The Enlightenment (or Age of Reason) is a vague term to describe a cacophony of philosophical, scientific and political changes in thought. Put simply, a bunch of shit-stirring Frenchmen thought that human qualities, such as reason and inquiry, might benefit mankind over the ignorance and superstition encouraged by absolute monarchies and the church. Values such as freedom of speech, social contract, logic and democratic representation came to the fore – just like that old Greek stuff.
While aristocratic landowners powdered their wigs, an educated, literate and prosperous European middle class grew and sought reform. By the end of the 1700s, the whole Divine-Right-of-Kings-thing got a bit too much for most people; King George III lost America and King Louis XVI lost his head. The American Constitution captures the spirit of the Enlightenment; free thinkers – some religious, some not – turning their back on Europe and forging a democratic nation, where church and state are separate, and individuals are rewarded for their own merits.
I may disagree with what you say, but lampoon my wig and
I'll shove this quill where the sun shines not.
From Descartes (‘I think therefore I am’) to Voltaire (‘A witty saying proves nothing’), Enlightenment thinkers explored mankind’s ability to question, doubt and reason with the world in which we live. The bi-product of this was the Scientific Method - the objective gathering of evidence to support a hypothesis. However boring it sounds, this is the cornerstone of modernity; abandoning revealed truths in favour of the painstaking study of the unknown and the pursuit of knowledge.
If it is so important, why are we taught so little about the Enlightenment? Why does religion have such constant airtime when these philosophers do not, especially in America where it was once so fashionable? Again, the reason is simple; scientific inquiry and freedom of speech are now inherent values of our society – values you and I take for granted and part of our everyday lives.
This might sound like a plea (mainly because it is), but I beg of you to remember the importance of doubt and inquiry, to constantly question what you see and what you read. If anybody says they have the 'answer', make sure they are the last person you trust. Thinkers of the Enlightenment embraced this fact and demonstrated that humans have the capability to explain the world for themselves. If you prefer the life of a pious and illiterate peasant, please accept my apology.
