Essay On The Enlightenment Movement

The Enlightenment movement was vital for the success of the colonies. The colonists started to look to science to explain issues, they turned away from their religion, and they embarked on the journey of gaining knowledge that was crucial for their survival in America. Since the very start of time, there were countless misconceptions in the world. Many religious groups believed that there were “higher powers” that controlled what happened on earth and they looked to everything except science to answer the innumerable questions they had. However, in the 18th century many leaders came to power and started to reveal new thoughts and information to people and it started a movement called the Enlightenment. First off, an Enlightenment is defined

The Enlightenment started to change how the colonists understood and learn the way human minds work. Two major thinkers emerged during this time, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Although these two thinkers were from Europe their ideas translated over to America as well. They both had very different ideas on the what shapes people into who they are. Thomas Hobbes believed that people are born into who they will become, society is not the determining factor. He believed that people were naturally bad. John Locke believed that a person is built and molded by the view that moral and political obligations are dependent upon the society in which they live in during the earlier years of their lives. He believed that people have the ability to be good people, especially if they are raised in a positive society. Their views on how people behave and how society affects the behaviour of others are still prevalent today. Even though they had different opinions they were both correct in a sense. Society does have the power to shape who people become, but ones parents can have the power to shape their behavior and beliefs. This also feeds into how a government should be run, and the extent in which a government should control people. If people are naturally bad, then they need a stricter more invasive government. On the flip side, if people are good, then government should be restricted and more power should be put into the hands of the