Final answer:
The Renaissance is named so because it was a period of 'rebirth,' marking a vast shift from the Middle Ages to a time of renewed interest in the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. It brought about a new era valuing individualism, humanism, and cultural advancements in art, science, and literature, which ultimately laid the groundwork for the modern world.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term "Renaissance" means ‘rebirth.’ This label implies a revival or a new beginning following the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, Europe was characterized by feudal systems, a predominant focus on the church, and less emphasis on intellectual and classical learning from ancient Greece and Rome. The next period, the Renaissance, signaled a stark transformation. It was a period of intellectual and artistic renewal centered around humanism, which sought to recover, interpret, and assimilate the language, literature, learning, and values of the ancients.
During the 15th century, this diffusion of classical knowledge led to significant developments in science, art, mathematics, and engineering, fostering a wave of cultural advancement. Artists and thinkers during the Renaissance saw themselves as reviving the lost arts and scholarship of the Greco-Roman period. Society changed significantly as it moved away from the medieval worldview and embraced individualism, self-awareness, and the humanistic approach that became dominant in philosophy and the sciences. This cultural movement also set the stage for the modern age as it spurred literacy through the invention of the printing press and gave rise to the scientific revolution, which continues to this day.