Dbq Essay On The Age Of Enlightenment

Enlightenment in the 1700s was a pivotal event in history that lead to the transformation of thought processes. Many people contend that the Age of Enlightenment led to the betterment of society as it went from being permissive of superstitions, a God that is present, and an unquestionable rule to people who wanted to question, think, and speak for themselves. On the other hand, others profess that the Age of Enlightenment led to an unintentional dismissal of monotheism, the questioning of authority, and a rebellious nature of society. So, how influential were the ideas of the Enlightenment? Although many people believe that advocating for women's rights has been a relatively new thing, a women by the name of, Mary Wollencraft, championed

A key figure in this process was a man named Voltaire. He was a proponent supporter of free speech. His book Treatise on Tolerance talks about the the state of Christianity in his time. Voltaire points out that “Of all religions, the Christian ought doubtless to inspire the most tolerance, although hitherto the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men” (Doc D). Essentially, he is commenting on the religious intolerance of his country. At the time, France wanted everyone to convert to Catholicism; however, many people did not consent. Because of this, King Louis XIV forced unsubmitting people to exile and put moldable kids into Catholic schools. Furthermore, Voltaire states, “Fanaticism is to superstition... what rage is to anger. What is a persecutor? He whose...furious fanaticism arouse princes and magistrates against innocent men, whose only crime is that of being of a different opinion”(Doc D). This quote demonstrates that Voltaire disapproves of Theism because he states that fanaticism or belief in supernatural is what causes discrimination of people with other

Philosophes presented a plethora of ideas that eventually sparked change in the world. Wollencraft rallied for women to vote and have the same rights as men. In beginning of Doc F , she makes evident her purpose: “it be not inconsistent and unjust to subjugate women” (Doc F). This ideal is prominent in our society today as many men and women are fighting for the equality of women. Although Wollencraft protests for rights and freedom of women and today Feminists protest for equal wage gaps and more ; the two still have a common goal in advancing the rights of women. The only reason for this difference is the gap of time. Overtime, Wollencraft was able to influence others and obtain change for foundation of women's rights which allowed the present to build and ratify their needs in contemporary terms. The well articulated Voltaire wanted free speech. Back in those days, whatever said by the Roman Catholic Church was followed as well as complete obedience to the ruler. In Doc D, Voltaire views the belief in a higher power as the sole root in hindering the expression of individual thought. As of now, 1.1 billion people in the world today are atheist. Voltaire was not a direct influence on the turning away of God as it was mostly people's belief in science; however, he played a role in turning people away from obedience to the Church. Finally, the Philosophes, Montesquieu and Locke, wanted a