Western Civilization Assessment II and II Essay Questions

Question 1

The popularity of the novel in the 18th century showed , first , the love men had of immersing themselves in philosophy and reason . Whereas , now many people will not pick up a book unless they have to , novels were devoured in the 18th century . Society , then , was in love with thinking and reading . The novel also gave a voice to those who would otherwise not have had one . As politics and society began to change in the 18th Century , women , who had previously been silent , began to write novels Madame de

Stall , for instance , was banished for questioning those who ruled her , yet , through her novels she continued to throw stones at the establishment . Women were not , of course , alone . Other thinkers , mostly middle class , began to speak through novels (Goodden , 2008 ) Indeed , a whole host of Philosophes published their ideas . Voltaire , Rousseau , and Diderot , for instance , all wrote down their ideas . Their novels were so appealing because they were clear , simple and passionate . They voiced the concerns of the common man and spoke out against the evils citizens had been facing from country to country

Other novels tapped in to men 's love of the romantic . When information and entertainment were combined , they became irresistible

Question 2

Although the ideas of the enlightened thinkers were many and varied most valued progress - social and intellectual . Most seem to have , as their aim , a better life for men . This often meant championing political rule or representation of the common man...