m became a primary feature of humanism. During the Renaissance some individuals increasingly came to view the group as simply a springboard to far greater individual achievement, obtained through talent and hard work. Inclusive in the working concept of individualism is the belief that the objects and people of this world are important enough to warrant some form of description. This belief, called secularism, was also a part of humanism. Secularism became the end point of the humanist movement. Secularism declared that each person should be developed to their fullest through education, then displaying their talents to the world because these talents came from God.
In the middle ages, the ultimate goal of human life was to know, and in particular to know God. To the Renaissance humanists, and increasingly European thinkers from the 14th ce on, the ultimate human goal was to act. Humanist education was this-worldly and outwardly directed, emphasizing practicalth century on, the ultimate human goal was to act. Humanist education was this-worldly and outwardly directed, emphasizing practical skills such as public speaking and writing(Ch.11. pp. 224-226).
As the Renaissance advanced along the trade routes of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic seaboard, a differing social consciousness born out of humanist attitudes, began to make itself known(Chf the idealized man and woman began to alter, through the application of humanist philosophy and the determination of educated individuals.
The artistic representation of men and women in the Renaissance was, not surprisingly, a reflection of the very individuals who profited most by the humanist movement. Also, not surprisingly, the sources that reflect most accurately the idealized images of men and wom
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