Our Responsibility to Enlightenment

During the period in English colonial history where the frameworks for democratic societies were forming, specifically the years between 1607 and 1765, two events had massive influence over said development: the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening. The Enlightenment gave way to the kinds of rationale that would later spark the American Revolution and the Great Awakening would give the inspire American citizens to question their authorities and how fit they were to rule.

The enlightenment was a period during late 17th and 18th century in Europe. People with a high level of education would meet in french salons and English drawing rooms to discuss political, religious, economic, and social questions. These people were known as philosophes, or philosophers. Those discussions helped shape the capitalistic, democratic world where we live today.

Critics propose that just because something cannot be confirmed, does not mean that it is not acknowledged or that there is no reason in trusting it. Rene Descartes wanted certain knowledge to be absolute, although this is not the only option, and others would claim that justified knowledge is adequate. Other philosophers claim skepticism is imperious because a skeptic cannot know that skepticism is absolute.

The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment both profoundly impacted the American Revolution. Both ideas brought about a better understanding of the role of government in governing its people, the function of religion in the State, and a more general keener awareness of the rights of man. However, overall, the Enlightenment played the most pivotal role in bringing the American Revolution to fruition.

During the Age of Enlightenment there were many philosophers that thought differently when it came to humans and their actions. This all started back in the 17th and 18th century in Europe. One day all the thinkers came together to talk about their different ideas at an enlightenment party. Philosophers with different backgrounds and ideologies were able to unite and discussed the world and mankind. Although all of them had different beliefs, there was one idea that everyone had in common.The main idea shared by these enlightenment thinkers was that individual freedom could improve different aspects of society. John Locke believed individual freedom could improve freedom in government, Voltaire believed individual freedom

Political leaders in the colonies lost power when their institutions of local government were abolished or absorbed under the government of the Dominion. In general, colonists felt that the new political system, which centered on a royal governor rather than colonial assemblies and town meetings, took away their rights and represented political tyranny.

The ages of Great Awakening and Enlightenment were two of the earliest movements in the early colonies. These movements proved that people can be influenced in many different ways in relation to politics and religion. The Great Awakening called for the revival of the evangelical movement, while the age of Enlightenment took the focus off of the traditional church and dared colonists to apply individualistic views of religion, thus birthing many new religious denominations that challenged traditional religious doctrine. Both ages influenced the colonists to help shape our country. It is evident that the Enlightenment movement had a more profound effect on foundation upon which the United States was built; this young nation prospered under this new found form of religious freedom.

In the 18th century, Enlightenment and the Great Awakening changed the idea of freedom for the colonists. The Great Awakening was a time of religious revival in the colonies. Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 18th century which emphasized economic and political freedom. American and British tensions grew in this time period due to Britain wanting America to be under the king’s control. Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, the Founding Fathers, and different social groups changed the ideas of freedom and equality. During the American Revolution, the idea of freedom changed from Enlightenment and the Founding Father’s ideas of economic freedom, to equality in social groups such as slaves, Native Americans, and woman.

Liberty, equality, and justice-these were the enlightenment ideas that made the modern day United States of America. They heavily influenced the progress of the American Revolution and drove the colonists towards the initiation of the contemporary United States of America we know today. The origins of these ideas began with French intellectuals, thus making them major influencers in this revolution. The American Revolution ended two centuries of British rule and created the present-day United States of America. It was due to the desire of American independence that the colonies realized they wanted a change therefore the colonists decided to revolt. Colonists began to be outraged by the harsh policies that the British would put on them. The

The Enlightenment was an 18th century intellectual and philosophical movement in Europe that eventually spread to Paris and the United States. This movement was a link between the scientific revolution and the cultural and political life. The Enlightenment fostered the belief that one could reform society by discovering rational laws that governed social behavior and were just as scientific as the laws of physics (The Earth and its Peoples, pg. 582). It challenged the traditional notions of truth and authority of the natural world while applying the same methods to the world in regards to human society and behavior. It was free of superstition, ignorance, and gained knowledge by questioning the world and human realm.

The Enlightenment is intriguing period lasted from 1600 to1800.French historians traditionally place the period between 1715, the year that Louis XIV died, and 1789, the beginning of the French Revolution. The Enlightenment is known in French as the ‘’Siècle des Lumières’’ (Century of Enlightenment) was a philosophical and architectural movement which dominated the world of ideas in Europe in the18th century.

The Enlightenment, which eased into existence in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries created a new way of thinking based on rationality. Scholars and intellects were free to debate and have informed discussions about such things as science, religion, and philosophy without fear of censorship

The Enlightenment Period, otherwise known as the Age of Reason was a period in time when intelligent individuals believed if given the ability to reason from God or nature, they would be able to unveil truths and find answers in any proposed question (Background Essay). The Enlightenment period started in France where thinkers from Britain, France and throughout Europe questioned the eccentric traditional authority and took in the idea that humanity could be improved through rational change. French philosopher Voltaire who appraised and promoted freedom of speech believed it would lead to a stable society and was the best weapon against bad government. A new society should prioritize the Enlightenment ideas of freedom of expression because there are different groups of people who struggle to gain full access to speak up because of reasons including poverty, racial discrimination and cultural pressure. Although a strong case could be made that freedom of economics would be better to focus on, this argument is unconvincing because the wealth would eventually be unevenly distributed, limiting freedom of the many unfortunate others with less luxury.

The Enlightenment was such a significant event in history that the world today is still being affected by it. For instance, this period of time led to revolutionary ideas used as the framework of many governments today. Without these ideas, America would never have written the Declaration of Independence, which guarantees “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” This social contract is still alive today, the belief that man is free and that power has shifted from government and belongs to the people. In America, we still have the right to vote and this determines who represents us in government.

In the piece What is Enlightenment (1784) by Immanuel Kant, he talks about his idea of what the definition of enlightenment is and explains his idea of enlightenment as being a way of people questioning everything and speaking openly about their reasoning for why they are questioning in the first place. He also talks about how one should be obedient to the thing that is being called into question if it keeps society going along. It is within his piece that he presents the motto “Argue as much as you will, and about what you will, only obey” and presents this idea of public reasoning and private reasoning from which for the rest of the piece he explains