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Enlightenment main ideas
Enlightenment main ideas
John locke effect on society
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The Enlightenment was a period in history throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth century when the philosophes brought new ideas of science, philosophy, society, and politics. Philosophes were the intellectuals of the Enlightenment who gave reason to the study of many areas of learning. John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Mary Wollstonecraft all focused on one key concept, though - and that is freedom. More distinctly, these philosophes believed that society would change for the better if they reformed the government, religious toleration, and equality for all. Born in the United Kingdom and in France, both John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu believed that the government restricted the citizens from doing what they wanted.
Revolutions for Enlightenment During the eighteenth century, people were angry and miserable. They sought for alternatives in the way they were living, and how they existed in society. Many minority groups revolted against their governments or people of authority because they felt as if they were being treated unfairly. In other words, the government was not treating everyone as equals. Not everyone had the right to own property, vote, and some did not have the right to freedom of speech.
The Enlightenment principles that influenced late colonial America and were reflected in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence did not automatically yield the freedom and equality annunciated in the document which is established by the existence of slavery, the absence of rights for blacks and women, and the portrayal of historical events during the time period set forth in The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. The Enlightenment was a time of reason and intellectual thought in world history. Philosophers began looking deeper into human reason and principles and proposed new ideas that were radical but also well thought out. These ideas focused on personal freedom of all people and individual rights of citizens that were inalienable.
The American Revolution is a test of Enlightenment thinking because it incorporates enlightenment ideas into practical things like freedom from the government and taxes with representation. Some of the ideas tested prevailed such as freedom from the government and taxes with representation and are still present in today's society but others did not flourish. Some of the Enlightenment ideas that were tested during the American revolution were separation of powers, freedom from the government, and control over taxation. One example of freedom of the government being tested was the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson on July 4th, 1776. The declaration separated the 13 British American colonies from Great britain.
The Enlightenment was created in France in the 1700’s. It was a movement in Europe that was about applying reason to all aspects of life. During this movement, Philosophers used five concepts that they built upon to create the Enlightenment; reason, nature, happiness, progress, and an envy for England's glorious revolution and their bill of rights. The Enlightenment was a European movement that sparked and challenged new ideas about the relationship of common people to their governments. Over a period of time Enlightenment ideas spread outside of Europe and created a change of governments around the globe.
The ideas of the Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution and the formation of the American Government. Firstly, The Enlightenment was a philosophical evolution that emphasized the aged ideas of the Greeks and Romans. In addition, the major philosophers of this time period were Voltaire, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Rousseau, Adam Smith and Isaac Newton. Their ideals include having an absolute monarch as a government (T.H), the separation of powers (Mont.), the government should not interfere with a free market economy (A.S), the freedom of speech (Volt.), the government could be overruled (J.L), and the government should rule according to the will of the people. Nevertheless, these ideals are important because they shaped the government that we have today.
The Enlightenment was a movement that emphasized a scientific and rational approach to problems. The Enlightenment writers generally believed that the power of reason could be used to improve society. (Pearson) One of the most important writers of this movement was John Locke, an Englishman, who wrote Two Treatises of Government in 1690. His view was that it was government’s job to protect the natural rights of “life, liberty, and ownership of property” (Pearson, ushistory.org).
The American Revolution was between the Americans and England’s King, and the French Revolution was between the French’s king ad the third estate. The Declaration of Independence was created, because the Americans thought that all men should have the same rights and the King of England has done the opposite of what they wanted. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was created, because the French third estate wasn’t being treated like the 1st and 2nd estate and they wanted have rights that was justified. These Revolutions started from Enlightenment ideas. Enlightenment ideas were ideas that would help with individualism.
The Enlightenment took place during the 17th and 18th Century in Europe. It was a time in which philosophes questioned social norms and found their voice. These three philosophes argued that all individuals both men and women should have more freedom. The Enlightenment was a time period in which people questioned the government, religion, and gender. John Locke, one of the four philosophes was a huge figure in the Enlightenment as he questioned the ways of the government and how it run.
The Enlightenment was a period of time in which revolutions are bound to take place. When new thinking arises within a population, sooner or later people will begin to question authority and make their own decisions on government, laws, religion, and the way life is lived in general. As soon as influential thinkers such as Montesquieu Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, and many others began spreading their new ways of thinking with the rest of the people under British control, the American Revolution was born. Enlightenment thinkers such as these used their work to influence colonists to break away from Britain’s control and create a new form of American government. New ideas of government and thoughts of rebellion were
Enlightenment in the Revolutions Ideas during the revolution brought about equal rights, independence from colonists, and a responsible government in Canada. Without these ideas being brought up by various individuals, our world would be in a very different position that it is today. One of the most prominent ideas that sprouted from the revolution was equality. Before this, different people were treated less because of things such as class, race, and sex.
The Enlightenment was a movement focused on equality, freedom of speech, press, and religion. The movement helped shape the philosophical basis of the American Revolution and was crucial in determining the politics, religion, and government of colonial America. All aspects of life were affected by the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment popularized self- improvement and societal change. Many figureheads and philosophers such as Thomas Jefferson and John Locke helped shape these ideas.
The Influential Enlightenment Age of Colonial America Although the enlightenment started in Europe it didn't end there many of the ideas and events from the enlightenment spurred out to other parts of the world most particularly the American colonies, this helped them to discover themselves and build on their nation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their happiness. Thomas Hobbes book “Leviathan” is one of the ideas that made it to the American colonies and they most definitely took it into consideration since the parts of their government are based on these matters. Another major idea was the “English Bill Of Rights”. Yes America copied England even though America hated England they couldn’t pass up good intellect when they see it.
In conclusion, the Enlightenment was vital to the American Revolution and the creation of American Government. The Enlightenment beliefs that influenced the American Revolution were natural rights, the social contract, and the right to overthrow the government if the social contract was violated. The Enlightenment beliefs that aided to the creation of the American government were separation of powers, checks and balances, and limited government. As stated before, without the Enlightenment there would not have been a revolution, resulting in no American Government. The Enlightenment’s influence on the creation of America is irrefutable.
The Enlightenment was a period during the 1600 and 1700s where authority, power, government and law was questioned by philosophers. The causes of the Enlightenment was the Thirty Years’ War, centuries of mistreatment at the hands of monarchies and the church, greater exploration of the world, and European thinkers’ interest in the world (scientific study). A large part of the Enlightenment was natural law, which was the belief that people should live their lives and organize their society on the basis of rules and precepts laid down by nature or God; the principles of the Enlightenment in the 1600s through the 1700s influenced the development of the USA by advocating religious and social freedom, freeing the people from oppression, and providing