Renaissance worldview and Enlightenment worldview are historical periods in Europe that significantly impacted various aspects of science, mathematics, art, culture, and philosophy. While both periods are often discussed in school, it can be confusing to differentiate them.
Key Takeaways
- Renaissance is primarily focused on art, while Enlightenment emphasizes intellectual aspects, reason, and science.
- The Renaissance period saw notable contributions in areas such as music, architecture, drama, and poetry, while the Enlightenment period was associated with advancements in science, rationality, industrialization, calculus, and astronomy.
- The Renaissance was known as the artistic rebirth, whereas the Enlightenment was focused on basing everything on science and rationality.
During the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, the Renaissance Period in Europe followed the Middle Ages. The term “Renaissance” is derived from the French word for “rebirth” and is often considered the Golden Age of cultural, artistic, and intellectual thought. This period saw significant contributions in areas such as music, architecture, drama, and poetry, with names like Shakespeare and Mozart becoming famous.
On the other hand, the Enlightenment worldview is associated with advancements in science, rationality, industrialization, calculus, and astronomy. This period is also referred to as the Age of Reason, as people believed that authority and legitimacy primarily depended on reason. The Enlightenment was developed through questioning norms, traditions, customs, morals, and relying solely on reason and science.
Although Renaissance and Enlightenment worldviews can be seen as similar, in that they were both periods where humanity sought to improve, there are key differences. The Renaissance was mainly an artistic rebirth, with figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Copernicus making their mark on history. In contrast, the Enlightenment’s primary focus was on intellectual aspects, relying on reason and science. The Renaissance can be seen as the era where humans “perfected” their artistic talents, while the Enlightenment period was when human actions were based on science and rationality.
Today’s youth is fortunate to live in an age where we can learn from the best. As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher, and we are indeed learning from the experiences of our forefathers.
