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The epoque of Enlightenment was a natural continuation of the Renaissance humanism and rationalism of the beginning of the New Age. While rejecting religious worldview, the Enlightenment appealed to reason as the only criterion for the knowledge of a man and society. In the new conditions of nascent capitalism, society developed the concept of life values, which were based on the unshakable human right to strive for personal success, enrichment, since only wealth opened up the possibility of fuller satisfaction of individual and collective needs. The fundamental conditions for achieving the goals were personal freedom and the sacred right of private property. The key to happiness was seen in the accumulation of knowledge through experience and the possibility of applying it in practice.
These ideas were a stark departure from the views of Renaissance epoque where a man was seen as the subject of creativity and aesthetics, which he learned from God, the creator of man. In the age of Enlightenment, the creative and aesthetic principle of man was supplemented by rational knowledge. The Enlightenment either completely denied religion in its traditional form, or assigned it the role of a moral educator of people.
The epoque of Enlightenment had a large influence on revision of ideas of gender, race, and economic class adopted in the society. Thus, basic rights such as fraternity, freedom, and a right to private property began to be seen as inalienable rights of a person. These ideas put down the basis for the later egalitarian notion that people of all races and sexes are created equal. The idea of every person’s right to private property laid the foundation for the division of people into economic classes as they are seen today.
The ideas of the period of Enlightenment found their portrayal in the texts A modest proposal by Swift and Voltaire. Swift in his article ridiculed the ideas of superiority of some people over others, suggesting eating children born in low-income families (Swift, 2019). By choosing such a devastating example, Swift wanted to show that the ideas of supremacy are equally calamitous and groundless. The article served to promote equality and fraternity that were seen as the defining values in the Enlightenment.
The text Voltaire dwells on the thinker’s philosophical views, many of which echo the principles of philosophical thought of the Enlightenment. Thus, Voltaire believed that everyone should have natural rights such as the right to freedom, security, and private ownership. However, he criticized the concept or equality which was one of the central beliefs of the Enlightenment epoque. Voltaire believed that society should consist of rich and educated people and those who would work for them. He believed that working people do not need education, because their reasoning can be damaging for society.
Historians consider the Enlightenment an epoque that laid down the foundations of modern society and that is responsible for the emergence of revolutionary thought. During this period, the basis of modern democracy was established. The idea of the existence of a social contract, according to which kings and rulers bore responsibility towards people, was later transformed into the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. The concept of religion underwent great changes; the creed, church and state were separated, which significantly reduced the number of wars due to religious differences. This transition culminated in the creation of libraries and universities as well as the opening of museums and cultural centers, since now art and the divine have become the property of man.
Work Cited
Swift, Johnathan (2019). A Modest Proposal. Ebook. Web.
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