The Essence of American Enlightenment

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Table of Contents

Doctrine of the Enlightenment
Native Americans in the Enlightenment
Work Cited

Doctrine of the Enlightenment

The innovative ideas of American enlighteners have determined some of the beliefs that are relevant today. The essence of the presented theory is that the human mind has almost unlimited possibilities. Realizing all the potential that he or she possesses, any person can develop the ability to plan the life correctly, to think big and to do the right things. As Thomas Jefferson claims, tyranny over the mind of man is unacceptable, and nothing should limit the potential of our consciousness (Baym 703). Such an appeal to the mind is an attempt to prove that the possibilities of the mind have no limits. Jefferson’s works likely exemplify the concept best as this figure put much effort to develop such ideas. Perhaps, there is something problematic in this doctrine, for example, its interpretation. It is about the creative potential of consciousness, while someone can suppose that the essence of this theory is the call to actions on the reformation of the surrounding world. Thus, this idea of American Enlightenment has become widespread and quite obviously deserves attention.

Native Americans in the Enlightenment

It would be unfair to assume that the texts of Native Americans did not influence the formation of the era of enlightenment in the New World. In addition to the ideas borrowed from European enlighteners, the great American figures that developed philosophical theories about the essence of people and their purpose in the world also turned to the texts of the Indians. For example, Benjamin Franklin explored the essence of a humble person who was able to achieve success due to the mind (Baym 459). Something similar can be observed in the texts of the Indians, who highly appreciated human modesty and paid much attention to the development of the spiritual side. Another example is the work of Thomas Jefferson, who often wrote about the development of Indian society and noted their high level of their knowledge of the animal and plant world (Baym 708). Thus, it can be noted that some thoughts of the Native American people were used by the enlighteners of that time.

Work Cited

Baym, Nina, et al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Vol. A & B. 8th ed., Package 1, W. W. Norton & Company, 2012.

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The Essence of American Enlightenment

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