Changing Cultural Traditions of Europe

It is to be noted that significant changes have taken place in European history between the 14th and 17th centuries that have altered the cultural traditions of Europe in many ways. In the 19th century, historians used ‘Renaissance’ to describe the phenomenon that initiated the changes in the cultural traditions during the stated period. The term ‘Renaissance’ means ‘rebirth’, and European historians used it to describe the revival of Europe during the 14th to 17th century. Renaissance also initiated the spirit of equality among the European individuals as they started to oppose and attack all the superstitions and rituals which were spreading and causing inequality.

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Changing Cultural Traditions of Europe

There were many causes of Renaissance in Europe, which are described as below:

• Increased contact between Eastern and Western Individuals: Due to increased trading between Islamic countries and the Byzantine Empire, many ports of the Italian coast were revived. This increase in trade also empowered Italian towns to be independent cities and states rather than a part of a centralised empire
• Ottoman Turks taking over Constantinople: After Ottoman Turks defeated the Byzantine ruler of Constantinople, the volume of long-distance trade rapidly declined. Due to this, Italian traders need to pay higher taxes while trading
• Rise of Crusades: Multiple campaigns and movements were held against the Turks, which initiated religious war between Muslims and Christians
• Declining Feudalism: The decline in feudalism was evident by the end of the sixteenth century, which paved the way for establishing a new order in European societies
• Increase in Trading Practices and New Towns: Between the 14th and 17th centuries, multiple towns grew in Europe, expanding the volume and practices of agriculture and increasing population and trading
• Rise of the New Middle Class: The downfall of feudalism led to the emergence of the new middle-class society, which primarily had townspeople. These townspeople tend to believe that they are more civilised than the rural people
• Rise of Many Nations: Individuals from the new middle class were more inclined towards liberal society, freedom, and equality, which led to the emergence of the nation-state concept

The Revival of Italian Cities

The key events that lead to the revival of Italian Cities

• Soon after the decline of the Roman Empire, many powerful Italian towns from a political and cultural perspective started falling to ruins as they lost all their powers
• Restructuring of Western Europe was conducted with the help of feudal bonds, which were unified under the Latin-based Church
• Under the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Europe expanded
• Islam was building a common society in western countries
• During the Renaissance era, Italy was perceived as fragmented and weak
• Many ports of the Italian coast were revived due to increasing developments between the Islamic countries and Byzantine Empire
• Many Italian cities came into existence due to rich merchants and wealthy bankers that administered the cities and freed them from the control of feudal lords and clergy

Universities and Humanism

Renaissance also affected universities and humanism in European countries. The key impacts of the same are as follows:

• The earliest universities in European countries were established in Italian towns
• Universities from Padua and Bologna have served as the primary centres for legal studies since the 11th century
• Commerce-based universities also gained popularity in Italian cities due to the increasing demand for lawyers and relative personnel
• Law and humanism were the most popular subjects of interest in European countries; however, the emphasis was shifted from Roman culture to humanism discipline
• Many educational programs were launched that heavily implied a lot to learn during that era which was not possible along with religious teachings
• During the initial years of the 15th century, the ‘Humanist’ term was used for individuals that had mastery of moral philosophy, poetry, history, and rhetorical grammar

Humanist View of History

The key takeaways of the history of Europe from humanist views are as follows:

• Humanists believed that the age of darkness prevailed for centuries in Europe, even after the decline of the Roman Empire
• Humanists assumed that a ‘new age’ began after the 14th century
• A millennium after the fall of the Roman Empire was considered the Medieval Period and middle ages
• It is also believed that during the middle ages, religion and churches controlled the thoughts and actions of all the individuals so that the teachings of Romans and Greeks were completely washed out
• As per the humanist view, the modern period started in the 15th century

Names of the periods as declared by humanists

• 5th To 14th Century: Middle Ages
• 5th To 9th Century: Dark Ages
• 9th To 11th Century: Early Middle Ages
• 11th To 14th Century: Late Middle Ages
• 15th century Onwards: Modern Age

Science and Philosophy

Following are the impact laid by the Renaissance on the fields of Science and Philosophy:

• Clergymen and monks were highly familiar with the works of the Roman and Greek scholars since the Middle Ages. Still, they were adamant about not sharing this information with other individuals
• Many scholars had started to read the translation of the writings developed by famous Greek writers like Aristotle and Plato by the 14th century
• The said writing was preserved and translated by the Arabian people
• Many Europeans read the Greek words in the Arabic translation and the Greek translation works of Arabic and Persian scholars
• Most of the Greek, Arabic and Persian works were based on chemistry, medicine, astronomy, natural science, and mathematics

Conclusion

Overall, it has been deduced in this article that the Renaissance brought multiple changes in the lives of European individuals by adding rational and scientific approaches. The key causes leading to the emergence of the Renaissance were the emergence of the middle class and the fall of feudalism. It has also been evaluated that the Renaissance initiated the new age by breaking the feudal bonds and educating people that only religious teachings were insufficient. Due to the Renaissance, many cities of Italy were revived, and a lot of attention was given to literary works of scholars of Greek, Arab, and Persia. Additionally, the Renaissance paved the way for the establishment of many universities that promoted science, humanism, literature, philosophy, and realism.