- Humanist ideas were first discussed in Ancient Greece. Among the important Humanist philosophers were Plato and Aristotle.
- The writings of the ancient Greeks were studied in the 1400s during the Renaissance. There were many Humanist thinkers at this time. There was an important Humanist academy set up in Florence by Lorenzo Medici.
- These ideas quickly spread.
- Humanist ethics affected people's thinking in many ways throughout all of Europe. Many philosophers began to discuss the church, government, education and human rights in different ways.
- Because of this, the period of European history from 1600 until 1800 is called The Age of Reason or Age of Enlightenment.