Dante’s Humanist Purpose to the Divine Comedy

Dante [pilgrim] symbolizes the common sinner emerging from the “Dark” Ages, stranded in “the Dark Woods” (I,3) of vices bound to Hell. The U-turn in his journey to the “sweet apples of delight”(XVI,62) in heaven, extends to the potential enlightenment of all others. In the pilgrim’s journey, Christian-Humanist, Dante advocates the importance of God’s “Divine Illumination” in humanity’s self- fulfillment or salvation and enlightenment. God placed the gift of choice into man’s hands and so man is responsible for his own fate, as is his achieving own salvation or lack thereof.

To Dante, there are three steps towards reform and salvation, three to reach enlightenment; recognition of sin, renunciation of sin and penance.

Amidst, this “nation of lost souls,”(VII,25) Dante must learn to recognize sin in its dark light and in doing so, renounce it. “Who is more arrogant within his soul, who is more impious, than one who dares to sorrow at God’s judgment?”(XX,28-30) To sorrow punishment is condone the evil in its roots and so, renunciation of God, the “Adversary of All Evil.” Renunciation of God is the exact opposite of what Dante wishes to achieve.

Inferno is the universal epicenter of sin and sinners. All “souls who have lost the good of intellect,” (III,17-8) and chosen to sin, “chose” to go there. Thus, they “all pass over eagerly [to hell]” as, “Divine Justice [rightfully] spurs them so.” (III,121-2) In his humanist fervor, Dante (poet) believes that the freedom to act, plants the responsibility to act well and the consequences, into the individual’s hands. God is light. He is “Sovereign Wisdom,” “High Genius,”(II,7) “Ultimate Intellect,”(III,6) “Adversary of All Evil”(II,16) Lost individuals have lost intellect

Some topics in this essay:
Sovereign Wisdom…How, Paridisio Inferno, Christian-Humanist Dante, Human Reason, Renunciation God, Cocytus Dante, Evil Amidst, , Paridisio Dante, Hell U-turn, towards dante, renunciation god,