... of humanism lies the belief that man is essentially good. The doctrine of the medieval church on the other hand was that man was born bad. The literature of the past was believed to provide a guide for men's good behaviour. History was supposed to be especially useful. Humanism was popular with people who lived in towns. In towns people were becoming self-confident. They were becoming conscious of something in human beings that made them special and different. They could not say so because of the religious atmosphere of the time but they worshipped mankind and his achievements more than they did God. The humanists believed that life was important. Flesh and blood were important not just thoughts of God. Michelangelo and Raphael painted naked muscle and flesh. For the humanists such works were sacred. These beliefs caused the humanists to attack the ideas of the monastery. Erasmus' famous work was a book ...

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