Pico Della Mirandola's Oration On The Dignity Of Man

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Recommended: Importance of Renaissance literature

What truly defines the Renaissance? One may argue that the transition from a religiously centralized mindset to a focus on secular and humanistic values was the key change that made the Renaissance distinct from the Middle Ages. This transition is evident in written stories, paintings, treatises, and orations given by prominent characters of the Renaissance (e.g. Shakespeare, Michelangelo, and Mirandola). In this essay, I will elaborate on the significance of the “transition” on differing views during the Renaissance, and the extent in which figures of the Renaissance portrayed secularity and the extent of divinity in their works.
Vergerius the Elder’s Renaissance treatise states that printed sources such as “good books…[are] vast stores of knowledge...for our inspiration.” This suggests that humanity obtains knowledge and inspiration from human-made knowledge and printed text, instead of divinity and supernatural phenomena. Vergerius the Elder expresses that “..knowledge is not liable to decay. …show more content…

Pico della Mirandola acknowledges the presence of God in his opening lines (“Imagine! The great generosity of God!”), but digresses to explain how “...[the] seeds...man sows and cultivates will grow and bear him their proper fruit.” This implies that even though God’s “great generosity” had an impact on the presence of man (which differs from the view of John R. Hale, who completely refutes the influence of God in the creation of man), it is solely mankind that has an influence on it’s life. Mirandola expresses this by comparing humanity to “great shape-shifters”, suggesting that humanity can shape itself to anything it puts its mind to. However, Mirandola discretely mentions that God is “above all things”. Nevertheless, “Oration on the Dignity of Man” supports my thesis as it focuses on humanity’s ability to shape its doing by itself, instead of relying on divine

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