During the time of the Renaissance, there were many social changes that inspired higher forms of art, literature, and architecture. These advancements led to discoveries and developments that changed the way people looked at science. One writers to classify the period of the Renaissance was Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt. Burckhardt was a nineteenth-century historian who famously described the Renaissance as the "prototype" of the modern world. He claimed that the first signs of human interest in scientific discoveries and becoming more intellectual appeared first in the Renaissance. .
Today, many scholars believe that Burckhardt's assessment of the Renaissance was exaggerated, and they accuse him of overlooking the continuity of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. None the less, the Renaissance was a time where humans began to realize that they were capable of understanding the events and phenomena in the natural world.
Jacob Burckhardt argued that the revival of ancient learning in fourteenth and fifteenth century Italy gave rise to new scientific and secular values. He believed that this was a period in which people began to adopt a rational and statistical approach to reality. The result of this rediscovering, In Burckhardt's words, was the gradual release of the "full, whole natured man". Burckhardt also believed in humanism, which is a philosophy that stressed the dignity of humankind, individualism, and secular values.
Burckhardt's critics do not agree with his statement that the Renaissance was the "prototype" of the modern world. They believe that his statements are embellished and that he has ignored the previous events which led into the Renaissance. Burckhardt's critics also stress the still strongly Christian character of Renaissance humanism. They say that earlier "renaissances" have been seen, such that of the twelfth century, in which a revival of ancient classics and language appeared.
