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The influence of enlightenment on American society
The influence of enlightenment on American society
The background of Enlightenment
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The Enlightenment was a very vital time in which humans wanted to improve and understand society more in depth. During The Age of Reason (another name for the Enlightenment) four important people were around. They went by the names of Locke, Voltaire, Smith, and Wollstonecraft, also known as the four philosophers. But what were their main idea and goals in all of this? That’s where their beliefs came in: freedom of religion, freedom of economics, freedom of government, and gender equality. The Enlightenment nails down all of these subjects.
During the time of 1694 a man called Voltaire had a thought about something. What would it be like in the world if religion wasn’t such a complicated subject? Voltaire in the article quotes, “Take a view
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Gender equality was always a huge conflict, and Wollstonecraft noticed it. Women back then were not as equally treated as men. She quotes in the paragraph, “To render [make] mankind more virtuous and happier, of course, both sexes must act from the same principle;... women must be allowed to found virtue of knowledge, which is scarcely possible unless they be educated by the same pursuits [studies] as men. For they are now made so inferior by ignorance and low desires, as not to deserve to be ranked with them…” (Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792) Wollstonecraft wanted women to be equally treated as men were, saying they should be able to have proper education, rights to the law, and respect just in general. Women were treated horribly for years in the olden ages. It wasn’t until recently they were considered the same as men. Women had zero rights and could not vote like men could. They were more than expected to worship their husbands with respect and not to steer away from their orders. Women were forced to stay home and be housewives: cooking for the family, sewing, doing house chores, and watching over their children. They did not receive proper education and were looked down upon by society. They tried to make the female race look idiotic and lower class. Wollstonecraft saw all of this occurring and had enough of it. She knew she was a powerful and a strong willed lady, knowing she could do something to stop this dread for females, nevermore that is why women in society today are finally equal. Wollstonecraft really changed history for us and we need to thank
The philosopher’s main idea of equality can be seen through the ideas and thoughts of Voltaire and Mary Wollstonecraft. In Document B it says “If one religion only were allowed in England, the government would very possibly become arbitrary (unrestrained); if there were but two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all live happy and in peace.” Voltaire, a French Enlightenment philosopher, says if religious choice is restricted then bitterness arises and different religious groups will go after each other's throats. He believes that if freedom of religion is allowed within a state than people can live peacefully with one another since no one would feel superior to another. John Locke’s ideas on creating a government by the people and Voltaire’s ideas on practicing any religion shows how many enlightenment philosophers wanted people to live peacefully with others and the society.
She was looking to make women as equal as men were back then. “To render [make] mankind more virtuous, and happier of course, both sexes must act from the same principle;... women must be allowed to found their virtue on knowledge , which is scarcely possible unless they be educated by the same pursuits [studies] as men.” Mary Wollstonecraft On National Education. This quote tell us that if women got the same education as men did they would be just as smart.
Mary Wollstonecraft lived in a time where women had no right to vote, no right to education beyond what their mother or governess taught them, and basically no right to individuality or an opinion. They were considered possessions and virtually had no mind of their own. She realized that this was a problem of society and openly voiced her opinions on the matter. She wrote the book A Vindication of the Rights of Women in response to a literary response to the society's so-called proper behavior of a woman and what her rights should be. But her opinions were brought on by more that the ability to think for herself; she suffered much during her childhood and throughout the years to come. Wollstonecraft dealt with the beating of her mother and sister, death of a close friend, and even a nervous breakdown of her sister. Her own experiences in her life inspired her to write a book that would cause her to be criticized harshly for her radical views.
Setting up what might turn into a typical subject all through much women 's activist written work, Wollstonecraft directs her investigate on two fronts: from one viewpoint, she reprimands patriarchal society (as it would later be called) for the unreasonable way it restrains ladies ' rights, and also their chance for instruction, self-expression, and financial autonomy; while then again, she scrutinizes ladies for becoming tied up femininity which, in her perspective, transforms ladies into unimportant "spaniels" and 'toys '. Wollstonecraft 's answer was better instruction for young ladies, not the allowing of equivalent rights. So in this sense, one may say women 's liberation starts not with Wollstonecraft yet rather with the different Women 's Suffrage developments that sprang up in the mid
Indisputably, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the most influential figures of Enlightenment, also considered the ‘first feminist’. It is certain that her works and writing has influenced the lives of many women and altered the outlook of some societies on women, evolving rights of women a great deal from what they used to be in her time. It is clear that Wollstonecraft’s arguments and writing will remain applicable and relevant to societies for many years to come, as although there has been progression, there has not been a complete resolution. Once women receive so easily the freedom, rights and opportunities that men inherently possess, may we be able to say that Wollstonecraft has succeeded in vindicating the rights of women entirely.
In David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and Voltaire’s Candide, both writers illustrate a world where humans are in a constant state of misery. In Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, three philosophers named Demea, Cleanthes, and Philo argue and debate on the existence and nature of God. During this argument, the question of evil and how it contradicts with God’s perfect benevolence is raised. Thus, Hume brings into discussion a much broader and deeper question than that of the existence and nature of a perfect, divine being. The existence of happiness on Earth thrown into the debate. Like Hume, Voltaire also brings into the discussion of happiness through his satirical text, Candide. This is shown through the philosophy of
Mary Wollstonecraft was as revolutionary in her writings as Thomas Paine. They were both very effective writers and conveyed the messages of their ideas quite well even though both only had only the most basic education. Wollstonecraft was a woman writing about women's rights at a time when these rights were simply non-existent and this made her different from Paine because she was breaking new ground, thus making her unique. Throughout her lifetime, Wollstonecraft wrote about the misconception that women did not need an education, but were only meant to be submissive to man. Women were treated like a decoration that had no real function except to amuse and beguile. Wollstonecraft was the true leader in women's rights, advocating a partnership in relationships and marriage rather than a dictatorship. She was firm in her conviction that education would give women the ability to take a more active role in life itself.
The Enlightenment is a unique time in European history characterized by revolutions in science, philosophy, society, and politics. These revolutions put Europe in a transition from the medieval world-view to the modern western world. The traditional hierarchical political and social orders from the French monarchy and Catholic Church were destroyed and replaced by a political and social order from the Enlightenment ideals of freedom and equality(Bristow, 1). Many historians, such as Henry Steele Commager, Peter Gay, have studied the Enlightenment over the years and created their own views and opinions.
The views of philosophers such as Voltaire are considered to be the source of many essential changes in countries such as America and France. His views on religion, government, and freedom are what people remember most because they have not died out in today’s society.
Furthermore, Voltaire remained in England for three years while publishing an English version of the La Henriade, an essay concerning the defense of religious toleration.3 Aft...
On November 24, 1694, Voltaire was born François-Marie Arouet to an upper middle-class family in Paris, France. Throughout his life, Voltaire wrote numerous philosophical works including poems, plays, and books. Next to Montesquieu, Locke, Rousseau and others, Voltaire is known as one of the greatest French Enlightenment writers. His works, and the works of other Enlightenment writers, influenced both the French and the American revolutions.
Voltaire an eighteenth century French philosopher and prolific writer is well known for his literary satirical attacks. One of Voltaire's attacks was of traditional Christianity and the Catholic church in On Toleration. He criticized the church on the grounds that it was overly superstitious. There were many superstitions that were held by the church: a geocentric universe, the tides not being due to gravity, a rainbow not being a phenomenon of light, etc. Voltaire felt that the most grievous of these superstitions was the belief that only those who follow their own religion are given eternal salvation and all others will suffer eternal damnation. The result of this was severe persecution of those who had a faith other than their own. Voltaire's satirical view of this is evident when he says, 'And is it not evident that it would be even more reasonable to worship the sacred navel, the sacred prepuce, and the milk and dress of the Virgin Mary, than to detest and persecute one's brother'; (1109). Assuredly Voltaire believed that it was incredibly foolish of humankind to persecute their fellow men for having beliefs that did not coincide exactly with their own. His detest of such actions can be inferred from his suggestions that the worship of such bizarre things as the sacred navel, foreskin, and the dress and milk of Heavenly Mother being more sensible than the great persecutions of people based on religious pretext. Voltaire did not feel that this was what religion was about. He felt the true religion to be 'The Golden Rule';, that is to love thy neighbor as thyself. This becomes evident in Voltaire's Religion.
Women today are still viewed as naturally inferior to men, despite the considerable progress done to close this gap. Females have made a huge difference in their standing from 200 years ago. Whether anyone is sexist or not, females have made considerable progress from where they started, but there is still a long journey ahead. Mary Wollstonecraft was an advocate of women 's rights, a philosopher, and an English writer. One of Wollstonecraft’s best works was “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” (1792). In her writing, she talks about how both men and women should be treated equal, and reasoning could create a social order between the two. In chapter nine of this novel, called “Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society,”
Mary Wollstonecraft was a self-educated, radical philosopher who wrote about liberation, and empowering women. She had a powerful voice on her views of the rights of women to get good education and career opportunities. She pioneered the debate for women’s rights inspiring many of the 19th and the 20th century’s writers and philosophers to fight for women’s rights, as well. She did not only criticize men for not giving women their rights, she also put a blame on women for being voiceless and subservient. Her life and, the surrounding events of her time, accompanied by the strong will of her, had surely affected the way she chose to live her life, and to form her own philosophies.
The Enlightenment emphasized rationalism, liberalism, individualism and equality, along with the ideas of human reason. The men and women of the Enlightenment movement aimed for social reforms in their European societies. Thinkers of this movement wanted to build a new society that wasn’t based on the ideas of religion or the Church, but rather a