These thinkers sought to celebrate the beauty of the human body in art, of the human mind and human achievements in scholarship, and of human society in the elegance of architectural design. It was po...These thinkers sought to celebrate the beauty of the human body in art, of the human mind and human achievements in scholarship, and of human society in the elegance of architectural design. It was possible to become a good person simply through studying the classics – all of the major figures of the Renaissance were Christians, but they insisted that one’s moral status could and should be shaped by emulation of the ancient virtues, combined with Christian piety.