Overview
The “Age of Reason.” If the Renaissance was about Art, the Enlightenment was about Science and Politics. It gave us democracy, human rights, and the scientific method.
Core Idea
Sapere Aude: “Dare to know.” (Kant). Have the courage to use your own understanding instead of relying on authority (Church or King).
Formal Definition (if applicable)
Social Contract: The idea that government gets its power from the consent of the governed, not from God. If the government fails to protect rights, the people can overthrow it (Locke).
Intuition
Before: “The King is God’s representative. Obey.” After: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
Examples
- Voltaire: Champion of free speech and religious tolerance. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
- Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations. Free markets and the “Invisible Hand.”
- The Encyclopedia (Diderot): Attempting to collect all human knowledge in one place.
Common Misconceptions
- “They were atheists.” (Most were Deists—they believed in a Creator who set the universe in motion like a clockmaker but doesn’t interfere.)
- “Reason solves everything.” (The French Revolution showed that reason can lead to the Guillotine if not tempered by tradition/morality.)
Related Concepts
- Liberalism: Individual liberty, private property, limited government.
- Separation of Powers: Montesquieu (Executive, Legislative, Judicial).
- Empiricism: Knowledge comes from observation (Newton).
Applications
- Constitutions: The US Constitution is a direct product of Enlightenment thought.
- Modern Science: The belief that the universe follows rational laws.
Criticism / Limitations
It was often blind to race and gender. Many Enlightenment thinkers owned slaves or thought women were inferior.
Further Reading
- Gay, The Enlightenment: An Interpretation
- Pinker, Enlightenment Now