ntiorew.blogg.se - The age of reason

It emphasizes evidence, especially data gathered through experimentation and use of the scientific method. empiricism The theory that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience.

While other knowledge could be a figment of imagination, deception, or mistake, Descartes asserted that the very act of doubting one’s own existence served-at minimum-as proof of the reality of one’s own mind. This proposition became a fundamental element of Western philosophy, as it purported to form a secure foundation for knowledge in the face of radical doubt. cogito ergo sum A Latin philosophical proposition by René Descartes usually translated into English as “I think, therefore I am.” The phrase originally appeared in his Discourse on the Method. scientific method A body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge that apply empirical or measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning. It has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting of systematic observation, measurement, and experimentation, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses. In the sciences, its methodologies attempt to explain entire systems in terms of their individual, constituent parts and interactions. Key Terms reductionism Several related but distinct philosophical positions regarding the connections between theories, “reducing” one idea to another, more basic one. Although they did eventually inspire the struggles for rights of people of color, women, or the working masses, most Enlightenment thinkers did not advocate equality for all, regardless of race, gender, or class, but rather insisted that rights and freedoms were not hereditary. Historians of race, gender, and class note that Enlightenment ideals were not originally envisioned as universal in the today’s sense of the word.In religion, Enlightenment era commentary was a response to the preceding century of religious conflict in Europe. It brought political modernization to the West. The Enlightenment has long been hailed as the foundation of modern Western political and intellectual culture.

Science came to play a leading role in Enlightenment discourse and thought.

A second, more moderate variety sought accommodation between reform and the traditional systems of power and faith. The radical Enlightenment advocated democracy, individual liberty, freedom of expression, and eradication of religious authority.

There were two distinct lines of Enlightenment thought.

The cultural exchange during the Age of Enlightenment ran between particular European countries and also in both directions across the Atlantic.

The Enlightenment took hold in most European countries, often with a specific local emphasis.

French historians usually place the period between 17. Most scholars use the last years of the century, often choosing the French Revolution of 1789 or the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1804–15) to date the end of the Enlightenment.

There is little consensus on the precise beginning of the Age of Enlightenment, but the beginning of the 18th century (1701) or the middle of the 17th century (1650) are commonly identified as starting points.

Centered on the idea that reason is the primary source of authority and legitimacy, this movement advocated such ideals as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.

The Age of Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe in the 18th century.