CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: A - Pico della Mirandola’s Oration on the Dignity of Man was a defense of humanist philosophy, advocating the necessity and dignity of thought for the sake of thought, not for the sake of theology. The theme of the Renaissance- that philosophers (or any person, for that matter) should engage in intellectual pursuits for personal reasons rather than the promotion of the Church- was a radical concept. To the 14th and 15th century Church, at face value, the notion seemed to deny the importance of God or faith. Mirandola believed that intellectual pursuits brought a person closer to the “angels.”