Question

One of the leaders of the Reformation, John Calvin, was particularly influenced by the Renaissance philosophy of humanism. Why were so many Europeans willing to accept this new way of looking at life during 15th and 16th centuries?

Humanism was seen as a way to escape poverty since each person could focus on finding money and resources for himself.

The philosophy of humanism suggested a way of life that allowed humans to do whatever they wanted, regardless of the consequences.

After the Black Death, which killed so many people in Europe, each individual human life was seen as more precious than ever before.

The Catholic Church decided to place more emphasis on the rights and authority of the individual, rather than Church authorities.

Answer 1

Correct answer: After the Black Death, which killed so many people in Europe, each individual human life was seen as more precious than ever before.

Explanation: The Black Death and the social/economic changes that followed (labor shortages, greater social mobility, questioning of traditional authorities) helped make people more receptive to humanism’s emphasis on the dignity, potential, and worth of the individual. The other choices are inaccurate: humanism was not chiefly a get-rich scheme, nor a license to act without consequence, and the Catholic Church did not deliberately shift toward privileging individual rights.