Martines' Humanism

Humanism was for the dominant social groups in Quattrocento Italy.  Its ideals of education could only be realized in a society of priviledged elites.  Humanisms technical foundation was grammar.  The Studia Humanitatas put grammar, history, and rhetoric as essential to power and position.  The Humanists called for a heightened nurturing of rhetoric.  It was the tool that would lead men who were destined to lead in social positions.  Latin was the root of this educational approach.  With that, poetry was considered a guide and an insight into the human condition.  It was felt that nothing ignited passion more thsn the use of language,

Perfect speech was seen as goodness and wisdom.  Men in politics needed to pursuade others to their way of thinking,  The Humanist approach, therefore, had a civic function.  It saw history as an insight to the present and gave man a "practical worldliness".  (Martines)  Cultivating worldly men meant cultivating the ruling classes.  All Humanists had an overt relationship with power.  They used history as a model.  Their relationship with the study of history was quite selective.  They chose Greek and Roman history and ignored the cultural inactivity of the Middle Ages.  Their views focused on the virtues of civic life and of education.  Eloquence was the highest manifestation of this, a skill achieving more recognition than philosophy.  Eloquence became a way of life and made "the complete man, the citizen".  (Martines)

Until the later part of the Quattrocento, Humanists enjoyed a secure role in their urban environments. The French invasion of 1494CE shook this authority along with the Humanists belief in man's dignity, most certainly the elite man.