Age Of Enlightenment DBQ

During the 16th and 17th century areas that were forbidden before began to change. These were areas were humans were only entitled to know what God wanted to reveal, otherwise they were inaccessible or forbidden. The limits on the knowledge humans were able to possess became more accessible during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Reformation shows the decline of the Catholic Church and the rise of questioning authority leading to the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution showed that observations and conclusions became an acceptable source of knowledge and truth, where it had been less so in earlier times.

Scientific research seems very factual and straight-forward. In reality, science deals with uncertainty, something that, when not used in the right way, creates weaknesses. The uncertainty of scientific research allows scientists to explore intellectually as well as creatively, and “venture into the unknown” to create the known. In his account from The Great Influenza, John M. Barry uses formal diction, strategically placed rhetorical questions, and an appeal to logos to characterize scientific research.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, many scientists had developed a new perspective on the world around them. Scientists such as Galileo and Copernicus envisioned a world where natural phenomenons could be proved through experimentation. Furthermore, the work of scientists during this time period were affected by the approval of political figures, the support from influential members of the church, and social factors that influenced the development and acceptance of new theories.

The enlightenment was a time in which leaders and philosophers promoted ideas during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that influenced people's thoughts concerning politics, social justice, human progress and religion forever. As said by Philosopher Immanuel Kant, “Enlightenment is defined as the upset of the established order/the awakening of one’s mind/forsaking society’s imposed mindset and establishing one for yourself.” (Document 12) These scientists like Issac Newton and writers like John Locke were challenging the old ways and because of that people became socially aware. From there came advancements that would help us grow into the people that we are today.

The Enlightenment was a very transforming period of time during the seventeenth and eighteenth century in Europe. Following the successes of the Scientific Revolution, the continent, as a whole, experienced stimulation in new ideas, technology, and methods, inspiring many to think more logically and challenge the intellectual abilities of man. The Enlightenment was a very liberal time, focusing on logic, reason, and individualism in order to oppose intolerances and abuses in both the Church and states of Europe. New convictions spread about economic and social reform and grew over time. Traditional ideas from the Catholic Church were untrusted, as people began to disprove them through science. Social sciences branched off and the idea of intellectual

During the 18th Century, the Enlightenment was introduced in Europe. This new movement brought about modernization of thinking about government and individualism, and reevaluated previous beliefs. The Enlightenment had many new Philosophers who helped spread their views on government. Philosophers were similar in ideas about the rights of citizens and people’s choice of which government they want, however they differed on the reason government existed and governmental power. Overall, the ideas were a substantial departure from previous ideas about human equality, absolute rulers, and the court system.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the scientific revolution built a foundation that allowed Europe to expand its thoughts about math, science, astronomy, and physics; this movement was called the Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment was a consequential point in history because this was when society shifted away from the Church’s authority and began to rely on scientific reason. Philosophes focused on the idea of religious tolerance and how it would create a positive change in society while also concentrating on the concept that people are capable of achieving perfection on earth. Religious tolerance, education, and the perfectibility of man were all significant themes that emerged during the Enlightenment.

In chapter three we learned about the colonies and how they were established and what aspects of development helped the colonies thrive. In the discussion one of the topics we were asked to discuss about asks what two things united the colonies and colonists in North America. During the seventeenth

The Enlightenment was a period of time that stressed the importance of reason and individual ideas. Many philosophers published works criticizing a country’s monarch or divulging the flaws they saw in a system within the government, such as the justice system. The Enlightenment also stressed the importance of education, and as a result of this, literacy rates experienced a major upward trend. Now able to read the philosopher’s works, a larger sum of people now were educated on the corruptions within their government. This caused a questioning of traditional practices, and people began to believe they could revise their government. These new ideas played as a catalyst to acts of resistance, or in a broader retrospect, the French Revolution.

The privileges we have now such as freedom, freedom to argue to discuss to argue and discuss to express our views to discover to read and write. None of which we could have without those brave enough to go against what the state and religion dictated.

I agree that the Enlightenment was force for positive change in society. The Enlightenment was one was the most important intellectual movements in History, as it dominated and influenced the way people thought in Europe in the late 17th and 18th centuries. We will look at how it ultimately influenced the American and French Revolution which is still strongly governed by these ideas and principles today.

“God, who has given the world to men in common, has also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience” (Locke, 35). The Scientific Revolution concentrated on understanding the physical world through astronomical and mathematical calculations, or testable knowledge. The Enlightenment focused more on “Spreading of faith in reason and in universal rights and laws” (Worlds Together, Worlds Apart, 535). While the Scientific Revolution preceded the Enlightenment, both time periods sought to limit and challenge the power of the Church, through the spread of science, reason and intellect, and political philosophies.

Sometime, long ago, it was decided that the scientific arts were evil hidden amidst the tutelage of religion; when in reality they had developed into a window set before a picturesque landscape of which scientists (that of which are truly just spectators) and curious simpler folk alike could simply gaze at the wonders of humanity and creation. Man, dating back long before the publication of Mary Shelley 's "Frankenstein" in 1818, have held the desire to play God. To create and destroy as life does, to alter the creations of nature as "God" himself would. This complex breeds a multitude of issues and fears that many scientists, distracted simply by the wonders they are beginning, are blind to. Within itself, this is dangerous. "-In spite of her pretended openness, shows us nothing but results" (Hawthorne, N.) Man has little concept of the spontaneity of nature, and the sheer number of years that dictate her designs. This fear of science, brought on predominantly by religious tendencies, created a society in which Science was feared and extraordinarily uncommon.

According to our studies, the Enlightenment was a movement that prioritized the human capacity for reason as the highest form of human attainment (Lecture Insert Cite). The Enlightenment originally began in Europe and found it 's way to the colonies. Before the Enlightenment, people had always believed that the social class in which they were born into would be the one in which they would die. People would follow their leader 's words without daring to question them and believed that when they died they would either face eternal salvation or eternal damnation. There was no room for thought. They were told what to think and do and they did not dare question it. That is until in the 1500 's, a European scientist named Copernicus began questioning the foundational beliefs everyone had previously been lead to believe by their leaders. This led to a change in what the people believed. Thus, by the 1600 's, educated people were postulating whether natural laws governed society and the universe (lecture cite). Essentially, the Enlightenment challenged the role of religion and divine right. This assisted Colonial America is seeing that it was possible to challenge the King and divine right. The movement ended up taking a scientific approach to the world and human nature as it challenged the role of God. It allowed people to see that

Just as Naturalism comes on the Educational scene as a protest against systems of education that have become artificial. Realism appears to be a reaction against curricula consisting of studies that have become bookish, sophisticated and a abstruse. As we have a slogan in Naturalism- ‘ Back to Nature ‘ – in Realism we have a slogan-‘ Things rather than words ‘.