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What is the Difference Between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment?

S. Mithra
S. Mithra

The Renaissance and the Enlightenment name two distinctly different periods of European history. They both heralded major changes in culture, art, philosophy, science, and mathematics. The Renaissance is associated with advances in literature, architecture, humanism, and a world economy, while the Enlightenment is associated with the scientific method, industrialization, rationality, astronomy, and calculus.

The Renaissance occurred during the 14th-16th centuries, following the Middle Ages. In French, the name translates as "rebirth," meaning that this was a Golden Age of artistic, cultural, and intellectual thought and production. During this era, great contributions were made to music, astronomy, painting, architecture, poetry, drama, and philosophy. Some famous people of this period include Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Niccolo Machiavelli.

Michelangelo's David is considered an example of renaissance art.
Michelangelo's David is considered an example of renaissance art.

Financial, political, and technological innovations contributed to this explosion in civilization. The Black Plague killed many people but ended up redistributing wealth, remapping cities, and establishing a literate middle class. The Gutenberg press allowed people to translate and widely distribute written material. Advents in ship building and ocean navigation enabled closer economic ties between all of Europe and the East, not to mention the New World. Knowledge was accessible when Greek and Roman texts were translated from Latin into Italian, French, and English, so scholars could expand upon Ancient wisdom.

The Age of Enlightenment, which pertained to science and math, had an influence on many of America's founding fathers.
The Age of Enlightenment, which pertained to science and math, had an influence on many of America's founding fathers.

From about 1650-1800, Europe and the New World experienced an Enlightenment that introduced new paradigms of morality. This, too, was a period of discovery, but is generally limited to the realm of science, mathematics, and technology. Logic and reason reigned as thinkers became convinced that society and the natural world were like a giant, united machine that, while it may be complicated, could eventually be dismantled, studied, and mastered. The scientific method, which relied on the notion of objective observation leading to verifiable conclusions, spurred developments in astronomy, philosophy, medicine and physiology, transportation, chemistry, and ethics.

Leonardo Da Vinci was a central renaissance figure.
Leonardo Da Vinci was a central renaissance figure.

Empirical data suddenly displaced people's superstitious notions of how the world functioned by explaining mystical phenomena such as lightning, eclipses, disease, or hallucinations. The new authority in this part of the world was research and science, rather than the Church and God. Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and Gottfried Liebnitz are associated with the new fields of science such as calculus, cosmology, and physics. Society valued truth and the acquisition of knowledge as worthwhile pursuits that informed philosophy. Ethical behavior to treat everyone fairly was described in treatises by Thomas Hobbes and Baruch Spinoza.

Discussion Comments

anon251475

How come Galileo is mentioned in both periods? Was he reincarnated?

anon249092

It wasn't called "Black Plague" it was called either the "Great Plague," or the "Black Death." The only place where it's called the Black Plague is here in the USA, where people tend to get things like this, as well as metaphors, a little muddled.

recapitulate

@behaviourism, and then of course the Romantic period was a reaction to the Enlightenment.

I teach British literature, and it really interesting to see the way that things from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance, then the Renaissance to the Age of Reason, and then the Age of Reason to the Romantics are all, in so many ways, reactions to one another; either responses which contradict the previous era or continuations of what happened before, done more strongly. We are now talking about the Victorians, and I am already seeing how it relates to what changed in the world after the Romantic Period.

aaaCookie

Some people who prefer the Enlightenment like to say that education during the Renaissance was less advanced. On the contrary, many people were studying things like mathematics and science, they just focused less on them than they did on things like art, music, and writing beautiful poetry.

behaviourism

Generally, the Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, can be seen as a direct response to the Renaissance.

While the Renaissance was a period of exploration in art, poetry, and literature that focused on emotion, faith, and mystery, the Age of Reason was just that- a focus on science, logic, and solving the seemingly unsolvable with the senses.

anon8314

On my website I'm making the connection between a renaissance, enlightenment, genius, philosophy, religion, art, science, mind, body, spirit, soul, tennis, ....

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    • Michelangelo's David is considered an example of renaissance art.
      By: Brad Pict
      Michelangelo's David is considered an example of renaissance art.
    • The Age of Enlightenment, which pertained to science and math, had an influence on many of America's founding fathers.
      By: trekandshoot
      The Age of Enlightenment, which pertained to science and math, had an influence on many of America's founding fathers.
    • Leonardo Da Vinci was a central renaissance figure.
      By: Jakub Krechowicz
      Leonardo Da Vinci was a central renaissance figure.
    • St. Peter's Basilica was built during the Renaissance.
      By: Stefano Costantini
      St. Peter's Basilica was built during the Renaissance.
    • The Enlightenment gave rise to scientists like Isaac Newton.
      By: Georgios Kollidas
      The Enlightenment gave rise to scientists like Isaac Newton.
    • Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel during the Renaissance.
      By: Marco Desscouleurs
      Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel during the Renaissance.
    • Charles Darwin was part of the Enlightenment.
      By: nickolae
      Charles Darwin was part of the Enlightenment.
    • Galileo lived during the Renaissance, contributing greatly to the field of astronomy.
      By: nickolae
      Galileo lived during the Renaissance, contributing greatly to the field of astronomy.