The Age Of Enlightenment

838 Words4 Pages
The Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, began in the 18th century in Europe and it laid the foundation for the modern world. This age marked intellectual movements of the Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment (SR & E). It was a time where thinkers challenged old ideas about power and authority. The SR & E had transformed and impacted the way people thought about religion, government, society, and economics back in the 18th century, and nowadays as well. 1 The SR & E transformed the way people thought about religion. In the 18th Century, the influence of superstition were shattered, while rational thinking and the importance of human intelligence were emphasized (Brooks 1). Religious faith didn’t dominate their decisions…show more content…
Some countries, such as England had become a constitutional monarchy, instead of an absolute monarchy because they believed the ruler’s powers should be limited by laws. Other countries had the Bill of Rights, or the ten amendments. They were mostly based on the principles of the SR & E. These amendments protected basic rights such as freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and press. Many of these rights had been promoted by philosophers Voltaire, Rousseau, and Locke during the SR & E. (textbook page 645). Places like the United States of America chose a different form of government called the branch system. Charles-Louis de Secondat and Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu created the idea of the three branch system. Montesquieu, being a huge follower of The Enlightenment, suggested the theory of the separation of powers to achieve a political system of promoting order, checks and balances, and equality (howstufworks). The three branches are; the executive, which includes the President and the Prime Minister, the legislature, which consists of the House of Representatives and Congress who makes laws, and the judiciary, judges who carry out and discuss the laws. This system is currently still being used in the U.S Constitution.…show more content…
The Enlightenment thinkers wanted a more modernized education system. The development of this system in Europe continued during the Enlightenment and spread elsewhere such as into the French Revolution. John Locke, one of the Enlightenment thinkers, emphasized that it is important to start shaping your minds in early stages of life. Before the SR & E, education was only for the upper class, but now education is “gradually provided to rich and poor alike.” ( Education Wikipedia ) When Isaac newton published his finding, it allowed individuals to get a head start on their intelligence, creativity, and resourcefulness, instead of those who were wealthy. (video) The number of girls attending schools and being educated also increased during the Enlightenment ( Education Wikipedia ). Wollstonecraft, an English writer, philosopher during the Sr & E, argued that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education. She advises that both women and men should be treated equally. (Wollstonecraft
Open Document