Emergence of the Enlightenment – Philosophical and Intellectual Movement
The emergence of The Enlightenment can be traced back to its origin to Rene Descartes’s Discourse on the Method which sets out his method for learning through logical approval on methods published in the year 1687. The Enlightenment was established by the belief in the possibility of a better world.
In the eighteenth century, it ruled the European nation. It is also marked by the emphasis on simplifying reasoning and science with increased questioning of religious orthodoxy and evil practices done in the name of religion.
It was a time of major intellectual upheaval characterised by the rise of reason. The roots of the origin period can be traced back to the Renaissance, a period of reawakening in art, culture and intellectual pursuits, however it was the Scientific Revolution which saw a shift in thinking towards reason, science and individual rights thus truly laying the groundwork of the period of Enlightenment.
The Enlightenment – Philosophical and Intellectual Movement
The Enlightenment was the period of cultural and intellectual awakening which was largely based in Europe, mainly Western Europe, when thinkers and scholars highlighted the importance of reason, science, and individual rights. The ideas that we now refer to as ‘classical liberalism’ emerged out of significant debates and developments swept from the late 1600s to the late 1700s.
During this era ideas like democracy, human rights equality, law and order, and separation of church and states. Thinkers like John Locke, Immanuel Kant, and Adam Smith spread their new and radicalized ideas which were met with resistance by the government and religious leaders.