Enlightenment

Definition

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century. It emphasized the use of reason to challenge traditional beliefs, customs, and social structures, with the goal of reforming society and advancing human knowledge and progress.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Enlightenment challenged the authority of institutions, such as the monarchy and the church, and promoted individual liberty, constitutional government, and religious tolerance.
2. Key Enlightenment thinkers, such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, emphasized the importance of reason, science, and the natural rights of individuals.
3. The Enlightenment influenced the American and French Revolutions, which sought to establish new political systems based on Enlightenment principles.
4. The Enlightenment promoted the idea of progress, the belief that through the application of reason and scientific inquiry, human societies could continually improve and advance.
5. The Enlightenment led to the development of modern economics, with thinkers like Adam Smith advocating for free market capitalism and the division of labor.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Enlightenment challenged traditional authority and promoted individual liberty.
  • The Enlightenment challenged the traditional authority of institutions like the monarchy and the church by emphasizing the use of reason and logic to question established beliefs and customs. Enlightenment thinkers, such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, promoted the idea of natural rights and individual liberty, arguing that individuals should have the freedom to pursue their own interests and self-determination without the undue influence of the state or religious institutions. This laid the groundwork for the American and French Revolutions, which sought to establish new political systems based on Enlightenment principles.
• Describe the Enlightenment's influence on the development of modern economics.
  • The Enlightenment had a significant impact on the development of modern economic thought. Thinkers like Adam Smith, who wrote the influential work 'The Wealth of Nations,' advocated for free market capitalism and the division of labor as a means of promoting economic progress and prosperity. The Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and empirical observation also led to the emergence of modern economics as a field of study, with the goal of understanding and improving economic systems through the application of scientific principles. This laid the foundation for the development of economic theories and policies that continue to shape the global economy today.
• Analyze how the Enlightenment's promotion of progress and the use of reason influenced social and political change.
  • The Enlightenment's belief in progress and the power of reason had a profound impact on social and political change. Enlightenment thinkers argued that through the application of reason and scientific inquiry, human societies could continually improve and advance, challenging traditional social structures and political systems. This laid the groundwork for the American and French Revolutions, which sought to establish new political systems based on Enlightenment principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, and the natural rights of citizens. The Enlightenment's emphasis on progress and reason also influenced the development of modern social and political theories, such as liberalism and democracy, which continue to shape the way we organize and govern our societies today.

Related terms

Rationalism: The belief that reason and logic are the primary sources of knowledge and that empirical observation and experimentation are secondary.

Secularism: The principle of separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institution and religious dignitaries.

Empiricism: The theory that the origin of all knowledge is sensory experience, and that knowledge is to be derived from actual sense experience.