"The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was an intellectual and philosophical movement that occurred in Europe, especially Western Europe, in the 17th and 18th centuries, with global influences and effects."
A philosophical and intellectual movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century. It involved a new worldview which challenged traditional ways of thinking and brought new insights into politics, economics, and social structure.
The Age of Reason: A period of intellectual development characterized by scientific discoveries, critical thinking, and skepticism towards authority.
The Scientific Revolution: A time where scientific theories and discoveries emerged, challenging the traditional views on nature, human society, and religion.
Philosophers of the Enlightenment: Revolutionary thinkers who were driven by the values of the age of reason, and who advocated for individual rights, freedom of thought, and equal opportunities.
The Enlightenment and Politics: The political power shifted from royalty and church to more democratic forms of government that foster freedoms, reason, and equality.
The Industrial Revolution: A period of economic transformation that affected the European society, revolutionizing production and manufacturing.
The Rise of Capitalism: As a result of the Industrial Revolution and technological advancements, capitalism emerged as a dominant economic system, characterized by private ownership, free market, and competition.
Enlightened Despotism: Despite advocating for democratic ideals, some monarchs used their power to implement social and economic reforms, while preserving their control over the state.
The Enlightenment and Religion: The role of religion and church in society came under scrutiny and was challenged by human reason and scientific enquiry.
Women's Rights and Feminism: The Enlightenment sparked the feminist movement, advocating for equal rights for women, education, and opportunities.
The American Revolution: The American colonies fought for their independence against the British Empire, as they sought to establish a new nation based on natural rights and social contracts.
The French Revolution: A period of radical political and social upheaval that ended the ancien regime, established democracy and the rule of law, and marked the start of modern France.
Romanticism: A cultural and artistic movement that emerged as a response to the rationalism of the Enlightenment, emphasizing freedom, emotion, and individualism.
Nationalism: A political ideology that grew out of the Enlightenment, emphasizing a shared sense of national identity and allegiance based on linguistic, cultural, or geographical factors.
Humanism: A philosophical doctrine that emphasized the worth and dignity of individual human beings, rejecting the idea that they are inferior to gods, nature, or society.
Scientific Racism: An aberration of Enlightenment thinking that applied scientific methods to classify human races based on physical and mental qualities, supporting some racial groups' superiority over others.
Intellectual Enlightenment: This refers to the era in which thinkers and philosophers began to question long-held beliefs and traditions.
Scientific Enlightenment: This era saw a new emphasis on reason and empirical observation. This led to many advancements in science and technology.
Political Enlightenment: This era saw the birth of modern democracy and a focus on individual rights.
Socio-Cultural Enlightenment: This era saw a new emphasis on the importance of education, art, and culture. It led to the creation of museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions.
Religious Enlightenment: This era saw a new emphasis on religious tolerance, which led to the separation of church and state.
Humanitarian Enlightenment: This era saw a new emphasis on the importance of caring for the poor, sick, and vulnerable.
Economic Enlightenment: This era saw a new emphasis on the importance of free markets and trade. It led to the creation of modern capitalism.
Environmental Enlightenment: This era saw a new emphasis on the importance of environmental protection and sustainability. It led to the creation of modern conservation and environmental policies.
"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 natural law, liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state."
"A variety of 19th-century movements, including liberalism, socialism, and neoclassicism, trace their intellectual heritage to the Enlightenment."
"The ideas of the Enlightenment undermined the authority of the monarchy and the Catholic Church and paved the way for the political revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries."
"Philosophers and scientists of the period widely circulated their ideas through meetings at scientific academies, Masonic lodges, literary salons, coffeehouses, and in printed books, journals, and pamphlets."
"The Enlightenment was preceded by the Scientific Revolution and the work of Francis Bacon and John Locke, among others."
"European historians traditionally date its beginning with the death of Louis XIV of France in 1715 and its end with the 1789 outbreak of the French Revolution."
"Many historians now date the end of the Enlightenment as the start of the 19th century, with the latest proposed year being the death of Immanuel Kant in 1804."
"The central doctrines of the Enlightenment were individual liberty and religious tolerance, in opposition to an absolute monarchy and the fixed dogmas of the Church."
"The concepts of utility and sociability were also crucial in the dissemination of information that would better society as a whole."
"The Enlightenment was marked by an increasing awareness of the relationship between the mind and the everyday media of the world."
"The Enlightenment was marked by an emphasis on the scientific method and reductionism, along with increased questioning of religious orthodoxy."
"Some date the beginning of the Enlightenment to the publication of René Descartes' Discourse on the Method in 1637, featuring his famous dictum, Cogito, ergo sum ('I think, therefore I am')."
"Others cite the publication of Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica (1687) as the culmination of the Scientific Revolution and the beginning of the Enlightenment."
"An attitude captured by Kant's essay Answering the Question: What is Enlightenment, where the phrase Sapere aude (Dare to know) can be found."
"The ideas of the Enlightenment undermined the authority of the monarchy and the Catholic Church and paved the way for the political revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries."
"Ideals such as natural law, liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state."
"The concepts of utility and sociability were also crucial in the dissemination of information that would better society as a whole."
"Philosophers and scientists of the period widely circulated their ideas through meetings at scientific academies, Masonic lodges, literary salons, coffeehouses, and in printed books, journals, and pamphlets."
"A variety of 19th-century movements, including liberalism, socialism, and neoclassicism, trace their intellectual heritage to the Enlightenment."