arilliusbm said

[orig][quote]

The only way we can experience another "Renaissance" per se, is to have a mass-awakening. 99.9% of people (in this country, it seems) are oblivious to the world around them, and cannot fathom much beyond what lies or propagandized bullshit they are fed.
Although the Renaissance 500+ years ago was mostly in regards to spiritual enlightenment and a connection to "God", people banded together for a common cause, which solely revolved around knowledge and expanding horizons. As science started becoming more advanced, these two extremities - religion and science - became conflicted, as they both raised questions for each other. A good example of this would be what happened to Galileo Galilei.
Anyways, enough rambling.. tldr;

To make a long story short, humanity must move beyond faith-based way of thought, and put more concentration in the world of Science, History, and Art. Things are different now, but we must be willing to consciously accept humanity for what it is, and embrace what true virtues we have left.
I don't have much hope for our species, and a 21st Century Enlightenment seems fairly implausible; that is, unless there's some sort of outside force driving us to band together. Extraterrestrial invasion or GTFO