Sanah Bilgrami Susie Mossman Michael Lai
The enlightenment was a time of intellectual, philosophical, cultural, and social growth in England, France, and Germany. Took place from the 5 th to 15 th century, but continued for many years after. Before the enlightenment, religion dictated everything. The scientific revolution and the enlightenment started a time for independent thought and advancement of science. It promoted the beginning of industrialization. It turned the world into an intelligent, self-aware civilization. Inspired the creation of the first democracy; the United States of America. The era had a break through of new approaches to investigation, rezoning, and problem solving.
Rationalism- the doctrine that all knowledge is expressible in self-evident propositions or their consequences Cosmology-the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin and general structure of the universe, with its parts, elements, and laws, and especially with such of its characteristics as space, time, causality, and freedom. Utilitarianism-the ethical doctrine that virtue is based on utility, and that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest number of persons. Optimism -the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world. Self Confidence- Confidence in oneself. Tolerance-a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own. Mass education- Mass education refers to an educational system funded and run by the state, usually free, that aims to ensure that all children in a society have at least a basic education Legal reforms-Law reform or Legal reform is the process of examining existing laws, and advocating and implementing changes in a legal system, usually with the aim of enhancing justice or efficiency. Cosmopolitanism- belonging to all the world; not limited to just one part of the world.
Thomas Hobbes- known for his views on how humans could thrive in harmony while avoiding the perils and fear of societal conflict. Wrote “The Elements of Law” and “Leviathan” Rene de Cartes- an influential teacher set him on a course to apply mathematics and logic to understanding the natural world. This approach incorporated the contemplation of the nature of existence and of knowledge itself. Francis Bacon-His more valuable work was philosophical. Bacon took up Aristotelian ideas, arguing for an empirical, inductive approach, known as the scientific method, which is the foundation of modern scientific inquiry. Isaac Newton- Discoveries in optics, motion and mathematics, Newton developed the principles of modern physics. In 1687, he published his most acclaimed work, Philosophiae, Natrualis, Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy).
It gave people the freedom to think for themselves by the rapid spread of information People were able to separate themselves from religion People gained more knowledge and were more educated then ever before
Romanticism- Romanticism was more appealing to the common, uneducated person because it was more interesting than the books of the Enlightenment. Books of the Enlightenment were filled with information and scientific theories, while Romantic books were filled fantastical stories. Skepticism- Skepticism stemmed from the idea that society cannot be perfected through rational thoughts, and that no one can be sure of the truths that exist.
Thirty Year’s War- Enlightenment began as people criticized the ideas of Nationalism and warfare. French Revolution- The French Revolution brought and end to the Enlightenment. The revolution came to try to implement ideas of the Enlightenment to try to create an orderly and stable society. Eventually, society turned to violence and the people realized that they cannot govern themselves while relying on Enlightenment ideas. The American Revolution- The American Revolution displayed ideas of the Enlightenment by fighting for freedom and to become a self-governing society. Unlike the French Revolution, the Americans succeeded.