...that has lost influence in the 21st Century because many do not understand how this science can help humans achieve true happiness. Though philosophy is a heavy subject, it is the science with the most results regarding human nature and knowledge. Philosophy offers guidance to understand human behavior as well as to question our presence and our real role in society. It is one of the leading social sciences because many world leaders have tried to grasp it and understand the meaning of it thus showing how important it is to study philosophy. Nevertheless, not only should world leaders study philosophy but also everyone should be aware of the different philosophical teachings in order to differentiate well from wrongdoing. It is no surprise that philosophers understood ethics and politics before others, therefore showing the depth and practicality of philosophy as well as defining academia. Philosophy should not only be considered a social science but also a lifestyle; to better explain, philosophy is applicable in the daily routine as well as in the professional world making it both a theoretical and pragmatic. As a lifestyle, philosophers focused on how philosophy could be applicable to the daily life to improve one’s being. One of the main philosophies, still applicable today, and serves as guide for those looking for a healthier life is Confucianism. This philosophical ideology analyzes ethics, politics and influence, and through his teachings, the philosopher Confucius focused...
Words: 1195 - Pages: 5
...The Small Enlightenment in Prussia and German States The Enlightenment was an expansive intellectual, philosophical, cultural, and social movement that spread throughout much of Europe during the 1700s. The Enlightenment was largely made possible by the Scientific Revolution which began in the 1500s and represented the biggest departure from The Middle Ages. After millenniums of obedience to the Church people started to break away from a long spell of ignorance and began to question ideas relating to society and nature. A period also known as ‘The Age of Reason’ saw the emergence of intellectuals advancing knowledge unlike ever before. What resulted were pivotal discoveries in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, physics, politics, economics, philosophy, music, and medicine that shaped the Western world for decades and centuries to come. While The Enlightenment didn’t help produce a revolutionary outcome such as in France, Prussia and German states still experienced a fair share of intellectual development during this time. Since Germany was divided into a multitude of smaller states, with different languages and influences, The Enlightenment didn’t have a full blown effect. Moreover, the combination of popular discontent with the Church and a fury of dissatisfaction among the nobility and middle class such as in France wasn’t entirely present in Prussia. Nonetheless, Frederick II the Great, the King of Prussia, borrowed ideas from other parts of Europe in an attempt...
Words: 1078 - Pages: 5
...Abstract The Enlightenment era is made up of on rational thought, ideas and reason. Many men contributed to this, but a few amongst them are Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Their wisdom and ideas make up the Enlightenment era to which is the backbone of today’s society. The Enlightenment Starting in the mid 1700’s to 1800’s a movement had set in based on rational thought and reason, it was known as the Enlightenment era also known as the Age of Reason. This era created ideas that shaped the political, economic and social institutions in the United States. Men in this era such as Thomas Paine, who was a politician and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson our third president as well as an apostle of agrarian, and Benjamin Franklin, author, scientist, philosopher, and statesman. All these men emphasize the importance of using reason and logic instead of superstition or ignorance. They focus on creating and writing, science, politics and other subjects in this era which influence decades to come (Age of Enlightenment, 2011). In today’s society these ideas have become relevant. Thomas Paine influences the Enlightenment politically and socially, because of his beliefs he was damned by many people in both America and England. Thomas Paine was born in England; he was a corset maker and excise officer in England, although showed interested in philosophy and science. He later in life then met up with Benjamin Franklin in London and soon after he sailed to Philadelphia...
Words: 1088 - Pages: 5
...Student McResearcher Mr. Milroy Honors World Literature [DUE DATE] The Enlightenment and the Atlantic Revolutions Before the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment movement in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, divine reasoning and superstition were the explanation for unknown events, leadership, and government. Kings and emperors were justified by the gods or God of the people. People were killed due to accusations of witchcraft because there was no other explanation for the peculiar event that took place. Religion was the center of almost everyone’s life, and it explained many unknown elements of the world, such as creation. However, with new ideas and a scientific background, the world went through drastic changes. The Enlightenment, with its new radical ideas, particularly about government and human reason, served as the basis and...
Words: 1574 - Pages: 7
...Enlightenment Starting in the mid 1700’s to 1800’s a movement had set in based on rational thought and reason, it was known as the Enlightenment era also known as the Age of Reason. This era created ideas that shaped the political, economic and social institutions in the United States. Men in this era such as Thomas Paine, who was a politician and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson our third president as well as an apostle of agrarian, and Benjamin Franklin, author, scientist, philosopher, and statesman. All these men emphasize the importance of using reason and logic instead of superstition or ignorance. They focus on creating and writing, science, politics and other subjects in this era which influence decades to come (Age of Enlightenment, 2011). In today’s society these ideas have become relevant. Thomas Paine influences the Enlightenment politically and socially, because of his beliefs he was damned by many people in both America and England. Thomas Paine was born in England; he was a corset maker and excise officer in England, although showed interested in philosophy and science. He later in life then met up with Benjamin Franklin in London and soon after he sailed to Philadelphia. He found work in 1775 in the Pennsylvania Magazine writing articles and essays “on democracy, universal suffrage, and revolution, shaping the unheard of idea of democracy into the freedom the citizens of so many countries know today”. Unfortunately some of his writing landed him in jail to which...
Words: 274 - Pages: 2
...: The Old Regime and The Enlightenment The year 1789 marks big changes in Europe. 1789 was the beginning of the French Revolution and the end of The Old Regime in France. Even though changes and new beginnings were soon to come, The Old Regime wasn’t easy to get rid of. France was considered to be the most powerful, populous and most prosperous country in Europe. Lots of French culture was admired and copied. French was considered the language of aristocracy and royal courts all over the continent. France was also very influential with their palace built by Louis XIV in Versailles, the palace was so beautiful that other countries built their own palaces with the same idea and design. During The Old Regime, the palace symbolized the wealth and the value of the absolute monarchy. The absolute monarchy composed of king and queens who inherited their own position and would eventually pass down their title to their eldest son or daughter. The kings and queens believed in Divine Rights, which is God’s agents on earth to serve the people. The Old Regime was introduced by the revolutionaries of 1789, it was based on a social hierarchy in which was determined by birth, not by your hard works or talents. The top of the human chain was the king, which was God’s divine representative. Louis XIV’s great great-grandfather once said L’etat c’est moi, which means I am the state. Underneath the king, the French society was organized into three estates with different social responsibilities...
Words: 1274 - Pages: 6
...were impressed by scientific discoveries in the natural world. They believed they could also uncover the scientific laws that governed human life. After discovering the laws of the universe, people could use the knowledge to help society improve. As the Scientific Revolution advanced, many educated Europeans came to believe that “reason” was a better guide than faith or tradition. To them, “reason” was the light that burned the darkness away and showed the way to the truth. Hence, the 18th century was labeled as the Age of Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment is one of the main causes of the the American and French revolutions, it is also considered as a predecessor to the Industrial Revolution. The Age of Enlightenment was influenced by the ideas of several different revolutionary thinkers, but two of the biggest thinkers of the seventeenth century, Isaac Newton and John Locke, are often referred to as the “father of Enlightenment”. The American Enlightenment, more moderate than in...
Words: 1002 - Pages: 5
...The Enlightenment era established the ideology for humans to have their own personal rights. These rights are not given to them by a governing force, instead the person has them just because he or she is uniquely his or her own person. Historians have been able to pinpoint the revolution of personal rights to the Enlightenment because of the predictable pendulum that is this earth’s history. If one era swings to the extreme lift then the gravitational pull will ultimately swing it to the extreme right. That extreme left was the Dark Ages, era of the Catholic church. During the Dark Ages, people were encouraged and often times forced to obey the strict rules that the Catholic church set forth. Also, the rights that could not be given by the Church were given by the ruling monarch of said area. Instead of living life to seek personal enlightenment, the people of the Dark Ages lived every day not seeing even the slightest glimmer of personal...
Words: 925 - Pages: 4
...is an "other-generated" good in that it derives its value from happiness, precisely from its conduciveness to happiness. Virtue is an instinct in all humanity which can be aroused through self-examination. This universal truth is accessible to everyone who thinks and question. Socrates assumes that any person with whom he talks has the resource to answer his question correctly, that is, that no specialist knowledge is required. Socrates thought that knowledge is virtue, and virtue leads to happiness. It makes sense to think that moral people know what morality is. If you know right from wrong, then you might be able to choose to do what you know to be right. It also makes some sense to suspect that our beliefs about right and wrong influence our decisions. If we believe its right to help a drowning child, then it would be fairly shocking to decide not to do so—and it would less surprising when we decide to help the child. It is quite a shocking statement to say that virtue always leads to happiness. Criminals commit crimes that hurt others to help themselves. To think that their crimes would make them unhappy is a strange thought. However, it isn’t too shocking to think that helping others can make us happy, so doing the right thing might be more fulfilling than committing crimes. Perhaps the most shocking thought that Socrates proposed was the unity of the virtues—if you have one virtue, then you have them all. Courage requires wisdom, wisdom requires moderation (e.g....
Words: 7161 - Pages: 29
...The Age of Enlightenment The self-proclaimed Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was a period notable for its substantial cultural and scientific developments, that took place mainly during the eighteenth century. It was a time when the scholarly class of Western Europe left behind Church dogma in the process of formulating philosophical ideas as well as scientific theories. It was substituted with reason. Notably, political ideas that were extremely radical for the time propagated throughout Europe and eventually led to the revolutions of France and the United States. Also, modern science further implanted itself into the mainstream. The roots of the entire movement date back to the time of the great Ancient Greek philosophers and scientists, specifically to such great thinkers as Aristotle and Plato. In Western Europe, from the time of the Middle Ages until then, Aristotelian science had remained the extent of scientific knowledge. It had long been lost due to the chaos of the Dark Ages, but it was “rediscovered” in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries through contact with Muslim influence and Byzantine scholars. During the late years of the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, scholars set out to improve upon Aristotelian and Platonic ideas. [1] The Renaissance gave a basis for the Age of Enlightenment to continue on. The Humanist movement during the Renaissance started to slightly move away from the Church. Although most Humanists were...
Words: 2105 - Pages: 9
...Eastern and Western Philosophers Comparison Pape PHI105 David Krause University of Phoenix Axia College What is philosophy? Philosophy is the study of some of the most fundamental questions asked by mankind, such as why we are here and what the purpose of life is. Throughout the history of philosophy, there have been many influential figures coming from all corners of the planet. Despite having worldwide influences, philosophy is usually divided into eastern and western schools of thought. Eastern philosophy is centered on cognitive dimensions that revolve around meditative thinking in order to reach enlightenment, while the western school of thought subscribes to the idea of attaining salvation through a leap of faith This paper shall put forth two philosophers, one from each school of thought, discussing their unique ideas and then shall continue on to compare and contrast their ideals. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a life of privilege and wealth, being the son of a king. When Siddhartha experienced the suffering in the world, he left his wife and child to pursue a path that would uncover the cause of suffering and its cure. “After six years of wandering and meditation, he found enlightenment.” (Moore & Bruder, 2008, p.530) With this attained enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama took up the handle that he is known by today, Buddha which means “the Enlightened One.” Siddhartha’s new enlightenment led to the creation of Buddhism, which “essentially was a philosophical...
Words: 1371 - Pages: 6
...Friedrich Nietzsche is a famous philosopher whose works have made him one of Germanys most profound scholars to-date as well as an interesting character in the history of philosophical thought. Nietzsche was well known for challenging Christianity as well other monotheistic religions for their apparent suppression of the poor and the working classes. In the context of the 1800’s, the philosophical movement of the enlightenment was helping Europeans move away from structural monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church by use of reasoning. (Anderson, 2007, p510). Being raised in a Catholic household, his Grandfather and father were both pastors who encouraged a young Friedrich down a religious route. However, at the age of 14 he surprised them all after he decided he was not going to confirm as a catholic (Hill, 2007, p6). One major contribution of work by Nietzsche is his concept of the death of God. This came as a reaction to the Enlightenment era- understanding reason to reject the Church in favour of liberty. Probably his most famous contribution to philosophy (Nietzsche, 1882/2006, p90) ‘God is dead’ uses a parable of a madman accusing the atheists of killing God without realising. He calls this...
Words: 718 - Pages: 3
...The Enlightenment of America After the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century, America underwent an intellectual shift known as the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment Period rejected traditional social and religious ideas and emphasized on man’s ability to reason. Also, various philosophers of that time period contributed to forming the foundation of the American Revolution. Influenced by the philosophical ideas of Montesquieu (1689-1755), the American Revolution came into fruition and became not only a war of freedom from British rule but also a war that capitalized on political theories such as liberty and equality. In liberty, Montesquieu introduces his concept of individual rights. Lastly, in equality, Montesquieu introduces his idea of separation of powers in government. Before one can comprehend the theories of Montesquieu, one must first understand the philosopher Montesquieu. Montesquieu, a French philosopher, highly believed in a liberal government and had a high interest in law. Born from an aristocratic family, Montesquieu attended the University of Bordeaux and obtained a law degree. After his uncle’s death, Montesquieu became the Président à Mortier in the Parliament of Bordeaux. The position mainly dealt with judicial and administrative matters. Because this was a high administrative position, Montesquieu was more involved with the schematics of government. This is perhaps where Montesquieu drawn one of his major political theories: equality. The quote...
Words: 698 - Pages: 3
...Enlightenment Philosopher Research - John Locke John Locke was an English political philosopher who was one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers and inspired the world with his ideas about the government and natural rights. He was also known as the “Father of Liberal Philosophy” because of his belief in Liberalism, which is a government whose authority is justified by its respect for human rights. Liberal government must treat individuals with respect, and pass laws that assure people freedom and liberty. He was not a follower for absolutism since he believed that all men are “equal and independent,” so no body should not ever “harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.” Locke expanded the idea that the purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of the citizens. He believed that all men should be given three natural rights such as life, liberty and property, and that people naturally receive these rights simply by being born. Therefore, the role of government was to maintain these rights and if a government fails to preserve these rights, then the people have the right to change their government. Locke’s ideas were spread to the American thinkers when two of the English writers, John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon popularized Locke’s political ideas in a famous series of articles published in London newspapers, and these had the most direct impact on American philosophers. Locke’s influence was most apparent in the Declaration of Independence...
Words: 357 - Pages: 2
...Philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau had profound effects on the enlightenment period and therefore, largely molded the modern politic landscape. His influence comes from his shaping of the Social Contract Theory, assertion of the importance of individual liberty in society, and the natural goodness innate to mankind. His nonconformist critic of the world led him to assert that society has degraded in virtue, not progressed. Yet, through a proper understanding of the positives and negative aspects of natural man, society could be corrected unto a path suitable for virtue. The father of the Romantic movement in the 19th century, Rousseau had a great admiration for the natural world. A strong opponent on the direction that the modern world was following, he stressed the importance of liberty and equality. Rousseau believed that the creation of institutional bureaucracy and capitalism was leading humanity to a dark future, one that needed to be corrected. He found that the answer could only be found through the comprehension of natural world, “not in the books of your fellow-men, which are liars, but in nature, which never lies” (Rousseau 104). In the state of nature, equality flourished because the “barbarous man does not bend his head for...
Words: 1518 - Pages: 7
