Age of Enlightenment

24 January 2007

Age of Enlightenment

How did enlightenment change basic Western attitudes toward reform faith , and reason

Essentially , enlightenment overturned the basic Western attitudes toward reform , faith , and reason because what it did was change the entire Western value system by basing everything that one understands and values on what can be proven by fact and not faith (Harris , et al 1997 . Therefore , the religion that most people were raised with was brought into question

What were the major formative influences on the philosophers

By basing one 's

perceptions on all that exists on that which can be proven , in a sense placing science over philosophy or religion , rather than what one believes without seeing conclusive proof , the philosophers of the enlightenment came under closer scrutiny , as people to believe what they could perceive with their senses rather than an abstract idea as in philosophy (Harris , et al , 1997

How important were Voltaire and the Encyclopedia in the success of the enlightenment

Voltaire and the Encyclopedia were very important in the success of the enlightenment because of Voltaire 's writings which advocated the superiority of the natural world over the supernatural world , one of the major theories of the enlightenment , and the Encyclopedia presented solid , provable facts rather than abstractions of faith , for example (Brumfitt , 1958

Why did philosophers consider organized religion to be the greatest enemy

Philosophers considered organized religion to be the greatest enemy because of its control over the minds and wills of individuals , as well as its ability to discourage the kind of analytical thinking that made philosophy popular (Harris , et al , 1997

What were the basic tenets of deism

The basic tenets of deism were the belief that the nature of God is based not on supernatural factors , but on what can be observed in the natural world and therefore proven , the superiority of the individual over faith itself , and an opposition of organized religion (Stromberg 1954

How did Jewish contribute to enlightenment

Jewish contribute to enlightenment in large part due to their support of increased involvement of Jews in the general society bringing them from strictly sacred thinking into something a bit more secular (Steinberg , 1978

What were the attitudes of the philosophers toward women

Generally , philosophers saw women as subordinates to men (Harris , et al 1960

What was Rousseau`s view of women

Rosseau 's view was that women were subordinate to men (Stark , 1960

What were the separate spheres he images men and women occupying

Rosseau imagines men being engaged in government , commerce and the daily workings of society , whereas women are nurturers of men , educators , and the like (Stark , 1960

What were Mary Wollstonecraft`s criticisms of Rousseau`s view

Wollstonecraft , in her beliefs and writings , maintained that women had an important role in the natural and religious world , which goes against Rosseau 's view of subordination of women in opposition to men ( Johnson 2002

How did views of mercantilists about the earths resources differ from those of Adam Smith...