Humanism
and
The Printing Press
Unit 3, SSWH 9 c and g
Humanism
• Study of classical texts, an
intellectual movement that
focused on human potential &
achievements
• Studied them to understand
ancient Greek values
• Influenced artists and architects
to carry on classical traditions
Continued
• Popularized the study of subjects –
history, literature, and philosophy
• Examined traditional teachings of
the church
Petrarch
•Father of Renaissance
humanism
•Great poet: wrote both
in Italian and Latin
Dante
• Wrote using vernacular
(wrote in everyday local
language) and about secular
(worldly) things
• Famous: wrote
The Divine
Comedy in Italian
Erasmus “ Christian
Humanist”
• Said society should be
reformed through education (women,
boys, and girls)
• Famous: wrote The Praise of Folly:
poked fun at the greedy merchants,
heartsick lovers, quarreling scholars, &
pompous priests
• To Improve society, all people should
study the Bible
Gutenberg & The Printing Press
• Chinese invented block &
moveable type
• Block printed items reached
Europe in the 1200s
• 1440, Johann Gutenberg
developed a printing press
• First complete book printed:
Gutenberg Bible in 1455
• Printing press
allowed books to be
made cheap/fast & it
increased the amount
of available knowledge in society
• Spreading ideas quickly (people
began to challenge established
institutions more)