Humanism and the Culture of Renaissance Europe

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Nauert does an exceptional job of making accessible a vaporous topic. In the process he dispells many "myths" that would otherwise cloud the subject. He establishes humansim as an "intellectual approach" and not a philosophical method. From this stance, he can demonstrate the mulitple and contrasting manifestations of humanism. His section on Petrach is exceptional. Beyond the sonnet, Petrach developed the notion of historical change. This would prove critical in the humanistic approaches to interpretation of texts. All this may sound dry, but if your interests include intellectual history, this is one of the most accessible surveys I've seen. My one criticism is the lack of emphasis on the sharp contrast humanist education and the drudgery of scholasticism. More here could have emphasized the appeal of humanism to younger generations.