Philosophy developed by thinkers such as Isaac Newton and John Locke, who argued that the universe is arranged in an orderly system, and that by the application of reason and intellect, human beings are capable of apprehending that system. Their philosophy represented a radical shift from earlier notions that the world is ordered by a stern, inscrutable God whose plans are beyond human understanding and whose will can only be known through religious revelation.
a philosophical movement of the 18th century marked by the rejection of traditional ideals for rationalism
An 18th-century intellectual movement arguing that human reason could be used to combat ignorance, superstition and tyranny and to build a better world. The Enlightenment had profound consequences for the intellectual and political development of western Europe - and beyond.
The eighteenth-century philosophical movement which exalted intellectual freedom and moral autonomy.
A philosophical movement of the eighteenth century that celebrated reason - clarity of thought and statement, scientific thinking, and a person's ability to perfect oneself. Leading figures of the Enlightenment include Voltaire, Pope, Swift, and Kant.
A philosophical movement which developed in Europe in the 1600s and peaked in the 1880s, celebrating reason, the scientific method, and human beings' ability to perfect themselves and their society.
Eighteenth-century, Western-dominated movement that believed in reason, freedom, and progress.
a movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions
A philosophical movement of the 18th century that emphasized the use of reason to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms
An eighteenth century philosophical movement marked by a belief in human reason, often characterised by 'stoicism' towards grief and adversity.
From the mid 17th century to the late 18th century in western Europe, when reason, clear thinking and writing was emphasised. It was thought that reason would solve all problems and the period is also referred to as the Age of Reason.
The term is rooted in an intellectual scepticism for traditional beliefs and dogmas. Denotes an illuminated contrast to the supposed dark and superstitious character of the Middle Ages.
a period of European intellectual history that covers roughly the 18th century and is characterized by great optimism in the triumph of reason over tradition and religious authority. Reason and rationality became the "religion" of many, particularly in France, England, and Germany.
Refers to a period of time in Europe from the late seventeenth through the eighteenth century, also called the Age of Reason, in which reason, human progress, and order were venerated. The Enlightenment intensified the process of secularization that had begun during the Renaissance and favored the use of empirical science to resolve social problems. Enlightenment philosophers questioned the existing forms of education and politics and fought tyrannical and social injustice. Enlightenment ideas led to the American and French Revolutions in the late 1700s. Leading philosophers also questioned the Bible and gave rise to a new movement of freethinkers -- people who rejected the church's dogma and encouraged rational inquiry and speculation.
(aka "Age of Reason") Period of history which began in the late seventeenth century and continued until 1789. A time when philosophy began to stress individuality. Freedom of speech and thought. The American "Declaration of Independence" is made up of Enlightenment doctrine. N O U V W X menu
The intellectual movement in modern Europe from the sixteenth until the eighteenth centuries that maintained that human reason could understand the world and guide all human conduct.
(English) A philosophical movement of the 18th century, first developed in western Europe, and also known as the "Age of Reason." The Enlightenment brought empirical methods to science and held that social, intellectual and scientific progress could be achieved through reason.
level: Introductory (1) [ order by level] European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries in which reason, rather than superstition and religion, were the basis for man's understanding of the world.
(1) An intellectual movement in modern Europe from the sixteenth until the eighteenth centuries that believed in the power of human reason to understand the world and to guide human conduct. (2) For Buddhists, the state of Enlightenment or nirvana is the goal of human existence.
An 18th-century movement that focused on the ideals of good sense, benevolence, and a belief in liberty, justice, and equality as the natural rights of man.
An intellectual and cultural development which emphasized the ability of human reason to grasp the ultimate meaning of life and creation in terms of self-evident truths. It was widespread in western Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Name given to the body of 18th-century philosophy emphasizing the triumph of Reason; it also refers to the period of prominence of such philosophies.
truth, justice and happiness as obtained through knowledge and reason (so named by Habermas).
a world-view has played a large role in shaping the modern mind. The three central concepts of the Enlightenment were the use of reason, the scientific method, and progress. (p. 605)
The eighteenth-century philosophical movement in Europe and America which emphasized intellectual freedom and reason over tradition, questioning of authority, and an empirical approach to science. While it was the birth of secularism and its representatives were hostile to Catholic and Protestant orthodoxy, most thought belief in God, freedom, and immortality was consistent with reason. Return to Theme
Philosophical and spiritual movement in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, concerned with the relationship of God, nature, reason, and man, often challenging the tenets of conventional Christianity.
also known as the Age of Reason. A social movement which arose during the 18th century, and built upon ideas such as empiricism, rationality, free will, humanism, and natural law.
Intellectual movement centered in France during the 18th century; featured scientific advance, application of scientific methods to study of human society; belief that rational laws could describe social behavior. (p. 536)