Unit 1

Renaissance: The Origins of a Western Worldview

Lesson 2

How are people's attitudes and values shaped by the way a society is organized?

---

To understand the societal changes brought about by the Renaissance, we must first know how society was organized at that time.

In Lesson 2, you will learn about medieval life in the countryside, the hierarchy of the system of feudalism, and the roles of knights, nobles, bishops, serfs, and freeman.

Life in the towns was very different than life in the countryside. The greatest difference was that the people had some freedom - they were not tied to the land as were the serfs.

Watch

The feudal system was the way society was organized during the Renaissance. This system existed for hundreds of years, but it began to fall apart during the Renaissance.

Watch the video, What was Feudalism, to learn about the feudal system in the countryside.