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The Philosophical Principles of the Age of Enlightenment, 2003.
The philosophical principles of the Age of Enlightenment as exemplified by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
2,763 words (approx. 11.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 82.95
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Abstract
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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The Ages of Reason and of the Enlightenment, 2007.
This paper discusses the Age of Reason and the Age of Enlightenment and its most prominent philosophers: Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant.
2,680 words (approx. 10.7 pages), 7 sources, APA, $ 80.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, while the Age of Reason is generally considered a separate movement in 17th and early 18th century Europe that evolves into the Age of Enlightenment, both eras are considered to have overlapping boundaries and to be one extended period of intellectual, scientific and philosophical advancement. The author points out that, while Voltaire's most memorable and influential work is "Candide" and Kant is famous for his philosophy of "Universal Law", Rousseau's most meaningful works are his "Second Discourse" and his "Social Contract". The paper concludes that the philosophical writings and intellectual discoveries of the philosophers of the Ages of Reason and of Enlightenment helped to start the American and French Revolutions.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Voltaire
Jean Jacques Rousseau
Immanuel Kant
Conclusion: The "Enlightenment" led to the American and French Revolutions
From the Paper
"Rousseau's logic was that disobedience, then, would be "legitimate" as soon as "sufficient power was acquired." Part of what Rousseau was accomplishing in this writing was a rebuttal to Hobbes, who had asserted in chapters 5 and 6 of "De Cive" and ..., that right and force should always go hand-in-hand. Hobbes' reasoning was that mere words (laws), without the "sword" to back them up, were not sufficient to stay the course. You can't just issue degrees without having the use of force lurking in the background to make sure those degrees have some "teeth" so to speak. But Rousseau rejected that idea."
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Three Philosophers and a Revolution, 2002.
A study of the age of enlightenment and the French Revolution, focusing on three major philosophers, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau.
2,803 words (approx. 11.2 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 83.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the philosophers Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau and discusses their opinions on the French Revolution. The paper looks at each stage of the revolution and provides an outline of various topics concerning enlightenment. The connection between the age of enlightenment and the French Revolution is also explored in this paper.
From the Paper
"The Age of Enlightenment was a period in time culminating during the 18th century when the trends of thought changed in Europe. The French Revolution was a series of events at the turn of the 19th century in France that changed all aspects of French life. The sequential alignment of these eras in history is hardly coincidence; in fact, there is much of a cause-effect relationship. In this paper we will explore this connection. Vitally involved in this progression of thought and action are the philosophes, intellectual men that drove the advent of scientific inquiry Three major philosophes were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Among many others, their ideas were molded and manifested into political, social, and economic institutions across Europe, climaxing in historical landmarks like the French Revolution. This paper will explore the connections between these Enlightenment leaders and the French Revolution."
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Philosophers Immanuel Kant and Gotthold Lessing, 2008.
Compares Immanuel Kant's "An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?" and Gotthold Lessing's "Ernst and Falk, Dialogues for Freemasons".
1,695 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews the contents of Immanuel Kant's "An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?" and Gotthold Lessing's "Ernst and Falk, Dialogues for Freemasons". The paper explores the similarities and differences between the two essays and points out that, although the two essays share a fundamental similarity, in that both authors believe in advocating for a better society, they differ in their views about the extent and method of this betterment.
From the Paper
"Further, both the authors recognize the importance of a few enlightened members of society spreading their thoughts to others. In adding to their numbers, the Freemasons do not hold loud membership rallies, but consider new members through conversation - as Falk is doing with Ernst. In this way they are able to feel out if a potential has the right character to be a true Freemason, rather than merely a rote repeater of the accepted dogma. Kant's enlightened men publish their works correctly in their public life and gather to them other like-minded thinkers."
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Enlightened Self-Interest, 2003.
A study of the role of self-interest in moral philosophy.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the role that self-interest plays in moral philosophy. The paper critiques the argument made by a number of philosophers that our ultimate self-interest is to attain happiness, and that the pursuit of happiness will itself cause us to make moral choices.
From the Paper
"What possible reasons might Abraham Lincoln have had for wanting to put himself to some inconvenience to rescue piglets from a slough. The simplest reason might be to spare himself from the annoying unpleasant sounds of the squealing..."
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Enlightened Despotism, 1999.
Examines the theory, three examples (Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia and President Franklin Roosevelt), benefits and the problem of succession.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, $ 55.95
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Abstract
The political doctrine of enlightened despotism, after enjoying great prestige in the 18th century, has fallen on hard times in the 19th and 20th centuries. On the level of political theory, it was eclipsed first, in the late 18th century and through much of the 19th century, by the doctrine of limited constitutionalism, whether republican or constitutional monarchy.
From the Paper
"The political doctrine of enlightened despotism, after enjoying great prestige in the 18th century, has fallen on hard times in the 19th and 20th centuries. On the level of political theory, it was eclipsed first, in the late 18th century and through much of the 19th century, by the doctrine of limited constitutionalism, whether republican or constitutional monarchy. In the 20th century, it has been eclipsed even more forcibly by the doctrine of democracy. Even political systems that are in practice purely despotic now tend to veil themselves in the forms of parliamentary democracy.
Thus, few today will say a good word for despotism, enlightened or otherwise. Yet a strong argument can be made that, in practice, only an enlightened despot can intelligently solve a country's problems, particularly when that country is ..."
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The American and His Enlightened Riches, 2008.
A look at the legacy of the American Revolution.
1,079 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how since declaring its independence after the American Revolution on July 4, 1776, America has been built upon the rights and privileges of security, personal independence, and equality. It contends that, through Enlightenment's beliefs in reason, idealism, and freedom, America, became the most perfect place to reside in the world and how, inspired by the era of concrete truth, emphasized through science's empirical approach, the authors of the U.S. Constitution have made America the wonderfully free-willed, successfully tolerant nation it is today.
From the Paper
"Sustained from obtaining security in monarchial England, the immigrant in America could enjoy personal independence like the native-born in the nation. Rooted in English soil, deprivation by the weeds of dignitaries and the upper-class was routine to the common man just trying to make a living for himself or his family. In the wonderful nation of America, though, according to Crevecoeur, "[people] have no princes, for whom [they] toil, starve, and bleed; [making us] the most perfect society now existing in the world" (597). As a US citizen, all were, whether foreign or native, rich or poor, entitled to work where they chose, when they chose, and above all for prosperity. Gain was not selective, reserved only for a select few. Along with this, the American's independence extends well beyond occupation, into all other aspects of his or her life, including religion. "
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Orgon and Candide, 2002.
Discusses these primary characters in the works "Candide" and "Tartuffe" by Enlightenment philosophers, Voltaire and Moliere respectively.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 2 sources, $ 44.95
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Abstract
Both Voltaire and Moliere concentrated on expanding the period of Enlightenment with the exploration of the human soul through growth and change in literature. The philosophers of the Age of Reason (the Enlightenment) believed that each person has a rational will, which makes it possible to make and carry out plans. Animals, they declared, are slaves of their emotions. When an animal is afraid of something, it tries to escape. When an animal is angry, it fights. However, people can figure out the best course of action when they are afraid, angry, or in trouble. In addition, people can make themselves do the right thing, instead of doing only what may seem easier or more appealing. Both Voltaire and Moliere promoted these concepts and employed them directly within their respective works "Candide" and "Tartuffe". It is the purpose of this paper to examine the primary characters of "Candide" and Orgon separately and together to form a larger concept of who they were and what they represented in their stories.
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The French Revolution, 2006.
This paper discusses that the ideas of three Enlightenment philosophers--- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, David Hume and Edmund Burke----which were related to the French Revolution.
1,675 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Rousseau, a proponent of equality and freedom, in his "The Social Contract" passionately argued that common consensus should derive each law; whereby the French Revolution saw the end of absolutism in France and the creation of National Assembly, a representative body from among the masses. The author points out that Enlightenment ideas, which were put forth by Hume, furiously attacked religion, especially the Catholic Church, for yielding too much power and spreading falsehoods; whereby, the denouncement of religion is reflected in the French Revolution in the legislation of the "Civil Constitution of the Clergy". The paper relates that, on the other hand, the French Revolution had its critics, such as Edmund Burke, who saw the bloody revolution as corrupt and a threat to traditional establishments.
From the Paper
"Edmund Burke also views the National Assembly as a corrupt, impractical body. He believes that the masses are utterly ignorant and for leaders to follow them could be disastrous. Here Burke dismisses Rousseau's idea of the general will as he does not believe the masses are capable of policy making. Burke writes, "In this political traffic, the leaders will be obliged to bow to the ignorance of their followers, and the followers to become subservient to the worst designs of their leaders." Unlike Rousseau, Burke believes that the right to vote should only lie in the educated, property owning class."
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The Enlightenment and the Reformation, 2007.
This paper compares the social, economic and intellectual causes of the Enlightenment and of the Reformation.
990 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, unlike the gradual, cultural shift of ideas and attitudes, which characterized the Enlightenment, the Protestant Reformation had concrete institutional causes and was a profound institutional change in the governmental and religious structure of Europe. The author points out that the Enlightenment, which ultimately spawned the American and French Revolutions of the late 18th century, was not spurred into being by an increasingly strong set of nation-states like the Reformation but rather by the increasingly weak, corrupt and ossified monarchies of Europe, such as Louis of France and George of Great Britain. The paper relates that the intent of the Enlightenment philosophers was not to reject tradition in their quest for knowledge or to eradicate entirely the institutions, which had stimulated their own intellectual development.
From the Paper
"During the pre-Reformation, the age of the Renaissance, secular kingdoms with increasingly powerful chief executives and the decline of feudalism weakened the Pope's role in the political power plays of Europe. Before, popes had great power as they were the strongest land-owners in Europe, but now princes began to command armies of lords--secular power was less diffuse. And by far, the most famous allegations of Martin Luther against the Catholic Church were its sale of indulgences, which seemed to embody the church's craven and worldly institutional nature."
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French Enlightenment, 2004.
An analysis of the economic and political situation of France during the enlightenment period.
1,060 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the failure of enlightened absolutism in France. The paper examines two philosophes that became significant to the progress and development of the enlightenment in France: Montesquieu and Jean Jacques Rousseau. The paper contends that because of the incompatibility of the reform enforced by the French society during the Revolution, France was not able to successfully use the principles of the enlightenment towards material and social progress.
From the Paper
"The dawn of the 18th century saw the emergence of a period that eventually determined the future of modern society-that is, the Age of Enlightenment. Under the Age of Enlightenment, the prevalent ideology is that it is possible for people to formulate and enforce reform and changes in the society. Social reform is especially applicable in the European experience, wherein the rigid and conservative influence of Christianity has led to the development of a society that is characteristically theocentric."
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The Age of Enlightenment, 2005.
An assessment of enlightenment, thought and the works of key Enlightenment figures.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper explores some of the key ideas and participants in the Age of Enlightenment. The paper examines the Age of Enlightenment, in terms of its significance on influencing the historical record. It describes this period of philosophical advancement and discusses how the period was affected by the Age of Reason in which scientific theories were explored with increasing significance, and how that gave rise to a new understanding of humankind's relationship with the world.
From the Paper
"Assessing Enlightenment Thought and the Works of Key Enlightenment Figures Introduction When examined in terms of its significance on influencing the historical record, the Age of Enlightenment was one of the most profoundly significant periods in European history. The Enlightenment is a period of philosophical advancement that, when coupled with the corresponding Age of Reason in which scientific theories were explored with increasing significance, gave rise to a new understanding of humankind's relationship with the world. This paper shall explore some of the key ideas and participants in the Age of Enlightenment. The Principles and Participants in the Age of Enlightenment The concept of empirical thought was fundamental to the Age of Enlightenment; while brief glimpses of empiricism were seen in the Renaissance, those active within the Enlightenment tended to perceive associations between objects that were directly caused by action and reaction (Gay, 12-13)."
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Jewish Philosopher Baruch Spinoza, 2005.
This paper discusses Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza, a controversial figure in the history of Jewish thought, who was not a rabbi.
2,615 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 78.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Baruch Spinoza, the first Jewish pantheist, rejected the monopoly held by the clergy over the political power in the Jewish community, was a champion of intellectual freedom and had followers including members of the Islamic community. The author points out that Spinoza was one of the first philosophers to marry Jewish thought with the emerging ideas of the Enlightenment and was more receptive to contemporary Western thought than any Jewish philosopher since Maimonides. The paper relates that Spinoza went to Constantinople, where Jews were emancipated; the community in Constantinople contributed to Spinoza's ideas of intellectual freedom and, in 1664, Spinoza published the "Treatise on God, Man and his Well-Being" marrying Jewish scripture to contemporary philosophy.
From the Paper
"However controversial, Spinoza's viewpoint on God was not unprecedented. Spinoza's version of God was firmly planted in Mediaeval Jewish mysticism, which was closely allied to the Neo-Platonic philosophical tradition of Late Antiquity, as it had been developed during the 9th Century intellectual development of Islam. "The fundamental thing to keep in mind when thinking about Spinoza is one simple, striking, and paradoxical proposition: God is the only thing that exists." The idea is not that God is everything, but that nothing can exist independently from God. While reductionists may want to claim Spinoza as their own, Spinoza envisioned a thinking God. In addition, "although Spinoza was condemned by his community for the heresy of saying that God has a body," he actually believed that God was much more than a body."
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Enlightenment and the French Revolution, 2004.
A discussion on the effect of the Enlightenment on the French Revolution of 1789.
3,321 words (approx. 13.3 pages), 7 sources, APA, $ 94.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how revolutionary changes in the leadership of 18th century France did not occur overnight or with some sudden spark of defiance by citizens. It looks at how the events and ideals that led to the French Revolution were part of a gradual, yet dramatic, trend toward individualism, freedom, liberty, self-determination, and self-reliance, which had been evolving over years in Europe, and which would be called the Enlightenment. It examines and analyses the dynamics of the Enlightenment, and also those individuals who contributed to the growth of the Enlightenment and to the ultimate demise of the Monarchy, in terms of what affect it had on the French Revolution.
Outline
Thesis
Introduction to the French Revolution
Social Issues leading up to the French Revolution
The Enlightenment?s Historical Origins
The Scientific Revolution was one of the Engines Driving the Enlightenment
Michel de Montaigne, Charles Montesquieu and Rene Descartes
Enlightenment Heavyweights: Voltaire vs. Rousseau
Rousseau?s Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
The Enlightenment?s Direct Impact on the Revolution
Conclusion
From the Paper
"When the legitimate question is raised as to what role, if any, The Enlightenment played in the French Revolution, the best evidence from credible historic sources is that The Enlightenment did indeed play an important role in the transformation of key social and political dynamics leading up to and through the French Revolution. The trends in the early to middle 18th Century indicate that Europeans were in the midst of dramatic social change. For one, secularization was taking place: the Church was losing its once-powerful position; people were no longer true and total believers in the Church?s dogma that citizens would be damned if they strayed to a place outside the boundaries of the Church?s influence."
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Immanuel Kant on the Enlightenment, 2006.
Presents general reflections on Immanuel Kant's work, "What is Enlightenment?".
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 2 sources, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This essay discusses philosopher Immanuel Kant's approach to the Enlightenment as presented in his work, "What is Enlightenment". The author of the paper addresses the following questions: Why did Kant choose to address the Enlightenment as he did? Is his approach as narrow as it seems to be? What exactly was the Enlightenment? Was it arborescent or rhizomatic? Depending on how it is defined, what approach should be taken to this phenomenon?
From the Paper
"The Enlightenment is an enigma in that it represents an abrupt transition from the thought of the preceding period with a subsequent transformation of all social and cultural institutions. Yet, Kant treats the Enlightenment by using an apparently very narrow focus which leads to numerous problems. "
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