In the late 15th century, Europe began undergoing a power shift – from Catholic Churches to the Secular States. A new approach to ‘humanism’ had proven to be detrimental to the Church’s authority. The sheer contrast between medieval scholasticism and philosophy led intellectuals to put emphasis on how the latter was more plausible in contemporary living. This marked the beginning of the secular humanist Renaissance that spread across Europe like wildfire and placed daunting pressure on the authority of the Church and the Vicar of Christ – the Pope. Once challenged, the conflict did not only remain from the frontage but within. Many deemed the Church corrupt, oppressive and distant from the people.
Perhaps, what sparked the newfound humanist ideas to be adopted wholeheartedly, especially in Northern Europe, was the publication of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses in 1517; a complete denunciation against clerical abuses of both power and people. Followed shortly, was the Protestant Reformation and a rift in the Church that was symbolic of prospective events. As scientific advances emerged, the access to information expanded beyond the grasp of the Papal authorities, and hence came to an end, the era of medieval scholastic philosophy. The dawn of humanist ideology manifested itself in the first-ever culturally refined and artistic movement in human history, The Renaissance. Similarly, it proved to serve as a substratum for the advancement of science and philosophy leading to the ‘Age of Reason’ by the 18th century – wherein civilizations embarked on modern philosophy and science – as we know them today.
