The Enlightenment Age refers to a philosophical and intellectual movement dominant during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. The following article will discuss the age of enlightenment, the basic principles of the enlightenment period, its features, impact, and its subsequent conclusion. 

What was the age of enlightenment?

• The philosophy of the Enlightenment period is heavily influenced by the movement known as Renaissance Humanism
• The age of enlightenment preceded the Scientific Revolution
• During the age of enlightenment, intellectuals, scholars, and philosophers would propound new ideas about the government, religious beliefs, and personal freedom
• During the enlightenment period, people started questioning the norm, and this increased curiosity led to massive development in astronomy, physics, biology, and chemistry
• Science was the basis of Enlightenment discourse and thought. Therefore, many scholars believe that the Enlightenment period laid the foundation of Western political and intellectual discourse. In many ways, the age of enlightenment brought with it political modernization 
• While radical Enlightenment philosophers advocated for freedom of expression, eradication of religious authority, individual liberty, and democracy, the more moderate philosophers sought reform in the traditional systems of power and faith
• There was a significant cultural exchange between European countries and countries across the Atlantic
• Several Enlightenment philosophers and writers had backgrounds in the sciences and believed that rational scientific thinking could overthrow religious authority
• John Locke, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, Moses Mendelssohn, Lady Margaret Lucas Cavendish, and Emile du Chatelet were famous philosophers and writers during the European Enlightenment

The Emergence of the Enlightenment 

• Political thinkers started to ponder how society and politics should be structured in the aftermath of the tumultuous English Civil War. During this period, there were significant changes made to the autocratic monarchy, especially after the restoration of Charles II and the ascendancy of James II
• The Glorious Revolution of 1688 to 1689 resulted in the birth of movements for political change
• Political commentators believed that with policies centred around the individual, they would be able to achieve freedom from centuries of religious and political tyranny
• John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government (1969) was instrumental in advocating the separation of church and state, religious tolerance, and the contractual obligation of the government to recognize the rights of its people
• The emergence of the age of enlightenment can be seen in the influential works of French writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau argued that all men were born free and rational, and it was the government who was enslaving them by the constraints imposed on the society

Basic Principles of the Enlightenment Period 

Many poets and philosophers of the Enlightenment Age advocated ideas of separation of church from state, instating a constitutional government, fraternity, and tolerance amongst different religions and classes, liberty, and progress. 

• The Enlightenment philosophers questioned religious orthodoxy and emphasised scientific methods and reductionism. Britannica defines reductionism in philosophy as “a view that asserts that entities of a given kind are identical to, or are collections or combinations of, entities of another kind or that expressions denoting such entities are definable in terms of expressions. Denoting other entities” 
• The philosophers and writers of that period valued empiricism and rational thought for the advancement and progress of the human race
• Enlightenment-era philosophers and writers opposed the special privileges awarded to the monarchy, clergy, and nobilit
• The writings of this period inspired people to question the way they were governed. Many people believe that the writings and philosophies propounded in this era also influenced the French Revolution and the American War of Independence

Scientific Revolution, Individual Rights, and Secularisation 

• The European Enlightenment nurtured scientific temperament, which led to physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy 
• During this period, national thought and scientific inquiry were advocated. Therefore, people during that time were able to shed critical light on superstitious interpretations of the world and nature, which had been deduced from historical texts 
• At the forefront of this scientific revolution was Sir Isaac newton. Isaac Newton’s achievement in mathematics and physics was able to revolutionise the contemporary view of the natural world. His investigations were grounded in empirical experimentation. Newton made a significant impact on the scientific world by writing extensively on mechanics, topics, and gravitational forces
• Isaac Newton and his contemporary discoveries were significant as they showed that by embarking on purely rational and mathematical investigations, answers related to the natural world could be found. 
• The 18th century led to the discovery and invention of several scientific instruments like telescopes, microscopes, air pumps, barometers, and thermometers
• During the period of Enlightenment, people would discuss the topics of personal judgments on matters of belief, which led to an increase in skepticism
• The clergy believed that the Enlightenment age was ungodly and harmful, leading to more secularisation
• This period led to a decline in church attendance and an increase in agnosticism and atheism
• This was also the period of political reforms. Many people would get into heated debates about political reforms and discuss the best forms of government
• During this era, there was an increase in public outrage over social and economic injustices in society
• During this era, several movements advocated against monarchy, absolutism, and tyranny

Features of Enlightenment Age 

• Many writers and philosophers from that period felt that the key to unlocking personal happiness for all individuals was advocating for new social contracts between the church and the state
• The literature and ideas of Enlightenment supported individualism and human freedom and were highly critical of the special rights awarded to nobility and clergy members
• It advocated for rationalism and scientific temperament to seek human problems and issues
• The literature and philosophies of the Enlightenment Age inspired the middle class to look beyond the church and ancient religious text for answers and to stand up against the monarchs and autocratic governments

Impact of the European Enlightenment 

• The philosophies and writings of Enlightenment-era philosophers inspired the French Revolution of 1789. Therefore, Enlightenment philosophies inspired people to oppose the exclusive rights awarded to the elite
• It is also believed that the same writings were instrumental in inspiring the Haitian War of Independence and the racial inclusivism adopted by Paraguay’s first government, post-independence
• The European Enlightenment laid the foundation of Western, rational, modern societies
• Although most Enlightenment philosophers didn’t advocate the rights of women, people of colour, and the working class, their writings inspired their struggles
• The Enlightenment thinkers advocated that rights and freedoms should not be hereditary. These views were in direct opposition to the views of the European Aristocracy. Still, they were largely focused on expanding the social standing and rights and not on any other minority 
• The ideas propounded during the age of enlightenment inspired several other literary and art movements in the 19th and 20th centuries. For example, Romanticism, Liberalism, Classicism, and Modernism were inspired by European Enlightenment 

Enlightenment period in Sociology 

• Many researchers believe that sociology was directly influenced by the age of Enlightenment
• Sociology is a discipline in which sociologists study human relationships, social behaviour, patterns of social relationships, institutions, and other cultural, social impacts
• During the Enlightenment period, philosophers, writers, political thinkers, and economists would criticise existing norms and approaches to human existence and new ideas
• Enlightenment-era philosophers and thinkers believed that the answers to human problems were not in historical religious and philosophical texts. These thinkers believed that we could build a better society by understanding its functions rather than looking for explanations in ancient religious and philosophical texts
• Enlightenment literature made a massive impact and inspired the French revolution and the American war of Independence. Therefore, it can be observed that people saw the potential for a better society through science and rational thinking. The earliest sociologists studied both the positive and negative impacts of societal change

The End of the Enlightenment Age 

Many scholars believe that the age of enlightenment never concluded but morphed into other literary and philosophical movements like Modernism, Romanticism, Classicism, and Liberalism.

Conclusion

The Enlightenment age significantly impacted several social spheres like politics and economics. The literature and philosophies of this era were instrumental in making people more socially and politically aware. The philosophies propounded during this era have influenced the French Revolution, the American War of Independence. They have motivated people of colour, women, and other minorities to stand up for their rights.