Paper Summary:

This paper provides a comprehensive background on the historical context of the Age of Enlightenment. It explains that the philosophical principles of the Age of Enlightenment encompassed a number of important doctrines, but the underlying premise was that of logic and reason applied scientifically to faith and religion, social order, and government. It examines the ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who contributed a number of arguments suggesting that a ?social contract? be established, so that the State and Man should work hand in hand in order to establish moral equality.

From the Paper:

"Rousseau makes several suggestions as to how a true civil society would function. One, that private property is a cause of a lot of problems when it comes to equality and liberty of the people, and should be considered less equal. Two, that the legislator should embody the ideas of the social contract. Three, that in addition to people's private faith that there should exist a civil religion of a general belief as to keeping the society linked together by this bond."

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