Also, during the Renaissance, social mobility was much more common- people had easier access to changing their class based on their personal wealth, and this movement was much more common than it was in the clearly defined Middle Ages.
The sudden revival of learning and literature is another aspect that supports the idea that the Renaissance was separate from, and not just the high point of the Middle Ages. Writers in 15th century Europe did not see themselves as a part of the Middle Ages. They insisted that the Middle Ages was a dormant period as far as the advancement of literature goes, and that the rebirth took place afterwards, in the Renaissance (Doc 1). A large rebirth of learning also took place in the Renaissance. Renaissance men such as Leonardo daVinci took an interest in several subjects, such as anatomy, astronomy, mathematics, and the way things worked (Doc 6). Universities, or groups of scholars studying together, were erected throughout Europe beginning in the 12th century. As the universities spread to France, Britain, and Spain, so too did the spread of learning (Doc 8). Also, scientists proved numerous new theories not only by previous work and discoveries, but by their personal observations and research (Doc 7).
Many new movements grew popular during the Renaissance, such as individualism, humanism, secularism, and the idea of the artist as a genius. As previously seen, the majority of the people in Europe saw themselves as singular entities, and no more were they considered just part of a larger group. But humanism, the focus on human achievements and the Classics, also played a large role in people's lives. Because humanist ideas had been studied for centuries before, some believed that it should not be used to support the Renaissance as a different period than the Middle Ages. These people also thought the explosion of learning to have never occurred, and that if there even was one, than it occurred many years before the Renaissance .