Ideologies

Paper Summary:

In this essay the writer maintains that enlightenment is one of those important movements that defined a major part of 17th and 18th century and influenced art, philosophy and literature of the time. The writer notes that enlightenment thinkers shaped the very way political and economy worked in Europe because their enlightened thinking compelled them to shatter old established norms and develop new and better ones. The writer also discusses that the most profound impact of the industrialization revolution could be seen in the area of middle class, which expanded dramatically because of rising demand for professionals in industries. The writer points out that the industrial revolution and the concern for working classes gave rise to the theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

From the Paper:

"Church was the main bone of contention. It was religion that enlightenment thinkers chose to humanize. They were not interested in accepting a religion that came from aristocratic principles of the Church instead they wanted to make religion easier and more accessible to an ordinary man. Enlightenment influenced different aspects of life including religion, politics, society and history. In each of these fields, they tried to introduce logic and reason and tried to maintain distance from religion. Intellect was freed from the jaws of religion and natural science became one of the most favorite subjects of Enlightenment thinkers."
"Closely aligned with the Enlightenment was the French Revolution. It would not be wrong to claim that French Revolution had its seeds in enlightenment movement which allowed people to see that their wretched condition was not pre-ordained and that they could change it."

Sample of Sources Used:

• What is Enlightenment? 18th Century Answers, 20th Century Questions, ed. by James B. Schmidt (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1996).
• Peter N. Stearns, The Industrial Revolution in World History. Publisher: Westview Press. Place of Publication: Boulder, CO. Publication Year: 1998.
• Henri Peyre, The Influence of Eighteenth Century Ideas on the French Revolution, from The Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. X, 1949

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