THE PHILOSOPHERS

AND EDUCATORS OF
THE REFORMATION
BPE 101
Overview
Tthe theme of the Reformation
was that of the reform of the
Catholic Church.
Physical education was part of
the total educational package of
many philosophers, in both
antiquity an the Renaissance, so
it became more common in the
curriculum than it had been in the
 William of Ockham
• One of the most famous philosophers of his time was
William of Ockham (c. 1285 - 1349).
• was raised in a Franciscan order until the age of 12, when
he was sent to study at Oxford.
• developed a philosophical method now known as
“Ockham’s razor,” which meant “cut to the quick.” It is a
scientific and philosophical practice that advances the
argument that the correct answer to any question is the one
that is not convoluted; the simplest explanation may be the
best or correct answer.
 William of Ockham
• He argued that the use of the body and sensations
(bodily senses) was a way of knowing reality:
“Applying the principle to epistemology, Ockham
judged it needless to assume, as the source of
material knowledge, anything more than sensations.”
From sensations arise memory, perception,
imagination, anticipation, thought, and experience.
• One who made it possible for physical education to be
valued in the future even though he was not an
advocate of Christian Church.
 Desiderius
• is a pivotal figure, representative of the humanists of the
Renaissance yet Erasmus
central to the Reformation in Northern
Europe.
• While Erasmus can be considered a figure of the Renaissance,
he was famous for his use of humanistic scholarship and
literature to criticize the Catholic Church as a political
institution, and he helped usher in the reformation.
Writings:
• The Praise of Folly - his most famous work, argued that the
human race owed its existence to folly rather than the
methods of reason
• Education of a Christian Prince - he argued for lower taxes,
less war, fewer monasteries, and more schools.
 Desiderius
• His work Erasmus
helped to undermine the absolutist
powers of the church and to justify an approach
to religion that relied on an individual’s
interpretation of the Bible rather than the official
Catholic Church version. In doing so, he helped
make education a part of every person’s life,
regardless of social class.
• Many contemporaries of Erasmus believed that
he was teh cause of much of the religious
struggle during the Reformation.
 Martin Luther
• the best known figure of the Reformation (1483-1546)
• Luther’s famous 95 Theses, posted on the door of the
Wittenberg Church on October 31, 1517, condemned the
selling of indulgences.
• studied theology and philosophy in the university at Erfurt and
after a brief stint in law school, became a monk. eventually, he
was ordained a priest.
• believed that the human body should be taken care of, for both
spiritual and physical reasons
• helped change the focus of spirituality from the next world
(heaven or hell) to this world, and consequently helped change
the attitude of Christians toward the human body
 John Calvin
• While Luther helped change attitudes toward the use of
our bodies, John Clavin (1509-1564) may have had the
greatest impact on modern attitudes toward sport.
• At the age of only 26, he composed, in the words of one
scholar, “the most eloquent, fervent, lucid, logical,
influential, and terrible work in all the literature of the
religious revolution.”
• The Principles of the Christian Religion was a brilliant
treatise that rejected the humanist concern with earthly
excellence and turned men’s thoughts again to the
afterworld.
 John Calvin
• was a dualist who wished to spend time on the spirit and
none of the body.
• As a Puritan, Calvin resisted the idea of gentle birth, and
like Luther, Calvin helped democratize religion by making
each individual more important.
• Accepted the idea of predestination, the belief that God
destined some souls to salvation and the rest to hell. Only
God where one’s soul was bound.
• His argument put an emphasis on the value of the body in
that what one did with his or her body determined where
one’s soul was bound.
 Thomas Elyot
• 1490-1546
• he was much more like the Italian humanists
• Elyot’s Book of the Governor argued that the Tudor gentleman
should be versed in literature, science, and philosophy; he
should be educated in both writing and fighting; and he should
be able to read Greek and speak modern languages, to dance
and to make music, and to read and write poetry.
• His concept of education concerned primarily the nobility.
• The games and sports Elyot recommended came from his own
time as well as antiquity; running, swimming, and hunting were
easily defended.
 Thomas Elyot
But not all sports were considered good by Elyot. Some
exercises were more acceptable for English gentlemen than
others. Football in particular was frowned upon because it left
the body beaten and the spirit inflamed. Dancing was
acceptable but not if it was associated with idleness and
sexual pleasure.
In summary, Elyot’s program of physical education supported
Calvin’s and Luther’s ideas that pleasure is not at the heart of
physical education and sport. This position eliminated “fun”
games like football, which was played beacuse o fthe pleasure
derived from doing so.
 Thomas Elyot
Elyot is notable for his efforts to improve physical education
because he was familiar with the latest medical teaching of
his time. He claimed six physiological benefits that could be
derived from exercise:
it (1) aided digestions, (2) increased one’s appetite, (3)
helped one live longer, (4) warmed the body, (5) raised one’s
metabolism, and (6) cleansed the body of its wastes.
By following this physical education program, individuals
would be healthier. And, because of improved health, they
could do God’s work better.
 Roger Ascham
• 1515-1568
• was an English humanist
• A professor at Cambridge University with a famous book The
Schoolmaster , in which he advocated the study of Latin and
Greek as a means of obtaining a liberal arts education.
• also appreciated the value of exercises as a means of resting the
mind so that it may be sharper at a later time.
• The activities that Ascham believed necessary included the
ability to ride and run; “to run fair at the tilt or ring”; to be able to
use all weapons and to shoot a bow and gun; to vault, leap,
wrestle, swim, dance, sing, and play musical instruments;
 Roger Ascham
• The activities that Ascham believed necessary included the
ability to ride and run; “to run fair at the tilt or ring”; to be
able to use all weapons and to shoot a bow and gun; to
vault, leap, wrestle, swim, dance, sing, and play musical
instruments; to hawk and hunt; and to play tennis.
• he also wrote a treatise, Toxophilus, on the art of shooting
the bow. In it, Ascham discussed everything from how to
choose and care for the bow to how to shoot it properly. It
was ne of the first how-to books in sport in the Western
world.
 Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo
Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519) and Michelangelo (1475-1564) are
among the most exalted Masters of the Italian Renaissance.

Da Vinci was an extraordinary talent. Frequently identified as the

quintessential Renaissance Man, he excelled as a painter, sculptor,
architect, musician, engineer, mathematician, and scientist. He
studied human anatomy by dissecting corpses in Florence, Milan,
and Rome. he made more than 200 drawings that are accurate in
every detail. His anatomical drawings and attendant notes on
physiological function educated Renaissance scientists and other
interested in exercise and kinesiology.
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo
Michaelangelo, like da Vinci, was a gifted
genius. He was accomplished painter and
sculptor and also achieved fame as an architect
and poet. Like da Vinci, Michelangelo studied
human anatomy. From 1501 to 1504, he worked
on a sculpture that world bring him eternal
fame. The white marble masterpiece, titled
“David,” features a young nude male that is a
stunning symbol of strength, youth, and beauty.