The first 150 years of the Renaissance were essentially a period in which the rebirth of reason was “hung” between childbirth and stillbirth. After 1450 significant events confirmed the resurgence of reason. In some cases, e.g., the development of the printing press, the overall effects broadened the scope of reason’s rebirth with important practical benefits. In others, the immediate consequences were negative—leading to, among other things, an upsurge in religious turmoil, culminating in the Reformation and the Inquisition). But, the overall effect was to diminish the power of faith, and foster the growth of reason, paving the way for the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment.

This course focuses on the surge towards rational thinking and secular achievement that marks the high point of the Renaissance—the origins of the scientific method, the Age of Discovery, the rise of secular authority and the turning away from the Church.

Part 1 was delivered at OCON 2008.