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Cristian Tenas
Ms. Montes
24 January 2018
Topic A: Question II
The Renaissance was cultural movement which brought a great revival of classical
learnings and ideals from Ancient Greece and Rome. These ideals and teachings paved the way
for advancements in the arts, literature, sciences, economy, diplomacy, and humanism. Leading
humanists of the Renaissance, such as Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio, emphasized the secular
ideals and the prime importance and value of humans beings. Ideals of the Renaissance helped
keep the city-states of Italy whole through war and turmoil, mainly through the emphasis of
humanism. Yes, the values of the Renaissance can bring help and maintain hope for a bright,
A global conflict the world today faces is the turmoil in the Middle East. The war in
certain areas in the Middle East have brought havoc in areas such as Iraq and Syria. With the
spreading influence of ISIS, the people of Iraq and Syria are terrorized and denied basic human
rights on a daily bases, such as the persecution of the LGBT community along with those of
other religions. Although the Middle East is a perilous land now, I still believe there is hope for
it. The ideals of the Founding Fathers of the United States and those of the Renaissance are a
With the war and conflict in Syria, there those in need of dire help and American
organization, accused a Syrian rebel group of summary killings, denying them a full and fair
trial. Kurdish media alleged that prisoners of war from the rebel group YPG had been tortured by
the Sultan Murad Division. In 2016, the United Nations had confirmed 851 cases where child
soldiers had been used in Syria. These accounts obviously denied those affected basic liberties
and rights, such as the right to trial and the right to a child’s association with both parents. The
group Rojava can leave behind American idealistic influence if they are successful in Syria, due
to them being backed by the United States and identifying as a direct democracy. The Syrian
people deserve a safe, democratic environment, other than that of a war torn one they exhibit
now.
Humanism from the Renaissance may alleviate the tension in the Middle East by its
secular ideals. Humanist emphasized several things such as knowledge gaining and secularism.
Galileo Galilei was one of smartest and influential men of the Renaissance, but unfortunately he
was oppressed and shunned by the Catholic Church. It did not stress the importance of the
individual; it stressed the importance of God. As Catholicism was the basis of the Catholic
Church, radical and fundamentalist Islam is the basis of the terrorist organization ISIS, which
enforces Islamic ideals in its controlled areas. According to The Italian Renaissance, “The
recovery of many of Aristotle’s works in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries...created and
intellectual ferment in scholastic circles. As secular life grew in complexity and stability and
urbanity, the laws of Justinian became the object of devoted research...This complex
society...threw up men of great intellectual stature and brilliant literary gifts.” (Plumb p.13)
Perhaps with the inclusion of secularism in the Middle East, society can change from being a
bigoted one into a diverse one, granting those that are oppressed, such as women and LGBT
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individuals, basic human rights and liberties. It can also increases the chance of knowledge
Humanists of the Renaissance such as Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio spearheaded and
spreaded humanism, a philosophy which emphasizes human importance and secularism rather
than religion, dogma, and superstition. These humanistic ideals of the Renaissance can indeed
secure a positive future for all, but only if they are willing to. These emphasis of liberty,
freedom, tolerance, secularism, and diplomacy can help change problems the world faces today.
Works Cited
Hart, Diane. History Alive!: Pursuing American Ideals. Teachers' Curriculum Institute 2,
Inc, 2008.
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“Syria: Abductions, torture and summary killings at the hands of armed groups.” Amnesty
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/07/syria-abductions-torture-and-summary-
killings-at-the-hands-of-armed-groups/
“ UN reports reveal shocking level of grave violations against children affected by conflict.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57823#.WmZr5ZM-fVr