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Enlightenment

In my History Article, The 18th Century, I mentioned The Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, a movement that was so important to the progress of humankind I thought it needed additional commentary that this article provides. The Wikipedia article on The Age of Enlightenment describes this age as:

“The Age of Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason or simply the Enlightenment) that was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Enlightenment included a range of ideas centered on the value of human happiness, the pursuit of knowledge obtained by means of reason and the evidence of the senses, and ideals such as liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.”

“The Age of Enlightenment was preceded by and closely associated with the Scientific Revolution. Earlier philosophers whose work influenced the Enlightenment included Francis Bacon and René Descartes. Some of the major figures of the Enlightenment included Cesare Beccaria, Denis Diderot, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, John Locke, Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, Hugo Grotius, Baruch Spinoza, and Voltaire.”

“Enlightenment thought was profoundly influential in the political realm. European rulers such as Catherine II of Russia, Joseph II of Austria, and Frederick II of Prussia tried to apply Enlightenment thought to religious and political tolerance, known as enlightened absolutism. Many of the significant political and intellectual figures behind the American Revolution associated themselves closely with the Enlightenment: Benjamin Franklin visited Europe repeatedly and contributed actively to the scientific and political debates there and brought the newest ideas back to Philadelphia; Thomas Jefferson closely followed European ideas and later incorporated some of the ideals of the Enlightenment into the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison incorporated these ideals into the United States Constitution during its framing in 1787. The ideas of the Enlightenment also played a major role in inspiring the French Revolution, which began in 1789.”

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on “Enlightenment” is an excellent explanation and introduction to the main tendencies of Enlightenment thought. This article explains the principles of the Enlightenment as:

• The True: Science, Epistemology, and Metaphysics in the Enlightenment
• The Good: Political Theory, Ethical Theory, and Religion in the Enlightenment
• The Beautiful: Aesthetics in the Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment was followed by Romanticism (also known as the Romantic Era) that was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th Century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850. This era coincided with the Industrial Revolution and was partly a reaction to the human condition excesses of the Industrial Revolution. Romanticism was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as the glorification of all the past and nature, preferring the medieval rather than the classical. It was partly a reaction to the social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and the scientific rationalization of nature—all components of modernity. It was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and literature but had a major impact on historiography, education, chess, social sciences, and the natural sciences. It had a significant and complex effect on politics, with romantic thinkers influencing conservatism, liberalism, radicalism, and nationalism. The Romantic Era contributed little to the scientific and technological progress of humankind, and it had little impact on the economic well-being of humankind. Its biggest impact was on the Arts (fine arts, literature, music, architecture, etc.) and Philosophy.

Modernism, and more specifically the Modern period of philosophy, generally corresponds to the 19th and 20th Centuries. More recent developments in the late 20th Century are sometimes referred to as the Contemporary period. Along with significant scientific and political revolutions, the Modern period exploded in a flurry of new philosophical movements. In addition to further developments in Age of Enlightenment movements such as German Idealism, Kantianism, Romanticism, the Modern period saw the rise of Continental Philosophy, Hegelianism, Transcendentalism, Existentialism, Marxism, Modernism, Positivism, Critical Theory, Utilitarianism, Pragmatism, Analytic Philosophy, Logical Positivism, Ordinary Language Philosophy, Logicism, Phenomenology, and the more contemporary Structuralism, Post-Structuralism, Post-Modernism, and Deconstructionism, among others, as explained on the website, The Basics of Philosophy.

The Modern period of philosophy can generally be described as a great ball of confusion. Many of its philosophical ideas are contradictory to each other, and many of the ideas within its movements are conflicting within themselves. It has, however, provided many insights into the human condition, raised important questions of humanity, and expanded the bounds of human thought. It has also brought with it the tragedy of Marxism and Socialism, and the horrors of Nazism, Fascism, Communism, Maoism, Japanese Imperialism, and a host of other despotic actions contrary to the Natural Rights of all persons, as my Chirp on, “01/08/22 The Black Book of Communism” explains. A tragedy and horrors that Enlightened thought would never allow.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Age of Enlightenment, as it freed humankind from the dogmas, superstitions, irrationalities, and despotisms of the past that led the way to a better future for humanity. It is, therefore, important that we hold to the principles of the Enlightenment to further the progress of humankind.