Which one of the following statements about Renaissance Humanist culture is NOT true ?
- A.It slackened the control of religion over human life
- B.It believed that human nature was many-sided
- C.It was concerned with good manners
- D.It criticized material wealth, power and glory
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, It criticized material wealth, power and glory. Renaissance humanists did not condemn wealth, power and glory; they saw them as worthy human aims, so this statement is the one that is not true.
Humanism grew in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Italian cities such as Florence and Venice, where scholars studied Greek and Roman texts and stressed human abilities. Unlike medieval thought, which taught that worldly goods were sinful, humanists held that a full life in this world, including fame, wealth and pleasure, was not wrong in itself. Writers such as Lorenzo Valla defended the pursuit of pleasure, and Machiavelli wrote frankly about power. Historians describe the "Renaissance man" as a person of many interests and skills.
A is wrong as a choice because humanist culture did loosen the hold of the Church over people’s lives. B is wrong as a choice because humanists believed human nature had many sides, as the ideal of the many-talented person shows. C is wrong as a choice because humanist writers wrote guides on polite speech, dress and conduct.
Exam tip: humanism = Italian, classical texts, many-sided individual, good manners, worldly success not sinful.
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