The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was a cultural movement that occurred in the 18th century and was characterized by a focus on reason, individualism, and skepticism. It marked a significant shift in Western thought and had a profound impact on politics, philosophy, and science.
During the Enlightenment, intellectuals and philosophers sought to use reason and scientific inquiry to understand the world and improve society. They rejected traditional sources of authority, such as the church and the monarchy, and instead placed a greater emphasis on individual rights and freedoms.
One of the most influential figures of the Enlightenment was French philosopher and writer Voltaire, who was known for his wit, his criticism of Christianity, especially the Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and separation of church and state. His works, including Candide and the Letters on the English, were widely read and had a significant impact on the development of the Enlightenment.
Another key figure of the Enlightenment was British philosopher John Locke, who argued that people are born with certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty, and property. His ideas had a major influence on the development of modern democratic societies and the concept of natural rights.
The Enlightenment also had a significant impact on science and technology. During this time, many important scientific discoveries were made, including the theories of gravity and evolution. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 18th century, was also a product of the Enlightenment and its emphasis on innovation and progress.
While the Enlightenment was a time of great intellectual and cultural achievement, it was also a period of significant social and political upheaval. The ideas of the Enlightenment, particularly those related to individual rights and freedoms, were a major factor in the French Revolution and the subsequent spread of democracy throughout Europe and the Americas.
Overall, the Enlightenment was a crucial period in the history of Western thought, marking a shift towards reason and individualism and laying the foundations for modern democratic societies. Its impact can still be felt today in the way we think about and approach problems, and in the values that shape our political and social systems.
The Age Of Enlightenment Timeline
Located at: License: Enlightened absolutism. Thus, aesthetics, as Shaftesbury and Hutcheson independently develop an account of it, gives encouragement to their doctrines of moral sensibility. Main Ideas of the Age of Enlightenment During the Age of Enlightenment, scientists and philosophers of the time shared their ideas at scientific institutes, masonic clubs, literary salons, and coffeehouses, and in printed books, periodicals, and pamphlets. Want to learn more about the Prehistoric Era? Archived from PDF on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
Understanding the Age of Enlightenment
In this way, Shaftesbury defines the moral sense that plays a significant role in the theories of subsequent Enlightenment thinkers such as Francis Hutcheson and David Hume. Its dramatic use of light was intended to show how inquiry and learning are profound and deeply solemn. Voltaire despised democracy and said the absolute monarch must be enlightened and must act as dictated by reason and justice — in other words, be a "philosopher-king". Voltaire's "Candide" discusses the question that if God is purely good, then why would he create a world that could be filled with so much evil? The Great Awakening was a revival of religion and the Enlightenment was all about understanding science and social structure. Centered on the idea that reason is the primary source of authority and legitimacy, this movement advocated such ideals as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state. As a spill-over of the Enlightenment, nonsecular beliefs expressed first by Quakers and then by Protestant evangelicals in Britain and the United States emerged. National Varieties The Enlightenment took hold in most European countries, often with a specific local emphasis.
Age of Enlightenment: Meaning & Summary
Burke, "Freemasonry, Friendship and Noblewomen: The Role of the Secret Society in Bringing Enlightenment Thought to Pre-Revolutionary Women Elites", History of European Ideas 10 no. He wrote often about multiple different topics and was particularly famous for his satire, which he was once imprisoned and exiled for. The Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Enlightenment, was a philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe in the 18th century. The form of the book is intimidating: a biographical dictionary, with long scholarly entries on obscure figures in the history of culture, interrupted by long scholarly footnotes, which are in turn interrupted by further footnotes. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. The Enlightenment 1650s—1780s The Enlightenment is a period which saw the growth of intellectual reason, individualism and a challenge to existing religious and political structures.
