71 Age Of Enlightenment Facts To Improve Your Historical Knowledge

In the Age of Enlightenment, empirical methods underpinned modern philosophic and scientific activity.

The era of Enlightenment was based on the belief that reason is the fundamental source of authority and legitimacy. This movement promoted principles like liberty, tolerance, fraternity, and constitutional governance.

Scientific method and reductionism were prominent features of the Enlightenment. The period also saw a rise in skepticism toward religious dogma. Modern democracies owe their foundations to the Enlightenment.

Importance Of The Age Of Enlightenment

British and French thinkers shaped the Enlightenment period. This section will go over some facts about the period, which will increase our historical knowledge.

• The European cultural revolution known as the Age of Enlightenment occurred in the 18th century.
• Libertarian values such as liberty, tolerance, fraternity, and separation of religion and state were promoted by this movement.
• The movement prompted revolutionary innovations in art, philosophy, and politics.
• No one can agree on the start year of the Enlightenment. It is widely accepted that it started in the early 18th century.
• Most historians date the end of the Enlightenment to the final decade of the 19th century.
• It is estimated that it ended with the French Revolution of 1789 or the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars.
• As a central theme of Enlightenment philosophy, the capacity to comprehend oneself and one's place in it was emphasized.
• Enlightenment ideas like knowledge, freedom, and happiness were considered the highest human goals.
• French philosopher Diderot was a pioneer of the movement in France.
• The 'Encyclopédie' was the first encyclopedia accessible to the general public.
• Diderot wrote it to propagate the ideals of the Enlightenment.
• According to Enlightenment beliefs, there was no need for people to believe in the teachings of the church of the words of the priests.
• One of the most important principles to comprehend was that everyone should participate in building a society.
• Enlightenment leaders believed that the aristocracy should no longer enjoy special advantages or rights.
• During the Enlightenment, two schools of thought formed. The radical Enlightenment eliminated religious orthodoxy.
• Moderates sought to balance change with traditional authority and religious conviction.
• The significance of scientific knowledge in Enlightenment speech and thought was more prominent.
• It ushered in a new era of western political development.
• Race, gender, and class historians point out that the Enlightenment's principles were not initially intended to be universal in the sense we use today.
• Many Enlightenment writers were influential in the fight to secure equal rights for all individuals, regardless of race, gender, or class.

Period Of The Age Of Enlightenment

The Enlightenment age shaped the spiritualistic and nationalistic tone of the common people. This section will look at some more facts regarding the era of Enlightenment.

• The word 'Enlightenment' first appeared in English in the late 19th century.
• The Scientific Revolution and the work of Francis Bacon predated the Enlightenment.
• The publication of René Descartes 'Discourse on the Method' included his famous aphorism, 'Cogito, ergo sum.' Some consider this to mark the start of the Enlightenment.
• Some see Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica (1687) as the culmination of the Scientific Revolution and the beginning of the Enlightenment.
• The Enlightenment age is conventionally dated from the death of Louis XIV of France in 1715 through the onset of the French Revolution in 1789.
• Many historians currently place the end of the Enlightenment around the turn of the 19th century, with Immanuel Kant's death.
• Enlightenment philosophers and scientists discussed associated scientific advancement, human knowledge, and modern science in masonic lodges, literary salons, and coffeehouses.
• Its ideas damaged the monarchy and the Catholic Church. The theological and religious conflict of the 18th and 19th centuries was thus set in motion.
• Liberalism, communism, and neoclassicism are just a few 19th-century ideas with Enlightenment origins.
• Individual liberty and religious tolerance were the core principles of the Enlightenment thinkers in France.
• Enlightenment science was defined by a focus on the scientific method and reductionism and a growing questioning of religious authority.
• The growth of the public sphere was one of the key features of Enlightenment ideals.
• The public sphere was defined by its egalitarian nature.
• Habermas used the phrase 'common concern' to define areas of political/social knowledge and democratic values.

Events That Happened During The Age Of Enlightenment

Several important events and advances took place during the Enlightenment age. In this section, we will take a look at some facts on Enlightenment thinkers and significant events.

• During the Enlightenment, Galileo discovered planets. He determined that planets orbit the sun because of the telescope's development.
• The conflict between Catholics and Protestants erupted throughout Europe.
• The Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648, bringing an end to the conflict.
• Louis XIV saw himself as the source of all light in France. While he was busy building the Palace of Versailles, he was simultaneously working to depose the aristocrats.
• The Treaty Of Westphalia allowed individuals to select their own religious beliefs.
• Political philosopher Thomas Hobbes wrote Leviathan. Hobbes argued in The Leviathan that individuals should have unfettered authority to keep a country secure and prosperous.
• Russia's Czar Peter the Great was crowned. He aspired to introduce western values and encouraged education.
• Montesquieu wrote 'The Spirit of the Laws.' He thought that no part of the government should be given excessive authority.
• French philosopher Diderot wrote the Encyclopedia. This also resulted in his being imprisoned for defying the church.
• Candide was written by Voltaire. The story is about a guy who begins life full of hope, only discovering that his optimism was misplaced.
• Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations. Free market capitalism was advocated in this book. He coined the term 'laissez-faire.'

Impact Of The Age Of Enlightenment

The Enlightenment impacted many legal and political systems that exist today. We will learn about the impact of the Enlightenment era through some more facts.

• Influential philosophers like Charles-Louis II and Montesquieu were the brains behind the three-branch structure detailed in the United States Constitution.
• Montesquieu, a strong supporter of the Enlightenment, proposed the doctrine of separation of powers. This political structure balances and promotes order and equality.
• Enlightenment principles were also prominent in the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.
• In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson demands the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
• Enlightenment thinkers and authors believed that people who choose to be governed implicitly expect their government to operate in their best interests.
• When it came to the Bill of Rights, James Madison followed in the footsteps of the Enlightenment.
• The French Enlightenment led to their revolt in 1789. The intellectual culture there claimed liberty and equality.
• The Age of Enlightenment's upheaval and human understanding would reverberate over the globe.
• The principles and beliefs of the Enlightenment age had a significant impact on science, culture, and art.
• Other nations' fights for independence from colonial masters, such as the American and French revolutions, followed shortly.
• This concept of a government 'for the people' became one of the most essential aspects of the new United States Constitution.
• The principles of the Enlightenment were equally influential among those who fought in the French Revolution of 1789.
• Some kings and queens adopted some of the Enlightenment's concepts and implemented them in their regimes. They did, however, keep power for themselves. They were called 'Enlightened despots.'
• As more people learned to utilize reason, some questioned the Catholic doctrine. This resulted in disagreements and, eventually, an intolerant religious war.
• Enlightenment leaders believed that everyone should have the same rights. Every government should establish a contract that guarantees citizens certain rights.
• Writers and philosophers of the period thought that they should be able to pursue the truth. This is even if they disagree with the opinions of those in positions of authority, such as the aristocracy.
• The period saw a need for political power and influence among the common. Instead of seeking religious solutions, people should use rationality and the scientific method to address issues.
• The principles of the Enlightenment, such as thinking with reason, liberal interpretation, and not being bound by the Catholic Church. These were crucial in the development of capitalism and socialism.
• The Enlightenment developed art due to its emphasis on reason over superstition. Learning, art, and music grew increasingly popular, particularly among the expanding middle class.
• As musicians became more reliant on public funding, public concerts grew popular. This supplemented the incomes of performers and composers.
• The drive to learn more, document it and organize significantly affected music publishing.
• As the economy and the middle class grew, so did many amateur musicians.
• Women, in particular, were more socially connected to music.
• Women established themselves as professional vocalists and had grown their presence in the amateur performing scene.
• More individuals were interested in reading and enlightenment discourse.
• Music periodicals, reviews, and critical works for novices and connoisseurs appeared.