1. To what extent was humanism a " return to the past"?

The extent which humanism was a “return to the past” was by leading the Renaissance trait to an era of
recovery to a certain extent of philosophy, science and literature. For example, “Humanistic
contributions to science consisted mainly in the recovery of Greek scientific literature... Moreover,
Islamic scholars had already introduced most Attic and Hellenistic science into western Europe, often
with vast improvements on the original.” This reveals that humanism was formed of Greek scientific
literature that was more accurate and many scholars had known more suitable body of facts before the
Renaissance. To add on, “The leading intellectual trait of the era was the recovery, to a certain degree,
of the secular and humane philosophy of Greece and Rome” This shows that humanism during the
Renaissance was based on past developments of other systems such as its rebirth of individualism
developed by Greece and Rome.

2. How did humanism represent a shift from medieval culture?

Humanism represent a shift from medieval culture by gradually abandoning it and moving on to
humanism as their culture. An example, “Almost everywhere, humanism began as a rather pious, timid,
and conservative drift away from medieval Christianity and ended in bold independence of medieval
tradition.” This explains that medieval Christianity slowly lost its followers and ended with it given up
hope for due to shift to humanism during the Renaissance. In addition, “Humanism embodied the
mystical and aesthetic temper of a pre-scientific age. It did not free the mind from subservience to
ancient authority. They shifted authorities rather than dismissed them. Even Aristotle, the greatest of
Scholastic authorities, did not lack humanist admirers.” This shows that even authority shifted constant
shift in social role/conditions rather than during medieval culture rather than authority staying with the
same people, admirers rose authorities to power.