Scribd
Upload
41 views2 pages

The Enlightenment: Reason and Rights

The Age of Enlightenment occurred between the 17th and 18th centuries, where European philosophers used reason and logic rather than tradition and superstition to understand the world. They believed people should have individual rights and a say in government. Philosophers met in salons to discuss ideas from thinkers like Descartes, Locke, Montesquieu, Hobbes, and Voltaire. Key ideas included separation of powers, consent of the governed, and freedom of thought and expression. The Enlightenment influenced revolutions in America and France and helped establish concepts of modern democracy, human rights, and the scientific method.

Uploaded by

basanzana0
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
41 views2 pages

The Enlightenment: Reason and Rights

The Age of Enlightenment occurred between the 17th and 18th centuries, where European philosophers used reason and logic rather than tradition and superstition to understand the world. They believed people should have individual rights and a say in government. Philosophers met in salons to discuss ideas from thinkers like Descartes, Locke, Montesquieu, Hobbes, and Voltaire. Key ideas included separation of powers, consent of the governed, and freedom of thought and expression. The Enlightenment influenced revolutions in America and France and helped establish concepts of modern democracy, human rights, and the scientific method.

Uploaded by

basanzana0
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The Age Of Enlightenment

1600s-1700s
The age of enlightnement (1685-1815) was a period where sophisticated european
philosophers tried to change the prespective of life by using reason instead of relying
on superstition. The age of reason (another name for the enlightenment) gained
inspiration from other revolutions: the renaissance, Reformation and the scientific
revolution: which all refused the idea of traditional beliefs. The revolution was
carried out because of problems within the government. Later events were also
inspired by the enlightenment (ex/ american revolution).

Philosophers met in salons, a casual place set up by women for a meeting of


philosophers and supporters of the enlightenment, to discuss and share ideas. Many
debates also took place in the salons. Enlightenment thinkers (philosophers and
supporters) believed that people should have the right to each think for themselves.
Rene descartes was a mathmatician who supported the enlightenment, he had a
famous quote, "I think therefore I am." The meaning of this quote is that if you have
the ability to think, you simply exist.

Enlightenment thinkers believed that people should have a say in the government.
They also believed that people must have indidual rights. Some traditional beliefs of
the government were ridiculed by enlightenment thinkers, these beliefes included
devine rights (the concept that god gives right to king or queen to rule a country).
They believed that people should be able to believe in what they want to believe in,
many people believed in God (all powerful deity), and should be able to know truth
for themselves.

Thomas hobbes was a philosopher who published a book called "Leviathan." In this
book, he described that people were naturally greedy, selfish and greedy (driven by
restless desire for power). He imagined that people would be in endless conflicts if it
wasnt for laws placed by the government. He was one of the first thinkers who
applied logic to political issues.

An english philosopher and physician known as John Locke wrote a book called
treatoses pf gpvernment, this book said that government was made to protect the
rights of people. He qouted that government must protect his "Life, Liberty, and
Property from any harm that other men may cause," this qoute suggestes that, the
government should protect him in exchange for power to the government. This idea is
called "Consent of The Governed." In 1689 he published a set of rules called the
english bill of rights, this gave the people more political power.

Montesquieu believed that the way to stop the government from going to corrupt, is
to create a system known as the seperation of power. In this system he divided the
powers of the government among more than one branch: this way, no branch could
grow too powerful. He believed that "When the legilatives power and the executives
power are united in the same person, liberty will not be achievable." His theory
influced the man who wrote the US constitution; hence, now we have seperation of
the governments power.

Voltaire was concerned about freedom of thought and expression. He believed that
people should be able to believe in what they want to believe in and have the right to
be able to talk for themselves. "I dissapprove of what you say, but i will defend to the
death your right to say it" was a famous qoutation he said.

The world definitly wouldnt be the same as it is now thanks to the enlightenment
especially in France and America (both america andd france had a revolution against
their leaders). Monarchs would have definitly taken advantage of the power they
were granted. We would not have the seperation of power. The enlightenment helped
defend human rights and evolve science. It also made science the center of
knowledge.

Thank you,
Faisal

You might also like