Critically assess Renaissance understandings of humankind Essay - 1

Critically assess Renaissance understandings of humankind - Essay Example The aspects of sharp senses, power of reason, and high level of intelligence, as presented under the Oration On the Dignity of Man also seen as the manifesto to the Renaissance, as the aspects that put mankind in a unique category from the rest of the creatures, owing the fact that these characteristics of mankind serves as the bridge between the lower cadre of life which consists of God’s creatures, and the higher cadre consisting of God and all that is in heaven (Mirandola, 1965 p3). Therefore, the concept of hierarchy existed before the middle Ages, according to Plotinus idea of The One the Demiurge, and the Material World, and thus the middle ages just created a more organized theory. However, the most important of all the factors that completely put mankind in a unique position, is the freedom of judgment that mankind was granted by the creator, so that he could be able to differentiate the good and the bad, and based on this judgment, he could then get an opportunity to ascend upwards, from the middle category where he was created to fit, to join the upper cadre of life (Mirandola, 1965 p5). Therefore, Renaissance of humankind is pitched on the concept of happiness, which is derived from freedom, where mankind was given that; â€Å"Liberty of God the father! O great and wonderful happiness of man! It is given to him to have that which he chooses and to be that which he wills† (Mirandola, 1965 p5). Nevertheless, while the concept of freedom and happiness informs Pico’s philosophy of the Renaissance understandings of humankind, there seems to be some form of contradiction in this philosophy. His philosophy points to the fact that man was created with absolute freedom to choose, so that he could become all that he wished to become and have everything that he chose to have. However, the philosophy is later contradicted by upholding the principle that God spoke to man after creation, and told him