...Mr.Howell World History 27 january 2016 The Enlightenment Philosophers: What Was Their Main Idea? Nowadays, the idea of freedom is taken for granted by many people. Those who possess these freedoms do not realize just how fortunate they are to have the right to speak their minds. However, the question is, how and when did the idea of freedom come to be? Who created this idea of individuality and freedom? The Age of Enlightenment was a time of new revolutionary ideas, and during this period, many philosophers, or thinkers, formed ideas that were never spoken of before. They went against common beliefs and created ideas that were evidently disapproved by society. So what was the main idea of these Enlightenment philosophers? The main idea of the Enlightenment philosophers was freedom, as supported by the works of John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Firstly, John Smith’s work, Second Treatise on Civil Government, demonstrated the idea of freedom immensely. In Document A, Locke stated that “all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom… within the bounds of the law of nature,” specifying men’s right to freedom. Furthermore, he stated his beliefs about human equality. He believed that all mankind should be “equal one amongst another without subordination or subjection…” (Document A). Locke’s beliefs were based on human rights and society; however, all of these focuses link to his main idea, which was freedom. Voltaire was also very...
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...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...
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...Enlightenment What was the Enlightenment Thinkers main idea? The Enlightenment was during the 17th and 18th century. Thinkers in the enlightenment discussed problems in society such as , rights of women , politics , religion , and economics. We learn from the four documents who agrees and disagrees. Mary Wollstonecraft was an enlightenment thinker. Wollstonecraft was a british author that believed that women should have the same rights as everyone. “ Make them free , and they will quickly become wise and virtuous…” (Doc.D) She also believed that women can educate the same way men did. Secondly , John Locke another enlightenment thinker. Locke lived in England during the Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. Locke believed that men...
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...Imagine a society where “woman will either be the friend or slave of man, ” resulting in a separation of genders (34). During the 18th Century in Europe, there were many cultural and social differences between men and women. In her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft confronts the many norms of the time period that was a large intellectual and cultural movement. This period of Enlightenment spread throughout Europe quickly, especially through literacy. With people such as Wollstonecraft, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the cultures of then and now are capable of tracking the norms by understanding through reason and ultimately thinking for oneself (McChesney 02/02/2015). By using logic and reason, the evaluation of the social and cultural norms during the Enlightenment are evident. Wollstonecraft primarily identifies that there is a large difference of respect upon women...
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...and political structures were becoming increasingly challenged. The French Revolution was influenced by Romantic ways of thinking such as what it means to achieve liberty for the individual. The romantic exploration of liberty for the individual through a connection to nature, imagination and spirituality through the sublime are represented in both Coleridge's poem Kubla Kahn and Keat’s “Ode to a Nightingale”. These romantic views were a direct reaction from the art of the enlightenment era as explored in the 1768 painting of Agrippina Landing at Brundisium, emotional stoicism is represented as being a model for morality in society. Revolutionary questioning of the fundamental nature of humanity and change for women was explored in Mary Wollstonecraft's text "A vindication in the rights of women". The 1768 painting by Benjamin West of Agrippina landing at Brundisium depicts the qualities of the Enlightenment that the romantics rebelled against. The neoclassical painting was popular during the enlightenment as it stressed logic, harmony, proportion and reason over emotion. This is represented in the paintings frieze-like composition and the buildings in the city background represent a structured, ordered society. The emotional restraint evident within the widow’s grief emphasises the...
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...women’s roles participate in maintaining a majority of them in a subordinate position within the society and within the family - as housekeepers. Generally characterized as intellectually, but more particularly physically weaker than men, women’s agency is diminished by gender prejudices and women have to continuously, and in a larger extent than for their male counterparts, impose themselves to belong to society as full citizens. However, all these conventional images on women’s status are not vain and shore up women’s willpower to fight and be part of politics, culture and history as equal to men. Ironically thus, women stereotypes do have a good impact on women empowerment. Indeed, stereotypes reinforce women’s will to destroy biased ideas sustained by men. Therefore, this paper will first outline an extreme form of gender discrimination with the example of Saudi Arabia where patriarchal gender expectations ultimately infringe on women’s public and privates lives as well as on women’s...
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...Qendresa Krasniqi Essay Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Epoka University 19 May 2014 Introduction: Mary Wollstonecraft on the book Vindication of the Rights of Women writes for or better say demands better education and right for women by arguing on some others author writings. This topic is very important especially for women, because in her book we can see how women were prejudiced and discriminated at a specific time frame chosen by the author. She calls out to all women to be interested in education, and she calls men not to feel superior and believe women to be inferior because according to her the only reason women were prejudiced was that men saw women as weak and fragile compared to them. Most importantly, she argues that woman should not have only a domestic education and by saying that upon receiving an education, women will become more powerful. Personally, I agree on all her ideas, because i believe in women equality, especially when it comes to education, and women must be seen in the same manner as men in the society. This paper will show Wollstonecraft’s main ideas that she used in her famous book dedicated to women rights. A short biography of Mary Wollstonecraft: A history making woman, “mother of feminism” Mary Wollstonecraft was born on April 27th 1759 in England, in a middle-class family with an alcoholic and abusive father, and was the second child out of seven. Failures of her father and illness of her mother made her...
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...In the 17th and 18th centuries, Isaac Newton made new discoveries in physics which influenced thinkers around him such as John Locke, Adam Smith and others. These philosophers did not all agree, but they each challenged thoughts on many different areas of society. The main idea of the Enlightenment philosophers was individual freedom. For example, John Locke believed in freedom to choose their own government in order to protect natural rights. Adam Smith’s said if all men are allowed freedom to make their own economic decisions it would increase the overall economy. If women had the same freedoms as men, Mary Wollstonecraft believed that they could then make similar contributions to society. Adam Smith expresses the idea of individualism...
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...This essay explains three key features of the Age of Enlightenment that include liberalism, rationalism and equality. These key features will be explained in terms of how they reflect specific assumptions about children and education. Furthermore to evaluate how these ideas have impacted children’s education in both the past and the present. Liberalism requires members of society to develop liberal ideas such as individualism and independence amongst the likes of John Locke who wrote a book called ‘Some thought Concerning Education’ (1893) which emphasises the significance of early education in the home. “upbringing in the home is crucial for the development of good character” (May, 1997, p. 3). Rationalism is another imperative feature of the Age of Enlightenment as people used theory to make sense of human development along the likes of Rousseau. His book, ‘Emile’ is about the development of a young boy becoming a man using his ideas for child rearing. “education should be a response to the child’s curiosity and interest to natural world.” (May, p. 39-40, 2005) This theory was put into practice by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi who was so impressed with his ideas that “he attempted to rear his child according to Rousseau’s principles” (May, 1997, p. 11). The Enlightenment implies equality necessary for females to be educated alongside men to allow for equal opportunity. In Wollstonecraft’s book ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’ (1792) she protests for women’s rights...
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...The Age of Reason better known as The Age of Enlightenment is a period of time during the 17th and 18th century, based in Europe, where people looked for ways to improve society by discussing political, religious, economic, and social questions. It was full of great new ideas which helped form the Democratic society we live in today. In this paper, I will discuss many of the great ideas some of the more famous philosophers had and the general idea they shared. The main idea of the enlightenment was natural rights (rights that are given people not by society but nature) and every person had the ability to reason. The most famous thinkers of this time where John Locke, Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet), Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Voltaire believed that people had the natural right to practice whatever religion, you didn't have to accept the religion just be tolerant of it. By doing so this could be used as an economic boom, such as the Royal exchange in London in which people from all over Eurasia would come and exchange goods. By doing so it made products only available in one area available in multiple, giving greater access to these items. “If only one religion...
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...The Enlightenment Period was a very important time. This period was in the 16th and 17th century. During this time philosophes were the people who thought that they could find new ways and discover things about life. There are 4 people who all had much to say and new ideas so helped out with the “Age of Reason”. The main idea that the philosophers were going for was government, religion and Social equality. Document A was where John Locke stated his opinion about the government. His main idea was freedom and liberty. In 1690 he wrote his Second Treatise on Civil Government. He wrote this 86 years before the American Declaration of Independence. Many things occurred during Locke’s life that could’ve influenced him or struck an idea about his opinion and writings about the government. The English Civil War and Glorious Revolution. Locke says basically humans should also be equal. If the old government fails Locke believes the people have a right to create a new government. The legislative and executive are the two branches that Locke recommended. Document B was where Voltaire wrote about Religion. Locke and Voltaire had the same main idea in common which was freedom and liberty. Trading occurred at the Royal Exchange in London. Voltaire believes that its good that England allows a multitude of religions because of violence, arbitrary and everyone getting along. His main idea about religion in society is tolerance of religious differences. Document D was where it spoke...
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...people believe in. People believe in peace or gods, others believe in a greater system. Belief seems to keep people thinking and going on, it is an idea. And it is a belief that kept philosophers in the Enlightenment period going. There was a time of philosophes called the Enlightenment when these philosophes were hoping to discover new ways to improve society. What led to the Enlightenment started with the Magna Carta and continued into the Scientific Revolution. Enlightenment philosophers each had their own idea on how to make society better. Three certain philosophers had some brilliant ideas. Locke's idea was freedom to individuality and vote of government; Voltaire's idea was the freedom for an individual to choose their own religion without being ridiculed; Wollstonecraft's idea was the freedom of both men and women to have the same education. Each belief is in individual freedom...
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...Marry Wollstonecraft and Her Role in Activism Mary Wollstonecraft was a powerful thinker, philosopher, and women’s rights activist born in Spitalfields, London on 27 April 1759. According to Taylor, Mary Wollstonecraft made several accomplishments during her brief career including writing several novels, making treaties, travel narratives; conduct books, history of the French, and the children book (32). Besides her career, Mary Wollstonecraft is well recognized not only for the vindication of women’s rights but significantly advocated for the equal rights and opportunities for both men and women. In 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft was quoted saying that women were not naturally inferior to men rather appeared to be because they had no education. The 18th century notion of women being less important part of the society deterred the “integration of their rights” into the human rights was unthinkable (Miriam 43). However, Mary Wollstonecraft argued that if a man was born free and entitled to every human dignity so should be the woman. The understanding of human rights and liberties became the core pillar of Mary Wollstonecraft in the vindication of equal education opportunities for men and women. Mary Wollstonecraft has been severally quoted by today’s human rights activists in the fight against gender based violence among other injustices in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, Mary Wollstonecraft’s vindications and vision for the women freedom has not been fully realized nearly...
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...The American Revolution was caused by problems with religion, government, finances, freedom, and rights. All of these subjects have been presented earlier during the enlightenments, the glorious revolution, the English Civil War, and stand in the English Bill of rights which later set the basis for our country today. Without the thinkers that the Scottish enlightenment produced, our modern government wouldn’t be the way that it remains today. If it wasn’t for the English Bill of Rights, the constitution would not exist. All of the causes listed above play a part in the American Revolution, which would later result in the creation of the United States of America. Maybe the most influential character came out of the enlightenment, his name...
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...Philosophes discussed during the late 17th and 18th century, they helped shape the capitalistic and democratic world we live in today. It was the period of many changes between discoveries and disagreements over religion. The Age of Reason impacted the world to this day being the time of high intellect and bright ideas. What were the philosophers or the thinkers main idea? The Enlightenment Period discusses John Locke, Voltaire (Francois - Marie Arouet), Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft’s ideas and how they contributed to the Age of Reason. Moreover, a quote that shows this is true is John Locke's main idea being the natural right by believing all men are equal. “Equal are amongst another without subordination or subtraction” (Document A) he Believe that when the government is dissolved “People are at liberty to provide for themselves, by erecting a new legislative” (Document A) This shows Locke’s main idea was his belief in all creatures of the same species should be equal and have the right to self govern. Therefore, Francois - Marie Arouet (Voltaire) main idea was about religion in society, he believed one didn't need to...
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