Enlightenment In The 1700s Essay

The Enlightenment greatly affected colonial thinking regarding the religious, political, and governmental processes in America. It was an intellectual and scientific movement of the 17th and18th century which was characterized by the scientific approach to religious, political, social, and economic issues. During this time, many philosophers were influenced, by which in turn greatly affected the colonies. Next to promoting human reasoning which eventually led to America’s independence from Britain, it also influenced American life directly in the colonies. Many ideas of the Enlightenment can be found in the shaping of the Unites States in its formative years. It

The Age of Enlightenment saw many great changes in Western Europe. It was an age of reason and philosophes. During this age, changes the likes of which had not been seen since ancient times took place. Such change affected evert pore of Western European society. Many might argue that the Enlightenment really did not bring any real change, however, there exists and overwhelming amount of facts which prove, without question, that the spirit of the Enlightenment was one of change-specifically change which went against the previous teachings of the Catholic Church. Such change is apparent in the ideas, questions, and philosophies of the time, in the study of science, and throughout the monarchial system.

The Enlightenment period, also known as The Age of Reason, was a period of social, religious, and political revolution throughout the 18th century which changed the thoughts of man during this “awakening” time. It was a liberation of ignorant thoughts, ideas, and actions that had broken away from the ignorant perception of how society was to be kept and obeyed thus giving little room for new ideas about the world. Puritan society found these new ideas of thought to be extremely radical in comparison to what they believed which was a belief of strong rational religion and morality. Enlightened society believed that the use of reason would be a catalyst of social change and had a demand of political representation thus resulting in a

brought these new ideas and changes to light. Enlightenment’s main goal was to seek out

The Enlightenment is said to have begun in the 1680’s, the same decade that the “Glorious Revolution” occurred, which crowned daughter of James II Mary and her husband Prince William of Orange Monarchs of England. This turning point in English history can be considered part of the Enlightenment due to the switch from an Absolute Monarchy to a Constitutional Monarchy and the passing of the English Bill of Rights in 1689 after William’s ascension to the throne.

This research paper was written for the Advanced Placement United States History class taught by Mr. Roger Brady. It focuses on the rise of the ideas of the Enlightenment and how these ideas were relevant in the American Revolution, and the creation of the modern American Society. It also provides a throughout explanation of what is the Enlightenment, who are its main exponents, and how the ideas of the Enlightenment spread. Lastly, it also depicts how the colonists were mistreated and mocked by the British Empire before the ideas of the

The Enlightenment was a period in the eighteenth century where change in philosophy and cultural life took place in Europe. The movement started in France, and spread to Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Germany at more or less around the same time, the ideas starting with the most renowned thinkers and philosophers of the time and eventually being shared with the common people. The Enlightenment was a way of thinking that focused on the betterment of humanity by using logic and reason rather than irrationality and superstition. It was a way of thinking that showed skepticism in the face of religion, challenged the inequality between the kings and their people, and tried to establish a sound system of ethics. The ideas behind the

The Enlightenment was the precursor of the Great Awakening. The Enlightenment spread from across the Atlantic Ocean, encouraging people to apply the scientific method to thought and theory in political and social life rather than faith. Benjamin Franklin was one of the biggest influences of these ideals with his many experiments, newspaper business, and his Deist religion status. As a result of the Enlightenment era, there was a reduction in people attending church. They were encouraged to question authority and make decisions based on logic. As a result,

The Europeans not only expanded their land and economy they were also expanding their minds with new ways of thinking such as “Enlightenment”. Major ideas of the actual 18th century "Enlightenment" had a lot to do with democratic ideals, a reduced influence of Christian Church doctrine in government, and overall "progress" of humankind. The Enlightenment was the product of a vast set of cultural and intellectual changes in Europe during the 1500s and 1600s changes that in turn produced the social values that permitted the Enlightenment to sweep through Europe in the late 1600s and 1700s. One of the most important of these changes was the

184). This period revolved around the conflict between traditional views of a personal God involved within the individual’s lives, the new spirit of the enlightenment with the importance of intellect (science) and human reasoning. The old views placed high values on a stern moral code, which taught intellect is less important than faith became apparent not true (Kupperman, 2000, p. 118). The enlightenment also suggested that people had control over their lives and their societies. Therefore, religious toleration in the colonies flourished, there were so many types of religion it was impossible for the British rulers or puritans of the day to enforce some sort of code or religious enforcement of an official faith (Brinkley, 2010, pg. 80-81), (Kupperman, 2000, p. 118).

The Age of Enlightenment served as the concrete base for America. It also served the same purpose in France. The desire for a “utopia” was what each nation wanted, as any country would. The Enlightenment promoted the individual or the idea of humanism. Humanism, which spread across Europe after the creation of the printing press, was a philosophy that no longer focused on theism but human needs. Man was no longer depending on the church for thoughts to make decisions. The idea of fearing their God and church was no longer seen as necessary. People were trying to come up with solutions through their own rational thought uninfluenced by anyone else, but themselves. Both France and the American colonies were becoming secular, though France

The 17th and 18th century was known as the Enlightenment period or the Age of Reason. This was a time for justice, morality, law, government, and basic human rights; a very monumental time period for all of mankind. In religion, deism was on the rise. Deism is the belief that a God had created and designed the world but did not directly interfere with lives. Literature begat novels, the first encyclopedia, and the invention of the printing press. This gave all citizens the chance to broaden knowledge and stay informed; not just the wealthy. Politically, Jefferson served as 3rd president, founded the University of Virginia, and drafted the Declaration of Independence. During the Enlightenment, changes were aplenty, opportunities were bountiful, and lives were transformed.

The Enlightenment age was very much an intellectual movement that grew from interrelating the theories of science, the environment and the human race (Enlightenment, 2015, para 1). The origins of this movement came from ideas that date back to the Renaissance period in the 14th century. Science became a big part of this period as people now did not just rely on the bible, they began to be inquisitive about the world around them, thus the dividing of science and religion occurred. Scientists began to ask questions about the environment around them, soon people wanted proof and reasoning, not just thoughts and ideas. Another successful idea of that time was that philosophers began to rethink the role of God and the effects on human life. People still believed in God, but the significance of religion and the role that God played in peoples daily life was not as

For a great period of time, the main source of authority in the early western world was the Bible. People lived there lives according to the bible and followed Christian tradition. “Prior to the Enlightenment, believing in God in the West was like believing in the sunrise; the answer to all the big questions of life was God” (Wade). During this time many things revolved around the bible, as did the government since the bible was the main source of knowledge. Many viewed Christianity as the centerpiece of their lives, but the view of many would soon change during the time of the Enlightenment. The enlightenment began in the early 1700’s and during this time period many people started coming up with new ideas about how the world worked.

The Enlightenment was a period in which reason was utilized, however, it was also a period in which religion was a huge part of society especially under a monarch rule in which God had appointed a King and under his rule everyone followed his views. Years earlier, many began to question the church’s authority and split in views, giving rise to Protestants a division existing among Europe. Years later during the 18th century individuals began using reason to explain certain situations, many utilized nature surrounding them to justify their answers concerning religion. Difference in opinion was extremely dangerous to the monarch as it could it could spark a rebellion to ultimately challenging the church. Existing in Europe were two types of individuals, those who followed the church and believed in everything they said and those who critiqued the church and the monarch yet heavily believed it was necessary for society to behave. Hence, the view on atheism was despised and throughout the article from the encyclopedia, author Abbe Yvon attempts to discard the idea that society can have order without believing in a supreme being. Through Abbe Yvon’s text on atheists, we can learn and affirm that society diverse as it was through religion and beliefs, 18th century Europe did not tolerate atheism and immediately categorized as threatening individuals.