Humanism+&+Philosophy

media type="file" key="Renaissance Humanism.mov" width="300" height="300"

Expert- ** David Scott, ** MEd, Humanities 8 Instructor Calgary Science School

During the Italian Renaissance people had to search for answers and were lost with no model for life because the church was corrupt and misleading. Are people still searching for answers and lost in life today?

A: Yes, Because people are worried about themselves and thinking they are isolated from others. However people want to be integrated and have a balanced life where they feel that they are a part of something greater than themselves. He also thought that this movement is starting but needs to be implemented to a greater extent.

During the Italian Renaissance people followed religion intently and based their lives around it. Does Religion still have the same impact on people in Calgary in our world today?

A: No, people are starting to drift away from the humanist ideas and have started to live a hyper-individualism where they are self enclosed and are not as strong in the community as they should be. People are also becoming selfish and do not have a great sense of participation. However we are starting to see christian religions growing rapidly.

During the Italian Renaissance Greek and Roman architecture was highly innovative with the idea of columns and pillars. Do we see a type architecture with the same impact today as we did with the greek and roman ideas?

A: No, there have been some impressive buildings but nothing has compared or impacted us the way that the idea pillars and columns has. Calgary also lacks architecture and copies models that have already been created. An example would be the new office building called the Bow it is interesting but it doesn't match to anything the Greeks or Romans Did.

During the Italian Renaissance we saw the emergence of a new perspective on life that gave people hope and opportunity. Do people still obtain hope and opportunity in life today?

A: No, because there is a gloomy perspective on how the future will pan out because in movies such as the Book Of Eli and Resident Evil as well as Avatar the future is all interpreted as being a apocalyptic future where everyone is focused on power and money. We need to think of a new way to live and save our planet.

In response to whether Calgary possess a highly innovative type of architecture that had the same effect as the Greek and Roman Pillars to be a Renaissance city. Dave Scott believes that we are not that innovative in architecture. Specially, he believes that we are not very innovative in our buildings. An example would be the new office building called the bow that was just recently built it is not all that special. It is unique but it does not have the same revolutionary effect that the Greek and Roman architecture had. He states, “I think they are more sort of copying previous models I don’t see anything radical or revolutionary” By this he means that we are not very original in our architecture and that we need to think outside the basic ideas and come up with something truly ground breaking.In response to whether Calgarians support and follow religion intently Dave Scott was less optimistic.
 * __Architecture Today__**

By: Carson Wlad

In response to whether Calgarians are searching for new models of living to make a Renaissance city, David Scott believes that people are looking for a more integrated balanced form of life and a sense of being part of something greater then themselves. He further states people are worried about themselves being isolated from others. As he explained by the words of Canadian thinker John Ralston Saul, people are searching for animism. By this he means the belief that everything has life, humans are alive but so are rocks and trees. We are all a part of a single process so we must act in concert with the whole. In this sense, movement is beginning but needs to be realized to a greater extent. By: Maddy Fleischhacker