Introduction
The Renaissance era that emerged in Italy at the end of the 14th century became a widespread phenomenon in European culture and influenced the subsequent development of science, culture, economy, and other social spheres significantly. The turning point in spiritual life had deep roots in socio-economic changes caused by the formation of early bourgeois relations. The Renaissance movement began in Venice, Florence, and Genoa, where trade developed intensively, the processes of initial capital accumulation took place, and republican political regimes dominated. The outstanding humanists of the time, such as Francesco Petrarch, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Giovanni Boccaccio, promoted meaningful values and did their best to achieve equality for all people and outline the paths of moral improvement. Many ideas of the humanism of the Renaissance epoch remain relevant today. They continue and develop in modern human-centered ethical and worldview systems, although many of them have undergone some transformation. Due to the development of the ideas of that time, the background of many modern dogmas in art, politics, and other areas has developed in the form in which it is customary for modern society.
Cultural Manifestations of the Renaissance Impacts
The phenomenon of Western European humanism was associated with the process of transforming the ideas of spirituality into humanistic values . Today, similar ideas are observed in the culture of a civilized society in which the freedom of morals and choice of preferences are natural components. According to Marrs, the ideas of the Renaissance gave impetus to the diversity of cultural forms and allowed promoting distinctive trends and directions without focusing on the religious aspect as the key one. In the works of the outstanding figures of that era, one can find appropriate calls for an open form of feelings and emotions, which was uncharacteristic before. For instance, in his well-known work The Decameron, Boccaccio expresses the idea that personal dignity elevates a person to a true height but not his or her status (57). Today, the ideas of democracy promoted as the fundamental values of social development are based on similar principles of equality. Humanity has preserved and developed the idea of the freedom of expression. Therefore, the impacts of the Renaissance are natural and obvious in view of the centuries-old transformation of the cultural sphere.
As a result, a distinctive feature of the Renaissance is the secular nature of culture and its anthropocentrism that presupposes interest, first of all, in a person and his or her activities. While taking into account modern cultural trends, one can note that everyone has an opportunity to influence the mass passion for a particular art form because today, the freedom of choice is a natural phenomenon. Therefore, medieval Italy may be considered the ancestor of those cultural concepts that are considered natural today, in particular, freedom and independence in views (The Renaissance – Why It Changed the World). Limited resources of that era were not an obstacle to spreading the idea of the human being as a creator who is able to contribute to history on one’s own and influence an individual destiny. Moreover, the first works of that time, such as The Decameron, made it possible to draw the attention of contemporaries to feelings and emotions rather than heroism and submission, which were characteristic of earlier literary epics. Therefore, the role of the Renaissance in modern culture is significant and has largely determined the formation of contemporary humanistic values.
Influence of the Renaissance on Modern Political Ideas
In the political thought of the Renaissance, the religious explanation of politics and law was replaced by secular concepts in which the independence of the state from the church was promoted. In addition, a single and centralized state power mechanism was developed, which was a crucial shift. As Usoro argues, one of the main approaches was the principle of political realism that presupposed the rejection of speculative schemes of what were considered proper and moral (9). Good and evil were no longer referred to as the key aspects of the decision-making process, and the abandonment of theological values in favor of social equality and freedom became a central idea. Applied to modern society where equality is at the heart of the system of justice and power, the Renaissance played an essential role in creating a system of law based on respect for personal freedoms. The forms of control promoted by the church gave way to more flexible mechanisms for the distribution of powers and began to be perceived as a historic relic. Thus, rethinking an opportunity to coordinate power at the highest level made it possible to establish political boundaries.
The emphasis on the human being from the standpoint of humanism became basic from both the cultural and political aspects of the changes promoted by the representatives of the Renaissance. Despite the fact that, as Marrs notes, politics continued to be closely intertwined with religion, individual responsibility assumed a higher value and role in justice. Therefore, when comparing the ideas of the Renaissance with a contemporary approach to the formation of the political system, legal transformations have become a significant step towards the development of civil society. Freethinkers sought to create an environment of social interaction where politicians could follow the principles that are called democratic today due to their respect for human rights (The Renaissance – Why It Changed the World). The absolute domination of power ceased to be a unified control algorithm that had been maintained for centuries, and the rethinking of human values made it possible to convey the inadmissibility of autocracy. As a result, the ideas of the Renaissance became the first step in a multi-stage and complex process of moving away from the classic political canons and transition to a more flexible system of government.
Socio-Economic Influences of the Renaissance
Since anthropocentrism became a key phenomenon promoted by the representatives of the Renaissance, the emphasis on personality and its role in society was one of the central approaches to the formation of social relationships. Individualism as an attitude towards a person became a means of substantiating one’s intrinsic value and the need to free oneself from the socio-political and spiritual shackles of the Middle Ages. The growth of the personal factor finds its expression in the psychology of the Renaissance. Demands for mental and intellectual work became frequent and changed many outdated social attitudes focused on mechanical and hard labor aimed to provide food and basic welfare. According to Marrs, the secular intelligentsia emerged as a class, and the formation of a more developed society became one of the trends. In his work, Boccaccio reflects not an underdeveloped and backward Florence but a region that is a place for the professional development of masters of culture and arts (93). As a result, the social changes promoted by the leaders of the Renaissance largely influenced the subsequent shifts in mass values and became the basis of the modern way of life.
These factors of transformation also affected the economic development of society. The early bourgeois nature of the social structure gave rise to capitalist relations, in particular, manufacturing production with the widespread use of hired labor. Trade became one of the key areas of capital accumulation, and many foundations of contemporary financial institutions originated at that time (The Renaissance – Why It Changed the World). Although the whole system was unstable and characterized by gaps, for instance, the preservation of private property as the main principle of economic well-being, basic features comparable to the modern economic sector were observed. The manufacturing type of production allowed creating jobs and involving investment from those in power, which is similar to the contemporary principles of the formation of business industry. As Marrs states, scientific approaches to financial transactions began to be introduced, which is also in line with today’s mechanisms for controlling the economic aspects of entrepreneurship. The gradual improvement of the technological base led to an increase in labor productivity. Therefore, the Renaissance period can be described as the era that marked the beginning of primitive economic trends transformed into advanced financial schemes.
Merits of Individual Figures of the Renaissance Period
Individual representatives of the Renaissance period made a significant contribution to the promotion of humanistic ideas and formation of important human values. One should note the activities of Francesco Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli, and other members of the progressive population. For instance, according to Charette and Darmiento, Petrarch was one of the first to condemn archaic ideas about the nature of human relationships and call for freedom in social interaction and personal development (1048). His poetic texts imbued with the ideas of equality and love for one’s neighbor allowed many followers to rethink approaches to literature and became the background for the formation of new poetic forms. Boccaccio, with his The Decameron, was an iconic figure of the Renaissance and played a crucial role in changing the established literary canons. As Charette and Darmiento state, the modern foundations of the republican system and political trends were largely formed due to the work of Machiavelli as the outstanding author of many texts (1047). All these representatives of the Renaissance achieved great recognition and became the ancestors of cultural and social trends that laid the foundation for the ideas of humanism.
Conclusion
Many cultural, political, economic, and other dogmas that are traditional for modern society were laid down during the Renaissance as the basic values. In a cultural setting, the reassessment of ideas and views on the influence of the church led to the emergence of freer art forms. From a social perspective, the prerequisites for the development of humanism and equality as mandatory aspects of civilization began to advance. The first capitalist forms of interaction among people became the mainstream of contemporary trade and economic relations. The contribution of individuals is also difficult to overestimate since, due to the efforts of Petrarch, Boccaccio, and other figures of that era, humanity was able to concentrate on freedom and equality as integral values. The Renaissance period became a landmark historical stage and made it possible to achieve a transition to more advanced forms of interaction, thereby separating archaic and religious ideas from human life.
Works Cited
Boccaccio, Giovanni. The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio. Good Press, 2019.
Charette, Danielle, and Michael Darmiento. “A Tribune Named Niccolò: Petrarchan Revolutionaries and Humanist Failures in Machiavelli’s Florentine Histories.” History of European Ideas, vol. 44, no. 8, 2018, pp. 1046-1062.
Marrs, T. “The Renaissance: Cultural & Political Impact on European Nation-State Building.” Medium. 2020, Web.
“The Renaissance – Why It Changed the World.” The Telegraph. 2015, Web.
Usoro, Usoro I. “The Impacts of Renaissance on the Development of Modern Philosophy.” Sapientia: Journal of Philosophy, vol. 12, 2020, p. 1-22.