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GATE 2025 XH2 (English) – Question 54

History of English Literature and Literary Studies · Intersections of literature with political, social and intellectual movements · 2 marks · Multiple select

Which of the following characteristic(s) is/are associated with Renaissance Humanism?

  1. It emphasized the dignity and central position of human beings in the universe.
  2. It denied the importance of studying classical, imaginative and philosophical literature.
  3. It insisted on the ordering of human life on the principles of reason as opposed to the instinctual appetites and animal passions.
  4. It incorporated the concepts and ideals inherited from pagan antiquity into the frame of the Christian creed.

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Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: (A) It emphasized the dignity and central position of human beings in the universe.; (C) It insisted on the ordering of human life on the principles of reason as opposed to the instinctual appetites and animal passions.; (D) It incorporated the concepts and ideals inherited from pagan antiquity into the frame of the Christian creed.

Explanation

Humanism stressed human dignity, reason over appetite, and the merging of classical ideals with Christianity. B is the reverse of its devotion to classical and imaginative literature.