Erasmus rejected religious orthodoxy in favor of the study of human nature, and such writers as Petrarch and G. ... The sonnets of Michelangelo are impassioned expressions of inner feelings and religious conviction. ... The idea that humankind is a crucial part of nature contributed to the development of science, technology, and human freedom. ...
He modeled his treatise on that of Aristotle's Politics, and his premise of how princes should conduct themselves morally was based on an understanding of human nature itself. ... The most humanistic ideal of this philosophy was the envisioning of the individual as "an empowered intellectual soul yearning to contemplate, to be united to nature, ideas, and God" (Plato" 5). ...
His most famous contribution to the world of literature are his string of sonnets addressed to "Laura", who appears to be a real person rather than a religious symbol, as in most European writings. ... Giotto is considered the first artist to portray nature realistically (sorry Monet). ... With the focus on the Italian Renaissance being individual achievement, self gratification, and the quest for public appraisal and political power, changes occured in the nature of politics. ...
