The Enlightenment: Intellectual Movement In Europe During The 16th And 17th Century
Gitanjali Ramnarain
Prof. Romano
HIST 1000C
Tuesday/Friday 3:25pm
September 26,2014
Enlightenment Essay
The Enlightenment also known as the Age of Reason was an intellectual movement in Europe during the 16th and 17th century. It helped shaped modern thinking through the many diverse and conflicting ideas of philosophers. The Enlightenment changed medieval thinking to secular thinking through the use of reason, the scientific method, and progress.
The use of reason was a characteristic of the Enlightenment that fueled most philosophers and their beliefs. Reason enabled one to break free from all ignorant and irrational beliefs and it taught people to learn and act correctly. It makes all humans equal, therefore causing them to have equal treatment and rights under the law. Nothing was to be accepted on faith. Everything had to be rationalized (a secular, critical way of thinking) before drawing conclusions. Most philosophers used …show more content…
Enlightened thinkers thought the human mind could make great progress. A lot of philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes (1588-1639), John Locke (1630-1704), Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) and Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) all believed in progress. Locke believed that everyone had “natural rights” to life, liberty and property and rulers have the responsibility to protect it. If they fail to protect it, the people have a responsibility to change it, meaning that the people can change those who they want to rule. As an early form of democracy, Locke believed that this method could create a better society for the people. Hobbes on the other hand believed in a government that has absolute control because people are created selfish and greedy. Progress helped to influence the minds of philosophers to go against the church and strive to change society without their
Prof. Romano
HIST 1000C
Tuesday/Friday 3:25pm
September 26,2014
Enlightenment Essay
The Enlightenment also known as the Age of Reason was an intellectual movement in Europe during the 16th and 17th century. It helped shaped modern thinking through the many diverse and conflicting ideas of philosophers. The Enlightenment changed medieval thinking to secular thinking through the use of reason, the scientific method, and progress.
The use of reason was a characteristic of the Enlightenment that fueled most philosophers and their beliefs. Reason enabled one to break free from all ignorant and irrational beliefs and it taught people to learn and act correctly. It makes all humans equal, therefore causing them to have equal treatment and rights under the law. Nothing was to be accepted on faith. Everything had to be rationalized (a secular, critical way of thinking) before drawing conclusions. Most philosophers used …show more content…
Enlightened thinkers thought the human mind could make great progress. A lot of philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes (1588-1639), John Locke (1630-1704), Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) and Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) all believed in progress. Locke believed that everyone had “natural rights” to life, liberty and property and rulers have the responsibility to protect it. If they fail to protect it, the people have a responsibility to change it, meaning that the people can change those who they want to rule. As an early form of democracy, Locke believed that this method could create a better society for the people. Hobbes on the other hand believed in a government that has absolute control because people are created selfish and greedy. Progress helped to influence the minds of philosophers to go against the church and strive to change society without their