In spite of its carefully planned - and fully justified - modesty, the title of this book might very well surprise more than one potential reader. It is not normal to see such controversial concepts as "Renaissance," "Renaissance Thought," "Spanish Renaissance," or even "Spanish Thought" freely linked together in the crowded intimacy of one single printed line. The author of these essays is painfully aware of the com plexity of the ground he has dared to cover. He is also aware that all the assumptions and connotations associated with the title of this book have been the subject of great...

Humanism has constantly proclaimed the belief that the only way to improve man's life on earth is to make man himself wiser and better. Unfortunately, the voice of the humanists has always been challenged by the loud and cheap promises of scientists, by the inflammatory tirades of politicians, and by the apocalyptic visions of false prophets. Material greed, nonsensical chauvinism, racial prejudice, and religious antagonism have progressively defiled the inner beauty of man. Today's bankruptcy of man's dignity in the midst of an unparalleled material abundance calls for an urgent revival of...