Humanism and Literary Circles

Humanism was a movement that peaked in the 15th and 16th centuries. Intellectuals of the humanist movement distanced themselves from the violent and barbaric culture of the Middle Ages and sought to establish a new world. This article shows that the cultural and historical seed of modern Western democracies began to grow in circles that practiced free discussion more than five centuries ago. Democracy and free discussion are inseparable. The culture of discussion and interaction has a history of five hundred years in part of the cultural center of Europe. The formation of free literary circles was part of the humanistic movement. Enlightened intellectuals gathered in circles outside of the church, monastery, and university to engage in discussions about literary works and contemporary issues. For the first time, they found a space for free discussion in closed circles without having to pay special attention to the opinions of clergy and priests. Old theology no longer played a role in these circles. It can be said that these intellectual circles were the beginning of the formation of free unions in modern Europe. In the 15th century, groups of intellectuals gathered for discussion in university cities. In these circles, a new type of interaction and discussion was tested. These circles became active at a time when book printing had developed and publishing institutions had become common. The first activities in this regard began in the 15th century. One of the German humanists, named Conrad Celtis (1459-1500), began organizing the intellectuals of his time. The king at that time helped Celtis to gather intellectuals to some extent. The model for this humanistic movement in Germany were groups that were supporters of Platonic philosophy in the cities of Rome and Florence in Italy. For example, Celtis established male circles in the cities of Vienna and Heidelberg where free discussions were held in their meetings, which was progressive for their time. The main goal of Conrad Celtis was to form male literary circles throughout Germany. In those sessions, philosophical ideas on topics such as individuality and humanity, freedom and human dignity, tolerance and patience, and freedom of opinion and criticism of violence were discussed. Alongside these circles, especially at the University of Vienna, seminars were held where literature and poetry, mathematics, history, and philosophy were taught. The model for this new type of teaching, which was intertwined with lively interaction and discussion, was the thinking of ancient Greek philosophers, which was relatively free compared to scholastic methods. In these types of circles, various theories of intellectuals were discussed and criticized. These sessions were the seeds of reformist movements in Europe that built the modern world over several centuries. In the 16th century, 'language societies' emerged in Germany. In these societies, discussions were held about the German language and literature. They had patriotic and nationalistic political tendencies, which at that time had progressive aspects. In the 17th century, the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) led Europe to famine and horrific slaughter. More than half of the people in war-torn European societies perished. Exact statistics are not available, but it is estimated that about 8 million people died. The reasons for this war will not be addressed in this article. It can only be said that various powers were pursuing their political hegemony. One of the consequences of this war in the 16th century was the formation of intellectual groups influenced by Protestantism that began to discuss human virtues. It should be noted that these types of intellectual groups were established by humanist princes and nobles. Women, evangelical priests, and Catholic priests were not allowed to participate in these associations, although many poets could be found among evangelical priests. Only individuals introduced through one of the old members of the group could enter the intellectual group. For example, each new member of the 'Fruitful Society' was given a new name that was the name of their society. For instance, one of the members of the mentioned society was named 'Your Companion.' Some members who were also writers published their books under the name of their society, making the name of the society their pseudonym. One of the goals of these societies was to create a sense of equality among men of different ranks in society when they were present in the gathering. The leaders of such societies were often the nobles of the time who wanted to help writers. Writers and poets were also very eager to join such societies to become more acquainted with other writers. In the late 17th century, capitalists and physicians also formed these types of societies to help the growth of literature and poetry with new thoughts. It can be concluded that the thoughts, literature, and philosophy of modern humanism and humanitarianism grew through the activities and assistance of people from various classes and professions. They were, in their time, five hundred years ago, radical minorities that laid the historical and cultural foundation for a new world.