The Enlightenment

1. What impact did the Scientific Revolution have on the Enlightenment?

The Scientific Revolution created an atmosphere in which logical thinking on the various matters concerning the life sciences was encouraged. This greatly influenced the philosophers of the Enlightenment many of whom applied logic in their works. Moreover, the Scientific Revolution influenced some of the ideas that were used by the philosophes in their work such as the belief that the importance of rationality.

2. Define “Enlightenment” and describe its most important ideas.

The Enlightenment was a period which came about at some point in the eighteenth century that led to the scholarly change in Europe and North America. Among its most fundamental ideals was the fact that human beings were free to develop themselves using their own intellect instead of blindly following the teachings of others. Another ideal was the propagation of freedom where human beings were free to reason things for themselves. Next was the belief that enlightenment was a universal characteristic among all human beings and that they all had the ability to become enlightened. The most crucial aspect of the Enlightenment was the belief in the secularization of society where the church was to be separated from the state.

3. Who were the most important philosophes? What contributions did they make to Western society?

Among the most influential philosophes were Voltaire, Rousseau, and Kant and it is the ideas of these men, such as the equality of all men and the belief in the separation of Church and state that led to the French Revolution. The effect of this revolution was that many European states, in an attempt to avoid such a situation, attempted to reform their societies to accommodate those who were likely to rise in revolt, namely the middle classes of society.

4. How did the Enlightenment influence religion in the eighteenth century?

The Enlightenment contributed a fantastic deal in the further weakening of religion as an institution in Europe. During this period and after, the political power of the church waned as more states in Europe actively worked towards the separation of church and state. Religion, therefore, did not have the standing which it has enjoyed during the medieval period and, in fact, many people started being more secular than in previous periods.

5. What were the key innovations in art, music, and literature during the eighteenth century?

Most of the innovations in art, music and literature tended to be based on the obsession with natural law, as well as reason. The art of the time tended to be based on the Greco-Roman style and in a field that was previously dominated by men, women also started painting. In addition, the music, which developed, was highly emotional, and it tended to follow the baroque style. Literature saw the development of the romantic novel as more women joined the ranks of men in writing. Subjects, which were previously considered to be taboo, came to be expressed in the works of literature.