structural:summarization
Renaissance

The Renaissance period began in the mid-14th century and lasted until the early 17th century. This cultural and intellectual movement originated in Italy and gradually spread to other regions of Western Europe. Key aspects of the Renaissance included a renewed interest in Ancient Greek philosophy and the emergence of humanism, as well as a shift toward scientific inquiry. This represented a significant departure from the medieval period, which had been primarily focused on religious and scholastic traditions. Another notable change was that intellectual activity was no longer as closely tied to the Church as before; most scholars of this period were not clerics.

An important aspect of the resurgence of Ancient Greek philosophy during the Renaissance was a revived enthusiasm for the teachings of Plato. This Renaissance Platonism was still conducted within the framework of Christian theology and often aimed to demonstrate how Plato's philosophy was compatible with and could be applied to Christian doctrines. For example, Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) argued that souls form a connection between the realm of Platonic forms and the sensory realm. According to Plato, love can be understood as a ladder leading to higher forms of understanding. Ficino interpreted this concept in an intellectual sense, viewing it as a way to relate to God through the love of knowledge.

The revival of Ancient Greek philosophy during the Renaissance was not limited to Platonism; it also encompassed other schools of thought, such as Skepticism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism. This revival was closely associated with the rise of Renaissance humanism, a human-centered worldview that highly valued the academic disciplines studying human society and culture. This shift in perspective also involved seeing humans as genuine individuals. Although Renaissance humanism was not primarily a philosophical movement, it brought about many social and cultural changes that affected philosophical activity. These changes were also accompanied by an increased interest in political philosophy. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) argued that a key responsibility of rulers is to ensure stability and security. He believed they should govern effectively to benefit the state as a whole, even if harsh circumstances require the use of force and ruthless actions. In contrast, Thomas More (1478–1535) envisioned an ideal society characterized by communal ownership, egalitarianism, and devotion to public service.

The Renaissance also witnessed various developments in the philosophy of nature and science, which helped lay the groundwork for the scientific revolution. One such development was the emphasis on empirical observation in scientific inquiry. Another was the idea that mathematical explanations should be employed to understand these observations. Francis Bacon (1561–1626 CE) is often seen as a transitional figure between the Renaissance and modernity. He sought to revolutionize logic and scientific inquiry with his work Novum Organum, which was intended to replace Aristotle's influential treatises on logic. Bacon's work discussed, for example, the role of inductive reasoning in empirical inquiry, which involves deriving general laws from numerous individual observations. Another key transitional figure was Galileo Galilei (1564–1642 CE), who played a crucial role in the Copernican Revolution by asserting that the Sun, rather than the Earth, is at the center of the Solar System.