Jason Greenberg
Period 4
Understanding Cultures: Age of Reason

The Age of Reason, also referred to as the Age of Enlightenment, spanned the mid-17th century to around the time of the French Revolution in 1789. Throughout this period, several major events occurred. The end of the Thirty Years’ War marked the beginning of the Age of Reason. In 1668, the Glorious Revolution overthrew King James II, implementing the first constitutional monarchy in England. The American Revolution also took place during this era, from 1755 to 1783. The French Revolution signified the end of the Age of Reason in 1789, with the French people gaining a constitutional monarchy in the process. The relationship between God and man during this chapter in global history …show more content…
Hugo Grotius and John Comenius were the first to question tradition and propose improvements. Thomas Hobbes was an author who was in favor of autocracy, writing of how people were self-serving and cruel. John Locke was libertarian who believed strongly in representative government. Baron de Montesquieu was famous for his ideas about the separation of power. Jean-Jacques Rousseau advocated for a small, direct democracy, similar to the Athenian system. Finally, David Hume was known for his extreme skepticism and some credit him to persuading thinkers into a shift away from rational thought. A trend that emerged in the works of these aforementioned authors included a call for change in government, whether it be structurally or ideologically. Humanitarianism arose as well, specifically the view that those who are more fortunate should help those less fortunate. Another key trend was recurring emphasis on reason and individualism. The most famous and influential documents of the time were Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, “What is Enlightenment?” by Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Social Contract, Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes and Common Sense by Thomas