Which mode of thinking inspired the leading families and many artists of the Early Renaissance in Italy?

Humanism

Explanation:

It is a way of thinking and learning that stresses the importance of human abilities and actions. This way of thinking was linked to the rediscovery of ancient writings, many of which were classical writings.  People thought that life could be enjoyable and they could have comforts. They started to think that people should be educated and that things like art, music, and science could make life better for everyone. This was a real change in the way people thought.

This greatly inspired the leading families and many artists of early Renaissance in Italy. It encouraged them to be active in their cities and to develop their talents. Humanists gave importance to the individual and to human society. They wanted to gain knowledge through reason, not just through religious faith.

The new or modern way of thinking about the world and man's place in it, inspired the leading families and many artists of the Early Renaissance in Italy.

Explanation:

The thinkers said that the medieval ages are over and they were living a "new age". The new age would be a “rinascità” (“rebirth”) of learning and literature, art and culture. This was the birth of the period now known as the Renaissance. For centuries, scholars have agreed that the Italian Renaissance (another word for “rebirth”) happened just that way: that between the 14th century and the 17th century, a new, modern way of thinking about the world and man’s place in it replaced an old, backward one. In fact, the Renaissance (in Italy and in other parts of Europe) was considerably more complicated than that: For one thing, in many ways the period we call the Renaissance was not so different from the era that preceded it. However, many of the scientific, artistic and cultural achievements of the so-called Renaissance do share common themes, most notably the humanistic belief that man was the center of his own universe.