How Did Religion Shaped The Enlightenment?

Voltaire believed in religion and that everyone had the right to pick their own religion

During the Enlightenment, revolutionary thinkers called philosophes brought about new ideas as to how to better understand and improve their society. They were all modern thinkers and had the best interests of society in mind. Although each philosoph had his or her own ideas, they all centered around one main theme: equality and human freedom.

Voltaire discusses the importance of individual freedom in religion when he writes because he addresses the Royal Exchange in London where different nations come together. Moreover, Voltaire also addresses the fact that more than 3 religions bring peace and harmony. It can be argued that individual freedom was the main idea in Voltaire’s discussion of religion because he addresses the fact that nations of different religions and races can come together and trade and be in peace with each other. Women's rights was also an important part of Mary Wolstonecraft's ideas on the Enlightenment. Wolstonecraft discusses the importance of individual freedom as it regards women having the same rights as men and being treated equally when she writes. It can be argued that individual freedom was the main idea in Wolstonecraft's discussion of women because women should be treated as equally as men are and should be given the same resources. Although the philosophes of the 18th century had other important ideas like government, religion, and women's writes, there was one main idea that stood out. That was individual

During the time of Enlightenment, individuals tried to find a way to still be religious while using scientific evidence in determining faith in the church and religion. Many scientific ideas of this era came from some of the pioneers of the country and science. Benjamin Franklin was one of the most influential thinkers of this era (Schultz, 2013). The choice of faith, religion, and denomination lied in the hands of the people rather than the government, with a much more democratic upbringing, this was much different than was practiced by European nations (Schultz,

Voltaire was an Enlightenment thinker who used not only his ideas and beliefs, but other philosophers’ as well. The exile of Voltaire allowed him to acquire the knowledge of other’s ideas, ways of life, and government. Because these ideas were alien to him he felt obligated to either reject or accept them. Regardless of which he chose, Voltaire would always back up his opinions with the ideas of other Enlightenment thinkers. These agreements and criticisms were expressed in one of his most famous works, Candide.

In early american history, colonies were founded for many different reasons, whether it was for political, social, or economic purposes. Colonies were very diverse from one another, yet shared some similarities. One may wonder, how did religion shape colonial society? The answer to this can be found by looking through the facts about colonial New England and Chesapeake.

Despite not believing that God created the best possible world to live in, Voltaire did believe in God. The European Graduate School published a biography of Voltaire which remarked "Voltaire was also a fierce critique of religious traditions but that is not to say that he was averse to the idea of a supreme being. His understanding of God was deist, he reasoned that the existence of God was a question of reason and observation rather than of faith". This demonstrates that he did believe in and accept God, though in an unorthodoxed way, relying wholly on his reason and observations. Not only did these unique beliefs and idea spark some harsh feelings towards Leibniz, but they also forced Voltaire to better mask his criticism. Thus, the employment of satire in his novels, specifically Candide.

Voltaire’s main idea was that everybody should respect and tolerate one another no matter the religion. In today's society, people respect each other due to Voltaire’s views. If voltaire didn't get his thoughts out, people might have been killing each other. Say there was two religion, if the two didn't respect each other's beliefs then all there would be is

Although persuading citizens to use their wisdom to challenge and question authority, the Enlightenment’s philosophies unintentionally demolished the stronghold the Catholic church possessed over Europe. What started as an attempt to grow the

Voltaire was a philosopher who thought differently about faith. He rejected Roman Catholicism and wrote a famous book, Candide, which satirized Christianity. Voltaire also had a new take on Christianity, Deism, which meant there was a God but he only had one attribute of creating the universe and that is all he did. (Professor Assad Pino lecture

To understand why the Enlightenment movement was so influential for both its own time period and today’s society, an analysis of the periods that came before it is required. Total state domination ruled the Ancient period (29CE), as Christianity was only just being defined and officially recognised as a religion (Laughlin, P 2016). Later, in the Ancient period, this domination shifted to a collaboration of church and state as the Church expanded and became progressively more powerful (Laughlin, P 2016).

"He described medieval Europe as hopelessly morassed in ‘decay and degeneracy'." "Voltaire never lost his melioristic philosophy or his deep humanism. More and more he turned to social action, the spirit of which pervades his campaign against the Church, "as well as his campaigns to help those who were the victims of fanaticism and persecution. Voltaire's Dictionnaire philosophique (1764) was the summation of his philosophy, and it remains one of his most living works." Voltaire came to the conclusion that "reason was the only weapon that raised man above the animals." "He was essentially a humanist – the greatest humanist of the Enlightenment." Voltaire believed in the republic of scholars and in the primacy of ideas in historical evolution. Thus, he became the prophet of progress. "Voltaire was the leader of the philosophes, their most respected adherent, and the very symbol of the new spirit"

In Europe in the early 17th century, Christianity was the dominant religion. Most countries believed that it was the only acceptable one, and that there should not be any toleration for other religions. In many countries, the monarchs (or the other rulers) would enforce Christianity and persecute people with other beliefs. Some of these beliefs, however, changed during the Age of Enlightenment from the late 1600’s to the mid-1700’s. The philosophers during the Age of Enlightenment influenced peoples’ way of thinking through their ideas of reason, empiricism, and the power of nature. The ideas that the philosophers had eliminated the stranglehold that religion had on the people and the government. Through the heavy influence of John Locke, Isaac Newton, and other philosophers, alternative religions, mainly deism, emerged, which changed how people viewed themselves and their relationship to government.

It discussed how rationalism was important in making decisions and how basing them off the church in exchange for salvation was wrong. His book talked even further on empiricism, which became a major characteristic of the enlightenment period. Voltaire, on the other hand, was much more rebellious, going into exile many times. He challenged many ideas of society, and believed in choice; this included religious toleration, freedom of speech, and freedom of class. These ideas are now followed in great numbers in the 21st century Such examples include voting, giving the people the decision to elect whomever they feel is best suited for the job. Many religions are practiced in the United states, giving a modern day look on how 1700’s enlightenment ideals are still alive and well today.

The Age of the Enlightenment made it possible for philosophers to look for ways to change and expand the current state of mind. One of those philosophers,Voltaire, born as Francois-Marie Arouet in the year 1964, was undoubtedly the most well known throughout history. Not only was Voltaire a philosopher, but he also engaged in writing many plays, poetry, and history. Throughout his life, Voltaire examined society, trying to improve its every aspect as best he could. He developed a very controversial relationship with the French government. Voltaire realized that people had rights and were not meant to be slaves and bossed around. Being the opinionated and outspoken man that he was, he decided to publish writings mocking and insulting the French. Enraged, the French sent Voltaire to the prison of Bastille within the matter of a few days. Voltaire was shaped by the Enlightenment, and was himself an Enlightenment force. He did not believe in anything that could not be supported by strong evidence. This concept includes the existence of God, as stated in the Bible. Is there strong evidence that supports the existence of God? He believed not. Therefore, why cherish and believe in something for your whole life, when it is all nonexistent? Voltaire referred to this as a “false tradition” (The Western Perspective, 694). One of his most famous works Candide, first published in 1759, is known for being absolutely hilarious, while at the same time, being satirical towards the hypocrisy