Jonathan Swift's Influence on the Age of Reason

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Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, opened the door for satire. He was one of the most well known satirist of The Age of Reason, which gained him much respect as a writer. Swift’s works and lifestyle reflect the Humanities of The Age of Reason, thus giving the reader a glimpse of the common man’s life during this time. In order to understand the life of Jonathan Swift, one must explore his works and The Age of Reason.

The Age of Reason was a new beginning for many man kind during the eighteenth century, therefore opening the door for people to pursue happiness and liberty. “The Age of Reason represented a genesis in the way man viewed himself, the pursuit of knowledge, and the universe. In this time period, man’s previously held concepts of conduct and thought could now be challenged verbally and in written form; fears of being labeled a heretic or being burned at the stake were done away with” (allabouthistory.org 1). New ideas emerged leading man to explore new areas of life. Christianity was attacked which led many people to reject God, causing an uprising in the Christian society. “In an attempt to divorce himself from the mysticism of the Middle Ages, man during the Age of Reason, applauded intellect and disdained spirit” (allabouthistory.org 2). Many people were oblivious to the world of Christianity, yet those who were not stood strong in their beliefs and knew that God existed due to the fact that nature was so beautiful and that chemicals and gases could not have created such beautiful things. Man was now free to pursue his own theories and existence about the ideas of earth. Although during this time, man sought to believe himself, he missed the basic truths that would have been clear to him if he would have ...

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...at sickness never affected his writing ability and though process. In seventeen thirty-nine, he suffered from a paralytic stroke with subsequent aphasia. “In seventeen forty-five he was declared incapable of caring for himself, and guardians were appointed” (Britannica 5). He later past away on October nineteenth seventeen forty-five and was buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. On his tombstone, it stated, “Where Savage Indignation Can No Longer Tear His Heart” (Britannica 5).

Jonathan Swift was one of the greatest satirist of all time. He is most famous for piece, Gulliver’s Travels. Swift’s works and lifestyle reflect the Humanities of The Age of Reason, thus giving the reader a glimpse of the common man’s life during this time. He was a very intelligent man who had a wide imagination. He faced some struggles in his life, but they never interfered with his mind.

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