2.9 European Renaissance
Following the Middle Ages, the Renaissance started in Italy in the 13th century after series of famines and plagues that reduced the population to around half of what it was before the calamities. Despite these crises, there was some noticeable progress as the interest in ancient philosophy resumed when many Byzantine scholars had to seek refuge in the West when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans in 1453. After appreciating the Greek and Arab learning systems, arts and sciences started to flourish, especially following the invention of printing in the 14th century, which allowed faster propagation of literature. Science and art were initially mingled, with artists such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519 AD) making observational drawings of anatomy and nature.
By the 15th century, with the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Aristotelean classical view of the world had been challenged, and people started to question the previously sacred theological truths, searching for more reasonable answers. This led Francis Bacon (1561-1626) to develop the philosophical basis of the modern scientific method, starting from his belief in the right of man to dominate nature: “to bind her to your service and make her your slave” Jardins (2012).
However, although this boosted the spirit of exploration, with Columbus arriving in America and Magellan sailing around the tip of South America, it was sadly accompanied by the tragic abolishment of much of the historical and cultural heritage of these countries that were invaded by the Europeans, who believed that non-Christian cultures were worthless. This resulted in the complete destruction of Central American civilizations and greatly affected many other countries in Asia and Africa.
Nevertheless, during the Renaissance period, Europeans started to invent their own learning system and philosophy, especially after Martin Luther dared to question the authority of the Catholic church on scriptural matters, which was followed by the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.