The Enlightenment Research Paper

Introduction

According to the Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World, ‘Enlightenment’ is a term that refers to an intellectual movement that existed in the middle years of the eighteenth century and was greatly influenced by great philosophers of the seventeenth century. The movement insisted on individualism and reason rather than traditions (Marlowe & Sylvan p.

35). The movement was mostly based in France although other nations such as Germany also experienced its version. At this time France was the leader in the European intellectual class and the 1751-1772, the French came up with a famous publication of the Enlightenment-The

Encyclopedia, or, rational dictionary of Sciences, professions, and arts, a massive anthology of theoretical

The Time and Geography

Although the early phase of Enlightenment was observed in the United Provinces and

England by providing the great pioneers of science, philosophy, among others, the two were not to play the dominant role and therefore, Enlightenment had to spread to other nations.

This country, therefore, had a role to play in the dissemination of the knowledge they had.

For this purpose, they provided the ground for central practical business and production of books (Milton & Maurice p. 60). The process saw towns such as London, Amsterdam and other cities of the elite nations such as Switzerland, becoming homes for great Publication companies and great publishers who would publish papers for circulation in France.

The Ideas of Enlightenment: Divergence and Consensus

What opinions did enlightenment raise or what were the ideas of enlightenment? It is evident that enlightenment did not present itself as a single system theoretically or as a unitary ideological decree (Cassirer p.86). Different domains can be used to bring out the consensus and the differences raised by the presentation of Enlightenment. The ideas

Was there any relationship or connections between the enlightenment and the “age of democratic revolution” as put forth by an American historian known as R. R Palmer? For the conservative critics of the Revolution of the French such as Joseph de Maistre or Edmond

Burke, the response was very dramatic and simple: the Revolution was caused by the

Enlightenment – Rousseau and Voltaire sketched a situation for the transformation of politics

Exam no. 410034 that was enacted in a willing manner by Maximilien Robespierre and Abbe Sieyes. The idea can be dismissed very quickly in the forms of conspiracy or hyperbole (Israel p. 55). But in which way in fact she people conceive of the link between the political revolutions and the intellectual movement of the Enlightenment, which overthrew the old regime.

A lot of scholars have emphasized the practical thrust section of the critique of enlightenment of the religious, social as well as of the political institutions. The schools indeed appeared to exhibit the desire to change the world as well as to analyze the universe.

At the same point, it also appeared that the fundamental orientation of the criticism was merely a reformist but not a