Overview of The Age of Enlightenment and Basic Ideas of Philosophers

Basically the Enlightenment period was a very important movement of 18th century which highlights the science and reasons and it is also known as an intellectual movement. In the history of western thoughts and culture from the mid decades of 17th century to 18th century there was a revolution in science, philosophy, society and politics. Many philosophers present their philosophy and a large number of books, essay, inventions, wars and revolutions took place.

This was the turning point of history and almost three times enlightenment took place with different ideas and theme.

1. The Early Enlightenment (1685-1730). The idea of this period was based upon Science, epistemology and metaphysics.
2. The High Enlightenment (1730-1780). This time period was based upon Political Theory, Ethical theory and Religion.
3. The Late Enlightenment and beyond (1780-1815). This enlightenment was completely base upon Aesthetics.

The Enlightenment period is also known as the Age of Reason as it was an intellectual and cultural movement in 18th century, as it emphasized the reason over superstition and science over blind faith. The Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, Isaac Newton, and Voltaire questioned accepted knowledge and spread new ideas about openness, investigation, and religious tolerance throughout Europe and the America. Many consider the Enlightenment a major turning point in Western civilization, an age of light replacing an age of darkness. It was a great change in the world history. The basic ideas of the Enlightenment includes the sovereignty of reasons and the evidence of sense as a primary source of knowledge and advanced ideas such as liberty, natural rights, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government and the big conflict was the separation of church and state. French Revolution is one of the main events in the Period of enlightenment which changed the people minds and their ranks.

The Enlightenment period was a period after the Thirty Year war and it made horrible and a huge destruction which lasted from 1715-1789. It covers the France, Germany, England and other main parts of Europe. It affects the religion, culture, civilization and social movements. There were six main ideas of this enlightenment which came in the mind of American Enlightenment thinkers which includes the: deism, liberalism, republicanism, conservatism, toleration and scientific progress. This was ended by the French Revolution.

The Time period of American Revolution was from 1775 till 1783. This is also called as United States war of Independence. The American Revolution was a time when the British Colonies in America was against the rule of Great Britain. Many battles were fought and the colonies gained their freedom and finally became the independent country of the United States. American patriots in the 13 colonies defeated the British in the American Revolution War with the support of France and get their self free from Britain. In 1783 the Treaty of Paris ended this war and recognized America as an independent state.

The time period of French Revolution was from 1789 till 1799.It was time in France when the people overthrew the monarchy and replaced it by the Government control. The basic goal of this revolution was to change the system and remove the poverty and other big issues. This revolution had a great impact on the transformation of the world. It also raised the importance of religion, nationalism, liberalism and the age of revolutions. This was the most important part of European history.

He was a philosopher and physician and was regarded as the most important thinker of enlightenment period. He was also known as the “Father of Liberalism”.

He wrote two theories of Government (1689). His main idea was that all the individuals are born free and they have right to life, liberty and property. It is important for a government to protect these rights and if one does not do so its citizens can overthrow it.

Voltaire(1694-1778) (France)

He was a French writer and a philosopher. He raised the idea of the distribution of democracy. He fought for the civil rights (free speech, religion freedom, fair trial) of men in France and was called as the most courageous man.

His main idea was that the social progress could be achieved through reason and no authority can stop them, only religion and politics have this authority. He showed the importance of tolerance especially in religion in his work. His major attention was on religion, freedom and politics.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) (Geneva, France)

He was the philosopher, writer and composer of Geneva. His work on the enlightenment passes through the Europe and French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic and educational rights.

His most important write was Social Contract (1762). His main idea was that the people are good themselves but are corrupted by the evilness of cunning society. Society needs an elected government. The community should be placed above individuals.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) (Wiltshire, United Kingdom)

He was an English philosopher of Wiltshire. His basic idea was that the Humans are naturally wicked. The best monarch is Absolute monarchy. He believed in the social contract that people should not give up. His one of the famous book was Leviathan (1651).

Charles Montesquieu (1689-1755) (France)

He was a French philosopher. He wrote a book “The Spirit of Laws”. His main idea was that the Government’s power should be separated to protect people’s rights. Each branch of government should check the other branches of power.His main concept were that the power is divided into some branches: legislative, executive, judicial.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) (Iran, German)

He was an influential Prussian German philosopher in the age of enlightenment. In his doctrine he explained his main idea of transcendental idealism, he said that time, space and causation are very important sensibilities:”Things in themselves” exist but nature is unknowable. He also defends a deontological approach to morality.

Adam Smith(1723-1790) (United Kingdom)

He was a Scottish economist, philosopher and author as well as a moral philosopher, a pioneer of political economy and a key figure during the Enlightenment period of Scotland. He is also known as the “Father of Economics/Capitalism”

His main idea was that money is everything. He believed in economy that the governments should let the capitalism. He also argued that the government should not interfere in the function of economy.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) (United Kingdom)

She was an English Enlightenment philosopher. She was a writer and feminist too. She was a self educated woman. In the enlightenment period her priority was to work on the rights of women. This was a big step to stand for women as woman.

Her main idea was that the women are not respected by men in society so they should be given their own basic rights. Women must receive an equal education and should have the equal opportunities as men. She fought for the freedom of women.

Denis Diderot (1713-1784) (France)

He was a French philosopher, art critic and writer. He was famous for his serving as co-founder, chief editor and contributor to the Encyclopedia. He worked for 20years to produce the 28 volumes of Encyclopedia to gather the human knowledge. His basic idea was that all things in the world must be studied without worrying about anyone’s feelings.

David Hume (1711-1776) (United Kingdom)

He was a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist. He worked for highly influential system of philosophical empiricism scepticism, and naturalism. His arguments were basically scientific and logical questions full of faith.

His main idea was that all ideas are representation of sensory experience. He also argued that the Human mind was nothing but a bundle of impressions that originate in sense experiences.

Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) (Netherland)

He was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese Sephardim origin. He worked on ethics and started the spiritual and material worlds were almost one and the same. He divided enlightenment thinkers into two groups radical and moderate. His main idea was close to the deism. He argued that there could be no personal immorality of the human soul after the death.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) (Germany)

He was a prominent German polymath and one of the most important logicians, mathematician, Advocate and natural philosopher of the Enlightenment. He invented binary system and the calculus independently of Newton.

His main idea was that we should understand the world including God via radio and we should also understand the harmony between nature and human understanding. He also encouraged the idea of Rationalism.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) (United States)

He was an American Polymath and the Founding Father of the United states. He was a leading writer, politician, political philosopher, scientist, artist and diplomat. He was the most educated colonial leader. His basic idea was that Government and church attempt to suppress the idea of enlightenment and there should be no taxation without representation.

Benjamin Constant (1767-1830) (Swizerlant, France)

He was a Swiss-French political advisor and writer on politics and religion. He was the author of a partly biographical psychological novel. His main idea was that conviction was that reform is hugely superior to revolution, both morally and politically.

James Madison (1751-1836) (United States)

He was an American statement, lawyer and diplomatic philosopher. He was also the Founding Father who served as the 4th president of United States (1809-1817). His main idea was that the pure democratic government is subjected to the evil of factions, in a pure democracy, a majority bound together by a private interest, relative to whole.

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) (United Kingdom)

He was a British historian, satirical writer, essayist, philosopher, translator and teacher. His basic idea was based upon hardworking. He encouraged people to read books and open their minds by learning. He also argued that no out force can control a man until himself he allow them and we should also maintain our goals because a man without goal is like a ship without a rudder.

It is to be concerned that before the period of enlightenment all the powers of states belongs to King and Nobles and they also did not pay taxes all the burden was on the poor clergies. They lived on hard work and blind faith. But one day the situation was changed a light arises towards the clergy which was going to change the world history. The enlightenment was a late 17th and 18th Century intellectual movement which gave people the idea of enlightenment thinking and give rise to deism which means that the God exists but does not interact super naturally with the universe .French Revolution and the American Revolution played an important role in history. Many philosophers present their ideas on the basis of enlightenment. This was a period when people started to realize their place and broke their blind faith. They argued for the new system. The human reasoning discovered the truths of the world, religion and politics which could become better to improve the mankind. Now a day the Enlightenment is an important movement to be understood easily because of its impacts which are followed. The central Principles of this period can easily be seen in the constitutions of the modern countries and their major focus on dignity and human rights.

References

1. The Age of Enlightenment, an introduction by  DR. STEVEN ZUCKER and DR. BETH HARRIS
2. www.crf-usa.org › bill-of-rights-in-action › bria-20-2-c-hobbes-locke-m..
3. www.history.com › topics › British-history › enlightenment
4. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1OKWM_enPK878PK878&sxsrf=ACYBGNRkSVhwC8FqamM-yDXI9wVzqo2PkA:1580918759051&q=enlightenment+philosophers+and+their+basic+idea+of+18th+century&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOOQMZJKzcvJTM8oSc3LTc0rUSjIyMzJL84vyEgtKo6yxy2nkJiXolCSkZpZpJCUWJyZrJCZkpqokJ-mYGhRkqGQDFReWlR5ipFDP1ffwMS42BjKNK_MNYAyjYuTimEKjAxgatMsy1NgapONzU8xsoOYJWnJMKXxyeVQppFFRe4vRilXnG78xaQc7-oX4hkSGa-A2yeLWCn1JgBPNhtjRgEAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL9bSo5brnAhVK2qQKHWOiCW8QzTooADAUegQIDRAC&biw=784&bih=671