The Driving Forces of the Renaissance

I believe that knowledge and curiosity is the most crucial part of the renaissance because without rediscovering ancient knowledge the renaissance would not have existed as people would still be in the power of the church. Near the start of the renaissance, Raphael painted a painting called, "The School of Athens." This painting shows some people gathered round in Athens, sharing and righting down each others knowledge of the world. It is later discovered that most of the people in the painting are philosophers (Plato and Aristotle), Raphael also painted himself in the painting in the right top corner. That shows that people must have been curios enough to go, learn and read more about the philosophers and their findings and it was this act that started and was the most crucial part of the renaissance.