Which term is closely associated with education that emphasizes the value of human agency during the Renaissance?

Which term is closely associated with education that emphasizes the value of human agency during the Renaissance?

• A. Renaissance
• B. Desiderius Erasmus
• C. Humanism
• D. Victtorino Da Feltre

Answer: (C)

Humanism centers education on human potential and the ability to shape one’s own life. In the Renaissance, scholars revived classical writers and shifted schooling toward developing reasoning, eloquence, moral insight, and civic virtue, so students are prepared to think for themselves and contribute to society. This emphasis on the learner’s active role—engaging with texts, reasoning critically, and applying knowledge—defines the period’s educational mindset. Figures like Erasmus and Feltre are closely tied to these reforms, but the overarching term that captures this approach is humanism.

Humanism centers education on human potential and the ability to shape one’s own life. In the Renaissance, scholars revived classical writers and shifted schooling toward developing reasoning, eloquence, moral insight, and civic virtue, so students are prepared to think for themselves and contribute to society. This emphasis on the learner’s active role—engaging with texts, reasoning critically, and applying knowledge—defines the period’s educational mindset. Figures like Erasmus and Feltre are closely tied to these reforms, but the overarching term that captures this approach is humanism.