very strong legacy that is left behind by the westerners and most of mankind’s beliefs.
Let’s first start by discussing one of the fathers of the enlightenment era, Francis Bacon.
He studied at Cambridge University Trinity College where many of his ideas such as the use of science to help free ordinary people of ignorance while first having to free them from careless and uncritical ways of thinking was prevalent at the time. Bacon promoted a serious approach to science based on experimentation and arriving at scientific conclusions in order to help ordinary people to live more productive and happy lives. The second father of the enlightenment era was from France, his name was René Descartes. He believed that only reason and math were needed for science. He also created a new form of mathematics called analytic geometry. Bacon and Descartes were an inspiration and teachers of being able to express your scientific and philosophical opinions against the religious and monarchy powers of the time. Thus bringing the citizens of the west a new outlook and thought process on government, life, religion, and science. This brings fourth the ideology and dulled diplomacy on mathematics and science that a philosopher like Isaac newton would use. As Isaac newton, being a mathematician and a physicist owes much to Descartes and …show more content…
Bacon.
Isaac Newton was born in England in 1642, 6 years before Descartes died and the Jamestown settlement was just 8 years old. During his younger years England was at civil war with its self. This is because the Parliament and the royalist was at war, the citizens were trying to become a parliament ran country instead of being a royalist country because it was strictly ran by unjust and unfair rules. For the first ten years of his life, England was known as a commonwealth. In the 17th century, the term commonwealth meant the same thing as a democratic or a republic state. Isaac Newton studied at Cambridge University Trinity College, the same place where the primary father of the enlightenment era began and completed his collegiate career. Isaac newton’s work stands out for he came up with several scientific theories and laws, including the law of gravity. Isaac Newton is the epitome of the enlightenment era due to brilliant work in what was once a dull period of time.
The enlightenment era happened in the 1620s to the 1780s.
Western Europe had always been ruled by strict ideas and laws until the enlightenment period brought forth a time of reasoning and individualism. People like Isaac Newton caused citizens to start thinking outside of the box instead of being trapped inside of it by the strict rules. Scientific rationalism, which was glorified by the scientific method, was the climax of everything that has to deal with the enlightenment. Josh Rahn explains the benefits of the Enlightenment by saying, “Enlightenment thinkers and idealist believed that the advances of science and industry heralded a new age of knowledge and progress for humankind. More goods were being produced for less money, people were traveling more, and the chances for the surprisingly mobile to actually change their station in life were significantly improving. At the same time, many people were expressing strict criticism of some time consuming cultural institutions.” The reason these institutions were being criticized so strictly is because new discoveries that happened during the Enlightenment led the teachings of these institutions to be actually proven false. This can be looked at as a step forward in history however, because the wrong teaching and methods were getting criticized so that the new and correct teachings can be
taught. The enlightenment era also brought fourth many new groups and activities. One of the most popular ideas that came from the enlightenment era was the Salon business. Salons began by mostly being found in Paris. Woman were the ones who supposedly came up with the idea of the salon. Two popular woman that had saloons were Madame Necker and Madame Geoffrin. Before the Enlightenment era, you typically only found set ups like these in the homes of the super wealthy. These were the only people who could afford a room for pure leisure. Most salons featured a variety of food and drinks accompanied by gaming. Salons were juged by some people because in the 18th century it was controversial to free mix men and woman. Some salons excluded woman for this reason.
A popular group that flourished during the enlightenment period is the free masons. The enlightenment period shined a light on people who wanted an alternative to traditional religious beliefs. The free masons started evolving in the late 17th century in England and Scotland. Lynette Erwin gives a detailed statement about freemasonry during the enlightenment, “Freemasonry exposed all of the philosophies and ideals of the Enlightenment and encouraged its members to go after lives that are filled with integrity, honesty, and love for all of human kind. However; because the Free Masons are a secret society, they were often misunderstood and wrongfully persecuted, most especially by the Catholic Church. The churches known theocratic power was slowly slipping as the principles of liberty and equality began to start taking hold of Europe.” This description also talks about another important thing that happened during the enlightenment, Western Europe slowly losing its dependence on the Catholic Church.