The modern as opposed to the medieval outlook began in Italy with the movement called the Renaissance. At first, only a few individuals, notably Petrach, had this outlook, but during the Fifteenth century, it spread to the great majority of cultivated Italians, both lay and clerical. This was, of course, a step towards emancipation, since the ancients disagreed with each other, and individual judgment was required to decide which of them to follow.
