Enlightenment

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  • Meaning of enlightenment: “enlightenment meant the down of light after long height of darkness — the darkness of ignorance superstition and servitude to past. The scholar of 18th century tries to apply the method and principle of science to long festering political economic and religious problem
Age of Enlightenment
  • The Age of Enlightenment was influenced by the growth in scientific knowledge that began in the mid-17th century. People looked for reasons why things happened the way they did. Modern chemistry and biology grew out of this questioning and the existing knowledge about astronomy and physics was greatly improved.
The factors which prepare the way for enlightenment:
  1. The rise of middle class: In one sense enlightenment was middle class world view it reflected the aspiration of emerging middle class up to 18th century gain in power and prestige now, it was ready to oppose undue intervention into political and economic matters by the church. It demanded share into its political power. It presented a code of conduct to the monarchy and the church.
  2. The impact of Renaissance in fact enlightenment completed the process which started with the Renaissance. Renaissance had supported the ideology of humanism individualism and secularism. Furthermore, it had encouraged scientific idea in 18 century enlightenment further progressed on the basis of renaissance ideas.
  3. The reformation gave a big blow to the universal church system it gave a challenge to the church authority. Furthermore, it encouraged individualism and supported and commerce. It strengthens position of the middle class:
  4. Scientific Revolution of 17th century influence the human consciousness as well as social science: Science remove the veil of mystery from nature. Now, scientific method came to be applied for solving basic problem in polity, economy and society.
The Basic Principle of Enlightenment
  1. Rationalism is basis of knowledge.
  2. The future of man guided by Rationalism is bright.
  3. The political economic and social institution should function on scientific lows.
  4. Enlightment was having a strong optimistic note.
  5. Enlightment gave primary to this World slyness and happiness and discarded the term like salvation.
Contribution of important Enlightenment thinkers
1632 – 1704Life of English philosopher  John  Locke. He believed that all men were free and equal and that the  authority of government comes only from the consent of the governed
1687Sir Issac Newton publishes  his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica in  which he set out his theories about light and the visible spectrum, the three  laws of motion and the existence of gravity
1724 – 1804Life of German philosopher Immanuel  Kant. He spends his life trying to discover the laws which govern the  way people live
1743Benjamin Franklin sets up the American  Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. Its members are interested in science  as well as philosophy
1743 -1794Life of French chemist Antoine  Lavoisier, the first to establish that combustion (burning) is a form  of chemical action
1751The first volume of  the Encyclopédie is published
1751
Carl Linnaeus publishes his Philosophia  Botanica
1755Samuel Johnson’s Complete Dictionary of the  English Language is published. It contains 43,000 words
1768The Encyclopedia  Britannica is first published
1788The Times Newspaper is first  published in London
1791Thomas Paine’s The Rights of  Man is  published. This world greatly influences America in its fight for  independence from Britain
1792Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication  of the Rights of Women is published. It argues for equal  opportunities in education for everyone
Features/Significance of enlightenment or the nature of enlightenment
  • Enlightenment represented the middle class world view. Here, the middle class aspiration run countered to Autocratic nature of the government and the superstitions of the church.
  • Growing emphasis over rationalism at it was believed the future of man guided by rationalism is bright the scholar like decarte and Spinoza emphasise this method.
  • Some scholar like Lock and percale give emphasis over the method of empiricism (the knowledge get through observation or experience) in other woods, according to them sensual organ or experience are true basis of knowledge.
  • The greater emphasis over the method of science most of the enlightened believe that the method of science should be applied even in sailing the basic political economic and social problems.
  • Enlightenment expressed the strong element of humanism. It emphasized this worldly approach and discarded the objective like salvation.
  • Enlightenment was having a strong note optimism. It believed in goodness of man and perfectibility of the world. It belives the future of Man bird is bright and someday it would reach up to stage of perfectibility.
  • Enlightenment supported the idea of individualism and human freedom.
  • In economic field enlightenment oppose the state control of economy and advocated for the principle of lessaie fair. For Example, Adam smith propounded the theory of lessaie fair in his text the wealth of nations.

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