Changing Cultural Traditions

Humanism

An intellectual movement during the Renaissance that emphasized human agency, reason, and potential, shifting focus away from strictly religious dominance towards the study of classical arts, history, and literature.

Renaissance

Meaning 'rebirth', it refers to the cultural movement that began in Italy during the 14th century, marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity through a renewed interest in classical learning and artistic innovation.

Scientific Revolution

A period of dramatic change in scientific thought led by astronomers and physicists like Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, who proved that the earth revolves around the sun (heliocentrism).

Protestant Reformation

A 16th-century religious movement initiated by Martin Luther against the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church, leading to the formation of Protestant churches.

Linear Perspective

A mathematical technique developed by Renaissance artists like Brunelleschi and Leonardo da Vinci to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface.