The aim of education

The aim of the Scholastic education was via contemplativa, a contemplative life, focussing on the contemplative intellectual virtues: Understanding, Insight, Knowledge. Education was viewed as good for its own sake because it was how we got to know God (truth).

In contrast, the aim of Humanistic education was a via activa, an active life, focussing on the practical intellectual virtues: Artistic and Technical skill, Wisdom and the moral virtues (bravery, self-control, justice, generosity etc.). They believed that the aim of education was to become an excellent human being.

The content of education

Scholastic education centred around Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. The Humanists added history, poetry and moral philosophy to this list.

Petrarch was very influenced by the Roman Politician Cicero, who believed that one could not be a great orator (politician and speaker) without studying poetry, letters, and the arts. This was one of Petrarch’s favourite quotations from Cicero:

The method of education 

Scholastic education centred around having debates over specific sentences. In this way they sought to extend knowledge by resolving contradictions, creating new distinctions, and making new inferences and deductions. Each new conclusion they came up with built on the last, eventually creating a massive and intricate body of commentary. (A commentary is kind of like a textbook - a book about a book.)

The Humanists were more concerned with returning to the original great works of ancient Greece and Rome rather than discussing the commentaries of them. Thus, they wanted to bypass the monumental structures of knowledge created by scholasticism - they encouraged simplicity. 

Petrarch was very concerned that  many of these great works were being lost, and so he encouraged people to find and make copies:

The role of Human beings in the Universe

For the scholastics, humans were merely animals, albeit with particular powers. Humankind was very much a part of nature and not separate from it. The idea that humankind was in some way special seemed arrogant. And they thought that human achievements should not be the focus of study because they take the focus away from God/truth/goodness.

In contrast, the Humanists argued that humankind was given a special place in nature because of our rational mind, which they believed was capable of understanding nature. The pursuit of knowledge was seen as central to human dignity, central to fulfilling our potential as free agents. Petrarch argued that human achievements do not preclude an authentic relationship with God. In fact God has given us these talents and it would be remiss not to use them to the fullest.

Judgement in education and politics

For the Scholastics, academic judgement occurred in a strict hierarchy - with a series of ecclesiastical (church) courts and with the Pope at the very top. The church could judge sentences it thought incorrect to be heretical. (At best, this would involve in-depth investigation and debate, a genuine search for truth. At worst, the conclusions were just the whims of the Pope - and could often be politically motivated.) A good scholastic was humble and accepted the judgement of his/her superior.

The first humanists, however, were republicans - that is, they did not believe in having a Monarchy, but instead thought that the government should be formed of elected officials. Similarly, individual freedom was valued over and above humility.