Enlightenment In World History: The Ultimate Guide

The Enlightenment Order was a period of scientific progress as well as a political and social revolution. The Enlightenment succeeded the Renaissance, which was, on the other hand, initiated at the same time as the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution called for the rejection of customary notions and the promotion of the logical approach.

Introduction To The Enlightenment

The major features of the Enlightenment included scepticism and rationalism accompanied by disagreement with authority. During this period, several Enlightenment thinkers based authority and knowledge on reason as a fundamental source. They thought that through rationality, people were able to effectively address issues and, therefore, enhance human society. Thus, religious texts and superstitions were not limited to religious texts only in this way.

Principles of Enlightenment

The Scientific Method: The Enlightenment relied on the scientific method to acquire an understanding of reality. Observational data (information collected through experimentation) gained importance in the investigation of natural phenomena and the dispute of conventional frameworks.

Individualism: Enlightenment philosophers focused heavily on the individual and their rights. Some of the ideas developed at this time included free markets, natural rights, and the right to self-governance.

Scepticism: The widespread prejudice during the Enlightenment was that things should be explained in a purely secular manner and not religiously. Pragmatism and rationality generated scientific reasoning and a loss of faith in religion and old customs.

Enlightenment Key Players

John Locke is one of the most famous personalities. He is well-known for his natural philosophy, which explains that the government should protect lives and property at all costs.

Voltaire: He was known as a writer and philosopher who advocated freedom of expression and religious tolerance.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Rousseau was another writer & philosopher who provided social contract theory. It played a crucial role in developing political thought, strongly emphasizing popular will and power.

Montesquieu: He created a clear division of power within the government and promoted such a division. To this very day, in the United States of America, we have the legislative, the judiciary, and the executive branches.

An Enlightenment glossary

Laissez-Faire: Business policies that give few or no restraints imposed on by the government on what they can do.

Natural Rights: John Locke argues that life, liberty, and property belong to each individual.

Checks and Balances: The limitation of one branch of government is vested in the other branch of the government.

World Impact Of The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment brought much to the world by defining modern societies and political systems. It also participated in the creation of the world’s first modern democratic revolutions, including the American and French revolutions.

As the Enlightenment emphasized reason, many scientific and technological inventions took place; these inventions helped in the Industrial Revolution and are responsible for scientific practices today.

All in all, the Enlightenment is commonly known as an epoch in world history characterized by the emphasis on reason, individualism, and progress.