Is The Enlightenment Still Affect American Society Today?

What is the Enlightenment? Why does it still affect American society today? The Enlightenment was an era when reasoning and using science to explain the once unexplainable during the sixteenth and the seventh century. In fact, some scholars have christened this era “the age of reason”. The Enlightenment proved to be fertile soil for the middle class to take root and flourish under the teachings of revolutionary thought, freedom of monarchies, and freedom of the people. This era of reasoning emphasized the thought of liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. Many colonists became part of this revolution of thought by creating philosophies, writings, and inventions to contribute to the era. The most famous colonists to make contributions to the Enlightenment era were people such as, Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith, and Thomas Paine. John Locke, though an Englishman, had a profound influence on all the colonial Enlightenment leaders. However, that still does not explain why American society was
The state of nature is, according to Locke, a “state of perfect freedom” where humans can order their own “actions, dispose of possessions and persons as they see fit within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave of any other man.” In short, to be a slave cannot happen unless you give up your right to your freedom because the natural law states you can do whatever you want. Why would you want to be a slave? Locke, also, states the truth that all men are equal as self-evident. Such equality, however, is problematical. If everyone is equal there isn’t a higher authority that can adjudicate between parties with conflicting interests. That only applied if you were white, male, and Christian. John Locke was firmly not for slavery, however, he does give an exception allowing