Petrarch and More on Modernity Darren Chen College

In the era of postmodernity that we live in today, the ideas of distinguished philosophers still have a lasting legacy that is apparent in many of the established foundations that are the cornerstones of our world. Thomas More and Francesco Petrarch were two extremely influential humanists whose works provided the very first steps that people took towards modernity. Petrarch was a scholar and poet of Renaissance Italy who is also considered the founder of humanism. He contributed significantly to the development of literature and was a perpetual learner who rejected the teachings of Scholasticism, instead opting to be a skeptic. More was very influential in the public sphere of life as a lawyer, author, and councillor to Henry VIII, but was more widely known for his book Utopia. In his book, he indirectly criticizes his own society, then describes another ideal society in which modern concepts are directly incorporated, calling it Utopia. Overall, both Petrarch and More translated their idea regarding Renaissance modernity into their works, which eventually became the legacy of their modernistic ideas.

Francesco Petrarch’s essay The Ascent to Mont Ventoux is particularly insightful in regards to his way of thinking and his...