The essence of Renaissance: The original meaning of the word "Renaissance" refers to "the regeneration of classical Greek and Roman culture". However, the cultural revolution movement of the emerging bourgeoisie in western European countries at that time included a series of major historical events, including the rise of humanism, the renewal of artistic style, the emergence of utopian socialism, the beginning of modern natural science development, the application of printing and the dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge. This series of major events is not so much "the rebirth of classical culture" as "the beginning of modern culture"; It is not so much "revival" as "innovation". The Renaissance marked a great turning point in the history of human civilization. It is a new culture, a reflection of the new political and economic requirements of the society at that time, and an anti-feudal struggle of the emerging bourgeoisie in the ideological and cultural field.

The core idea of the Renaissance is humanism. Humanism originated in Italy in the second half of the14th century, and then spread throughout western Europe. Humanists use "humanity" to oppose "divinity" and "human rights" to oppose "theocracy". They put forward the slogan "I am a human being, and I am everywhere in all human characteristics". People-centered, they praise the wisdom and strength of human beings, praise the perfection and loftiness of human nature, oppose the autocratic rule of religion and feudal hierarchy, advocate individual liberation, equality and freedom, demand secular happiness and human joy, and advocate scientific and cultural knowledge. Therefore, the concept of humanism focuses on "human", which is the exertion of "human instinct" and the driving force for "human" to pursue truth, goodness and beauty.

The historical role of the Renaissance: Engels once spoke highly of the progressive role of the Renaissance in history. He wrote: "This is the greatest and most progressive change that mankind has never experienced. It is an era that needs giants and produces giants-giants in terms of thinking ability, enthusiasm and personality, versatility and erudition. "

First of all, it is human discovery. In the Middle Ages, the ideal man should be inferior, passive and inactive, and his significance in the world is not commendable. Renaissance discovered man and his greatness, affirmed his value and creativity, and put forward that man should be liberated and his personality should be free. (1) attaches great importance to people's value, requires giving full play to people's intelligence and creative potential, opposes a passive attitude towards life, and advocates a positive and adventurous spirit. (2) Pay attention to the worldly life and despise the illusory myth about the afterlife or heaven, so as to pursue material happiness and sensory satisfaction and oppose religious asceticism. In literature and art, people's feelings are required to be expressed and hypocrisy is opposed. Such as: Petrarch's Song Collection, Boccaccio's decameron. (3) Attach importance to scientific experiments and oppose apriorism; Emphasize the use of human reason and oppose blind obedience; Require the development of personality and oppose the imprisonment of human nature; In terms of moral concept, it requires indulgence and opposes self-restraint; Advocate "civic morality" and think that success and wealth are moral behaviors. (4) Advocating an optimistic attitude towards life. These irresistible thirst for knowledge, the spirit of getting to the bottom of the matter, and the optimistic enterprising spirit of striving to create secular happiness liberated people from the shackles of Christian theology in the Middle Ages. It was in this spirit that the bourgeoisie created the modern capitalist world.

Secondly, the Renaissance broke the situation that religious mysticism dominated the whole country, effectively promoted and influenced the religious reform movement, and provided an important boost for this movement. Renaissance advocated attaching importance to secular life and opposing authority, which aroused contemporary people's doubts and antipathy to the Catholic Church and theology. Renaissance humanists satirized and exposed the corruption and ugliness of the Catholic church through literature, art and other forms.

Thirdly, the Renaissance broke the unification of scholasticism with theology as the core, cleared the way for ideological liberation and progress in the future, and made various secular philosophies rise. Among them is British empirical materialism (Bacon). It also promoted the development of political theory, Machiavelli laid the foundation for the later Enlightenment, and a large number of thinkers such as Hobbes and Locke developed theories such as "natural rights", "social contract", "people's sovereignty" and "separation of powers".

Fourth, the feudal privilege was denied. In the Middle Ages, feudal privileges were granted and the concept of family status was deeply rooted. Renaissance made these things lose the weight of the measure of people in the past. People's nobility has been given a new connotation. Petrarch said: "True nobility is not innate, but self-made." In the social life of Italy at that time, talent, means and money replaced birth, and everyone from any birth climbed the high-level ladder of society.

Fifth, get rid of superstition and emancipate the mind. The Renaissance restored rationality, dignity and the value of thinking. Although the Renaissance achieved little in philosophy, it destroyed the rigid scholasticism system, advocated scientific methods and experiments, and put forward that "knowledge is power", which created a new atmosphere for exploring people and the real world. People firmly believe in their eyes and brains, and believe that experiments and experience are reliable sources of knowledge. This realistic attitude, way of thinking and scientific method laid a solid foundation for the great development of natural science from 17 to 19 century.

Sixth, during the Renaissance, a large number of charming and exquisite works of art and literary masterpieces were created, which became priceless treasures in the treasure house of human art. The medieval biblical legends flooded the art world, suffocating the life of art. The Renaissance not only turned the Virgin Mary into a human woman (Raphael), but also turned the image into a tribute to the human body, and began a direct description of daily life and real people. Anatomy, perspective and other sciences are also combined with art for the first time. Modern realistic art in western Europe began at that time.