He asserted in this work that Aristotle boosted the "importance" of knowledge, by describing only what goodness was, and not how men could improve themselves (Humanism: Italy 1). The rhetoric of Latin figures, such as Cicero and Seneca, encouraged good will, and Petrarch himself opposed Aristotle, claiming "he would rather will the good than know the truth, which in any case is unknowable " ("Humanism: Italy" 1). In his time, no longer were the teachings of the church and Aristotle, a teleologist who believed in eudaimonia, often described as the highest form of human good, suitable (Kessler 59).
With this newly discovered appreciation for Latin literature and the humanities, the foundations for humanistic thinking were laid. Petrarch urged others to awaken from the darkness "of the Middle Ages and move forward out of "the slumber of forgetfulness into the pure radiance of the past" (Humanism 1). Scholars began to distinguish themselves from the thinking of Medieval times. They thought of themselves as "apostles of a new golden age that would usher in the rinascita " or rebirth of all societies with the resurgence of classical literature and art (Humanism" 1).
Humanism became a movement of sorts with the appointment of Coluccio Salutati as chancellor of Florence, Italy in 1375. He considered himself a protector of the study of the humanities that Petrarch started. By attracting others to the affinity of humanistic thought, many classical texts were revived and translated by his colleagues, including Cicero's Brutus, Orator, and On the Orator, which became staples in teaching rhetoric (Humanism: Italy " 2). From Florence, "civic humanism " was also developed. During the political turmoil within the city, the study of classical texts and the values learned from them were to be fused with the republican beliefs of the time (Humanism 1). The concepts of humanism were to be used to support the state.
