Renaissance in 12th Century Culture and Thought

spiritual rebirth in 12th coulomb Culture and patternHow appropriate is the mark renascence, when applied to ordinal century thought and culture?IntroductionDuring this essay we sh totally be exploring the point of the ordinal one C in Europe. We ar concerned with the extent to which this item, which was one of extraordinary social, economic, and political change, with profound developments in thought and culture can be considered a conversion. First it is necessary to regard the dependable meaning of the label renaissance. What atomic number 18 the most important features of a renaissance that mark it out from other utmosts of time? In the commencement exercise part of our work we shall attempt to define the parameters of what a renaissance is.The Second part of our work get out examine the historic background of the Twelfth degree centigrade. We shall soon examine the most important developments during a period that has done much to shape the modern world, incl uding the rise of humanism, the individual, the reform of the church building, the creation of Universities and the development of wakeless codes end-to-end Europe. Why was the Twelfth Century such an important period in medieval history and did these profound changes and developments constitute a renaissance in the demeanor of the renaissance of the 15th Century?In our final Chapter we will present the case that using the term renaissance for the Twelfth Century is misleading, unsuitable and inappropriate. Although the twelfth century was extremely important, with profound developments in umpteen fields, this does non necessarily make it a renaissance. servicemany historians would also argue that exerciseing such labels is perverting to the study of history in this chapter we will examine some(a) of their arguments. In our conclusion we will conclude on whether it is accurate, useful or appropriate to apply the term renaissance to the Twelfth Century.The term renaissance, o r re-birth is usually associated with the Italian conversion in the 14th and 15th Centuries which later pass out end-to-end Europe.1 This period saw a revival in definitiveal texts and sources of know guidege in a variety of fields, mathematics, law, philosophy, art and education to name but a few. Educational reform spread these ideas end-to-end Europe, leading to developments in knowledge, technology and agriculture, as well as social changes which saw a population supplanting to towns and cities.2 In essence renaissance is referring to a revival, in this case the clear texts and teachings of the Ancient Greeks. It is generally accepted by historians today that there were several renaissances in Europe, in the Ninth, Twelfth and 14th Centuries, where increased access to classical texts and other social factors led to tasty, technological and social developments throughout Society.3 When referring to the Twelfth Century Renaissance most historians mean the period between 10 50 and 1250, and unlike the early period of the later Renaissance, developments happened throughout Europe and did not begin in one theatrical role or Country.4Chapter OneThe Twelfth Century was arguably one of the most important in medieval times, if not in the whole of European History. The redisc everywherey of many Latin and Greek texts following the fall of the Greek Empire and increased contact with Islamic scholars led to an increase in scientific knowledge, and to developments in all intellectual fields. The Twelfth Century saw great advances in technology, which combined with a warmer climate and greater stability led to an agricultural surplus, an improve quality of life and pertlyfound opportunities. This more dynamic European Society invented spectacles, paper, developed the use of gunpowder, more accurate clocks and printing methods.5 For a period the Latin and Greek texts were simply re-produced by an increasing number of European Scholars. Gradually once all these work were discovered and thoroughly absorbed, many Scholars began to bod upon this knowledge and adapt it for contemporary use, no more so than in the field of law.Roman law and a revival of jurisprudence spread throughout Twelfth Century Europe, replacing traditional, custom based law and helping create stability. One of the best examples of this was in Henry II of Englands legal reforms. Like in many parts of Europe trial by ordeal or battle was still common, and the application of the Kings justice was not similar throughout his British territories. Henry II established trial by jury and set up magistrate courts so that his representatives could administer legal rulings on his behalf. This was the base of the Modern day justice system, it made the legal system fairer and helped establish the authority of the Church and State throughout Europe.6The artistic pursuits flourished during the Twelfth Century, the fields of poetry, architecture, music, and writings all developed g reatly. This was partly a result of the increased wealth and security in many parts of Europe, but it was also an indication of the self confidence, creativity and curiosity of a more dynamic European Society eagerly absorbing new sources of knowledge from the Latin and Greek texts, the Islamic and Byzantium worlds.7 This artistic revival also had some links to the more humanist philosophies and teachings from the great Twelfth Century scholars and teachers. Humanist thought also developed in the period around the Twelfth Century, and many academics, such as Morris, believe that the Twelfth Century saw the beginnings of the discovery of the individual and the origins of rational thought.8 The rise of the individual led to a wider interest in self expression, human relations and self discovery, it was a point when man became interested in the position of the individual in relation to Society and its institutions.9 This apparent rise of rational thought however did not coincide with a decline of the powers of the Church. Indeed during this period the Christian Church went through a period of dynamic reform, strengthening its influence and power to a point where the Pope would attempt to exercise power and influence over Monarchies and Empires. It was Innocent III, a proponent of both religious and secular legal codes, who called for a Crusade against the infidels in 1198, and he who made the English King arse his vassal.10 The Twelfth Century re mained a period of faith where to even question whether there was a God was considered madness.How then was the knowledge gleaned from the classical Greek and Latin texts disseminated throughout Europe? The establishing of Universities in places such as Paris, Oxford and Bologna was perhaps one of the greatest events of the Twelfth Century. Students from all over Europe travelled to these centres of development, and helped to spread their new scholastic thought and ideas back to their homelands.11 The Universities not only helped to re-introduce classical knowledge back into Europe but helped build upon and adapt the works to better serve the very different European Society that they inhabited, a Society that was rapidly changing and beginning to explore the world outside the European frontiers. We have established then that the period of the Twelfth Century, which for many academics means 1050-1250, was a period of great economic, social, political and religious change. In our next chapter we will argue that the label Renaissance is worthy of such a profoundly important era.Chapter TwoThe Twelfth Century did indeed contain many of the features that specify the 15th Century Renaissance in Italy. The discovery of Latin and Greek texts allowed for great advances in the scientific, social, political and legal fields as well as other intellectual pursuits. After the long process of absorbing the vast array of texts, Twelfth Century Scholars built upon that knowledge just as some of the great Italia n minds in Florence did several hundred years later. The adoption of Roman legal canons and the revival of the arts are two examples of a European re-birth a fundamental change in Society for the better inspired by the classical works.12 If anything the Twelfth Century was perhaps even more surface minded than its later Italian Renaissance, adopting and learning from cultures previously regarded as heathens and heretics.A Renaissance cannot be defined simply as an interest in classic texts or the adoption of some aspects of ancient adroit ideas into Society. The Italian Renaissance was a flowering and development of ideas that were inspired by classical texts and sources. The Twelfth Century saw rapid developments in virtually every intellectual pursuit as a result of the re-discovery of Latin and Greek texts. It helped lead to the rise of new towns and helped spread vernacular literatures. As Haskins demonstrates it was in many ways the early beginnings of the modern world, surpa ssing the achievements of the authors of those ancient texts.It saw the culmination of Romanesque art and the beginnings of Gothic, the revival of the Latin classics and of Latin poetry and Roman law the recovery of Greek science, with its Arabic additions, and of much of Greek philosophy and the origin of the first European universities.Another main feature of the Italian Renaissance is the spread of humanist ideas and philosophy. We have previously demonstrated that Humanist thought and philosophy flourished in the Twelfth Century, and the origins of the Individual, an important western concept, arose in this period of intense intellectual change and development. The supremacy of the Church was not challenged, but a philosophy of intellect and of valuing the human spirit that so defined the Italian Renaissance and indeed the later Enlightenment flourished in the newly created schools and Universities of Twelfth Century Europe.13 It is irrelevant to compare the relative contribut ions of each Renaissance in a bid to establish which is more important or which period contributed more to the formation of modern, secular Europe. We are merely concerned with whether the label renaissance is a suitable label for the Twelfth Century. Academics such as Haskins and Brooke do lightenly believe it was a Renaissance and have given clear evidence to support their claims.14 In our final chapter we will examine the theories of other academics who argue that it is neither appropriate nor relevant to describe the Twelfth Century as a Renaissance.Chapter ThreeFor many historians, such as Panofsky and Chenu, it is inaccurate to describe the Twelfth Century as a true renaissance.15 There are several different reasons for this approach. Scholars like Panofsky believed that although Latin and Greek works were re-discovered and that this led to a degree of development, the change was limited to a small range of understanding pursuits. Although many in the Twelfth Century imitate d the texts and borrowed some of their teachings, they failed to truly appreciate the fact that the ancient world was a completely different culture from their own, their fellow feeling of the works and of the time itself was limited and narrow and unlike the scholars, artists and philosophers of the Italian Renaissance they did not seek to return to classical age or change the ships company in which they lived, merely adapt some classical teachings to suit their environment.16Other historians are not quite so dismissive of the huge range of achievements in the period around the Twelfth Century, and historians like Chenu recognise the importance of the era whilst believing that the label of renaissance does not do the period justice. The engine of artistic, economic and political growth was not the re-discovery of the Latin and Greek texts but the improving economic and social conditions. The true re-birth was the revitalization of the Christian Church, which inspired a new hunger for learning, discovery, and invention and created an atmosphere in which the ancient texts could be adapted to improve the conditions of a newly invigorated Christian Society which was increasingly placing rationality and reason at the heart of its teachings. The Twelfth Century was a unique, profoundly important era that should be studied in its own right, not as a mere pre- Renaissance but an age that helped usher in the beginnings of Modern western sandwich Society.17ConclusionIn conclusion then, how appropriate is the term renaissance to describe Twelfth Century thought and culture? This essay has demonstrated that the Twelfth Century was a period of momentous social, economic, political and religious change. Those developments had a major impact in shaping the modern Western World. Increased prosperity and security created new opportunities and a seemingly universal desire for learning and advancement led to new inventions, the formation of new institutions and the adoption o f philosophy which facilitated the rise of humanism and the individual as the centre of Western thought. The contribution of classic Latin and Greek texts cannot be underestimated, the knowledge revealed and subsequently built upon spurred developments in medicine, law, philosophy, technology, theology and art. Unlike the Italian Renaissance Twelfth Century men did not hark back to the ancient times, nor did they wish to re-order Society, merely make it better, more Christian and more humane.It is our conclusion then that using the label renaissance for this period is useful in initially expressing the profound importance of this period both in Medieval history and in the effect it has had on the development of Western culture itself. Through its usage we demonstrate that the 14th and 15th Century Renaissances were not as unique as many historians would have us believe, and that the so called dark ages were not the continuous period of ignorance and backwardness so often imagined. B ut the Twelfth Century is more than a pale imitation of the Italian Renaissance, it is a period of time worthy of separate study and analysis, in the future it maybe that Society will regard this period as the true Renaissance and the later Italian period a development on the achievements and work of a dynamic, original and inspired Century.BibliographyBenson R L Constable G (eds.), Renaissance and Renewal in the Twelfth Century (Cambridge Mass., Harvard University Press, 1982, 1991).Brooke C N L, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (London, Thames Hudson, 1969)Chenu M-D, Nature, Man and Society in the Twelfth Century (Chicago, Chicago UP, 1968, 1997)Constable G, The Reformation of the Twelfth Century (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1996).Cook W R Herzman R B, The Medieval World View An Introduction (Oxford, OUP, 1983)Duby G, The Europe of the Cathedrals (Geneva, Skira, 1966)Haskins C H, The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century (classic) (Cambridge Mass., Harvard UP, 1927)Holli ster C W, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (New York NY, Wiley, 1969)Holmes U T, The Idea of a Twelfth-Century Renaissance Speculum 26 (1951)Morris C, The Discovery of the Individual 1050-1200 (Toronto, Toronto UP, 1987)Packard S R, Twelfth Century Europe (Amherst Mass., Massachusetts UP, 1973)Panofsky E, Renaissance and Renascences in Western Art (New York NY, Harper Row, 1970)Southern R W, Medieval Humanism and Other Studies (Oxford, Blackwell, 1970, 1984)Stiefel T, The Intellectual Revolution in Twelfth Century Europe (London, Croom Helm, 1985)Swanson R N, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1999)Treadgold W (Ed), Renaissances before the Renaissance Cultural Revivals of Late antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984)Trevor-Roper H R, The Rise of Christian Europe (London, Thames and Hudson, 1965)Wolff P, The Awakening of Europe (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1968, 1985)Footnotes1 Ferruolo, Stephen C, The Twelfth-Century Renaissa nce in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance Cultural Revivals of Late antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) p.1142 Haskins C H, The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century (classic) (Cambridge Mass., Harvard UP, 1927) p.53 Cook W R Herzman R B, The Medieval World View An Introduction (Oxford, OUP, 1983) p.2124 Swanson R N, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1999).5 Packard S R, Twelfth Century Europe (Amherst Mass., Massachusetts UP, 1973)6 Haskins C H, The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century (classic) (Cambridge Mass., Harvard UP, 1927) pp193-2247 Brooke C N L, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (London, Thames Hudson, 1969)8 Morris C, The Discovery of the Individual 1050-1200 (Toronto, Toronto UP, 1987)9 Ferruolo, Stephen C, The Twelfth-Century Renaissance in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) p.126 10 Cook W R Herzman R B, The Medieval World View An Introduction (Oxford, OUP, 1983) p.20311 Stiefel T, The Intellectual Revolution in Twelfth Century Europe (London, Croom Helm, 1985)12 Hollister C W, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (New York NY, Wiley, 1969)13 Ferruolo, Stephen C, The Twelfth-Century Renaissance in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) pp122-13214 Brooke C N L, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (London, Thames Hudson, 1969)15 Chenu M-D, Nature, Man and Society in the Twelfth Century (Chicago, Chicago UP, 1968, 1997)16 Ferruolo, Stephen C, The Twelfth-Century Renaissance in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) p11617 IBID, P.134