Note: This article was released prior to the 2015-2016 revision to the AP® European History exam. In order to see what is still in the Course and Exam Description, explore the course framework here.
This AP® European History crash course will explain the concept of Humanism as it relates to the AP® European History exam and where it fits into your review for AP® Euro.
Humanism is defined as a “system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate…” and, in philosophy specifically, “a variety of ethical theory and practice that emphasizes reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God” (dictionary.com).
Humanism’s dictionary definition doesn’t really explain what you’ll need to know for your AP® European History review. This crash course will provide you with a nuanced overview of the topic insofar as you can use it on the AP® European History exam.
Read on for the rest of our crash course on humanism for the AP® European History exam.
The Origins of Humanism
The term “humanism,” finds its origins in 18th century France, during the French Enlightenment. The term described something of an all-over enjoyment and respect for all human things. This ideal gave rise to many humanitarian organizations.
After the French Revolution, however, the word took on a different connotation, one of supposed direct opposition to the lasting religious traditions. Humanism was decidedly mainstream by the early 19th century. It was believed to be a fitting replacement for those long-standing religious traditions, a possible replacement for religion, by the mid-19th century.
This time period also saw the rise of Humanism as a school of philosophical thought. Certain German philosophers such as Arnold Ruge and Karl Marx, the Left Hegelians, determined that humanism was somewhat of a weapon with which to fight the church’s involvement in repressive governments.
All of this being said, there is some controversy over the meaning of humanism due to the reappropriation of the term in later centuries. Your AP® European History review can definitely be bulked up a bit more by studying the other, different thoughts on humanism, Renaissance Humanism, the predecessor to the type of humanism we’ve just discussed.
Renaissance Humanism
The Renaissance itself can be defined by Humanism, which, in this context, was a movement in literature beginning in Italy during the 1300s. Materialism, in this sense meaning that what is observable must inherently be true and real, so to speak, and the rejection of purely religious inspiration to create art caused the humanistic principles of the Renaissance to become evident.
In basic terms, humanist artists, namely writers from the Renaissance period, were concerned with the creation of art that served their materialist ideals more so than their religion.
The effects of Renaissance Humanism were wide-spread and one could say, duplicitous in that these artists had to remain under the religious radar yet still express their humanist ideals. Humanism had, as a result of the changing popular ideas about religion and thought, extensive effects across Europe. In many disciplines, Renaissance Humanism revolutionized how people learned, created, and thought. Let’s look at some of the effects of humanism throughout the Renaissance period.
The Humanists greatly affected the course of education in Europe. They believed in revolutionizing education and taking away from the classroom that inevitable specter of religion. Humanistic education prizes the creative powers of the individual. History, poetry, and grammar should be studied alongside music, astronomy, and mathematics in the Renaissance Humanists’ point of view. This ideal type of education created the phrase “Renaissance Man” as a characterization of an ideally educated and learned citizen. In addition to that, the Humanists sought and understanding of human nature that accounted for the ideas of the classical writers like Plato and Aristotle. This educational model that prized the writers of the classical period again originated in Italy but spread across Europe.
Now that we’ve explained the effect of Renaissance Humanism, let’s just explore a few noteworthy names and the reasons for their noteworthiness.
1. Giovanni Pico dellaMirandola: an Italian who resided in Florence and who wrote that there are no limits to what man is able to accomplish
2. Francesco Petrarca: known as Petrarch, he was also called the Father of Humanism; he was known to have given rise to the Civic Humanists and for revolutionizing the sonnet.
3. Leonardo Bruni: a biographer of Cicero; encouraged citizens to remain involved in political and cultural pursuits; wrote The History of the Florentine Peoples, a 12-volume work.
4. GiovanniaBoccacci: wrote The Decameron, which is considered by some to be the greatest prose work of the entire Renaissance.
5. Baldassare Castiglione: wrote The Courtier, which defined the criteria of becoming a Renaissance Man
Humanism on the AP® European History Exam
As you are very aware if you’ve been following the earlier sections of our AP® European History crash course, the AP® European History course and the exam are undergoing a change for the 2015-2016 school year. The scope of knowledge that you are expected to possess has been narrowed, and the depth with which you should discuss certain key topics has effectively been increased.
That being said, even though the target has begun to move slightly, an understanding of Humanism as a concept and a historical movement in art can really help you nail the AP® European History exam because Humanism is so very intertwined with the development of Europe over time into Europe as we know it today.
Consider this FRQ on specifically Italian Renaissance Humanism.
“Analyze the influence of humanism on the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance. Use at least THREE specific works to support your analysis.”
Questions like this are pretty straightforward. The effects of cultural developments on works of art throughout European history definitely fit into the new theory on how the course should be taught and how to succeed on the test. Consider that, with the advent of humanism, artistic pursuits could take place outside of the once comfortable religious place where all art was forced to reside previously. Consider the changes that take place between the 1300s and 1500s in the actual physical representations of religious figures.
Humanism on the AP® European History Exam—the bottom line
The bottom line that you should come to understand after this AP® European History crash course on Humanism is that art in visual and textual and musical forms changed dramatically during the times of direct humanist influence.
Europe’s relationship with religion and the various churches that resided in Europe changed so drastically through this important artistic movement.
Consider humanism an important concept to understand in your AP® European History review. This is a very connected, deep concept with far-reaching implications for you on the AP® European History exam.
Now that you’ve got a primer on humanism, how will you continue to study for the AP® Euro exam? Check out the rest of our AP® European History crash courses for overviews of other useful –isms, time periods, and developments that will help you nail the AP® Euro exam.
By the way, you should check out Albert.io for your AP® European History review. We have hundreds of AP® Euro practice questions written just for you!
