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1561
Francis Bacon
Bacon is considered the ‘father of empiricism’ for his work and advocacy of scientific method and methodical scientific inquiry in investigating scientific phenomena. He encouraged an empirical approach both through his own example and philosophically. He was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century. B. (n.d.). Famous People of the Enlightenment. Retrieved August 9, 2017, from http://www.biographyonline.net/people/famous/enlightenment.html -
The Thirty Years War
On the surface, the most apparent cause of the Enlightenment was the Thirty Years’ War. This horribly destructive war, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, compelled German writers to pen harsh criticisms regarding the ideas of nationalism and warfare. The Enlightenment (1650–1800). (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2017, from http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/enlightenment/summary.html -
Start
The Enlightenment started with the publication of Francis Bacon's Novum Organum (1620).
From the perspective of socio-political phenomena, the period is considered to have begun with the close of the Thirty Years' War (1648).
B. (n.d.). Famous People of the Enlightenment. Retrieved August 9, 2017, from http://www.biographyonline.net/people/famous/enlightenment.html -
What was the Enlightenment and where did it take place?
The Enlightenment was an European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries in which ideas concerning God, reason, nature, and humanity were synthesized into a worldview that gained wide assent in the West and that instigated revolutionary developments in art, philosophy, and politics. Age of Enlightenment. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2017, from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Age_of_Enlightenment -
Rene Descartes
Descartes made a significant contribution to the philosophy of rationalism. Descartes’ Meditations was ground-breaking because he was willing to doubt previous certainties and tried to prove their validity through logic. Later empiricists disagreed with Descartes methods, but his philosophy opened up many topics to greater discussion.
B. (n.d.). Famous People of the Enlightenment. Retrieved August 9, 2017, from http://www.biographyonline.net/people/famous/enlightenment.html -
John Locke
) He is credited with ideas, such as the social contract – the idea government needs to be with the consent of the governed. Locke also argued for liberty, religious tolerance and rights to life and property. Locke was an influential figure on those involved in the American and French revolutions, such as Jefferson, Madison and Voltaire. Enlightenment. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Enlightenment-European-history -
Arrival and Influence of Deism in America
The Enlightenment was greatly a reaction against the strict authoritarianism presented by the then-established churches. Christianity, according to philosophers like Voltaire, was detrimental to the development of reason and therefore the progress of science. It was used by tyrants to enforce monarchism.
Major Events of the American Enlightenment - US Enlightenment. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2017, from https://sites.google.com/site/usenlightenment/major-events-of-the-american-enlightenme -
Virginia Declaration Of Rights
The Virginia Declaration of Rights was drafted in 1776 to proclaim the inherent rights of man, especially the right to rebel against an unjust or inadequate government. This declaration was adopted generously by the Fifth Virginia Convention,
Major Events of the American Enlightenment - US Enlightenment. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2017, from https://sites.google.com/site/usenlightenment/major-events-of-the-american-enlightenment -
End
It ended with Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (1781).
From the perspective of socio-political phenomena, the period is considered to have ended with the French Revolution (1789). Science and the Enlightenment. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2017, from https://explorable.com/science-and-enlightenment
