful of this world. The value of every human life was recognized. Thus, the philosophy of the Renaissance can be briefly described. Its representatives were not only philosophers, but worked in the natural sciences, as mentioned above Giordano Bruno, as well as Galileo Galilei and Nicolaus Copernicus. Their eyes were directed to the sky and pantheism, characteristic of previous generations. They identified God no longer simply with nature, but with an infinite universe. Brief description of the philosophy of the Renaissance in the XVI-XVII centuries. Includes not only the ideas of pantheism and natural-philosophical search, but also the further development of humanistic views. The period demands from a person constant self-improvement, responsibility and courage in the search for the meaning of earthly existence and divine nature in everything that exists.

For many decades, the Renaissance philosophy has been studied by the scientific world. General characteristics are briefly presented in the works of Dilthey Wilhelm, Russian historians - Buicik, Luchinin, Losev.