As we discussed the Renaissance Humanism movement in class today, it reminded me of a psychology theory I studied called the Humanist view. Both containing the root word - human, they also have similar aspects yet still differ in minute ways.
The Humanistic theory in psychology is a very optimistic view. It is basically focused on the individual and how the individual can solve their own problems. It's a view that is supposed to uplift the human spirit. As you can see, it focuses on the individual. Instead of studying what humans did, it studies the humans themselves.
Humanism began around the 14th century after the Dark Ages. Francesco Petrarch who is credited to coining the concept of the Dark Ages is also known as the "Father of Humanism". As I 'googled' humanism and began searching what it truly is, one phrase really struck me. "A return to.." for some reason stuck in my mind. The whole phrase was, "a return to favor of the pagan classics". This got me thinking that the basis of humanism is exactly like it's root word: human. It is a return to what makes people humans. A revelation of personal independence and individualism. Isn't that the basis of all humans, being an independent?
P.S. This post made me think of the song Human by The Killers. So, indulge me...
The word "human", in Chinese, is "人". The Chinese are so cool, because there is deep meaning in their characters. Here, there are two lines. They support each other in order to stand up and reach new heights. Like you said, humanism is a return to what makes us humans, and I think that a fact of humanity is that we cannot survive on our own. We need to build off of each other. That is one reason why technology is advancing so quickly. We are all building off one another.
ReplyDeleteSo, what do you mean when you say, "Isn't that the basis of all humans, being an independent?"
Well, when I mean an 'independent', I mean someone that can stand on their own but understand also that they need others to survive in this world. There are those that are overly independent and believe that everything can be done by themselves. But, someone that, at the root of it all, can know that he/she is not alone and one unique person.
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