The
Age of Enlightenment or
The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in
Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the
eighteenth century, in which
Reason was advocated as the primary source and basis of authority. Developing in
Germany,
France, the
Netherlands and
Britain, the movement spread through much of
Europe, including
Russia and
Scandinavia. The signatories of the
American Declaration of Independence, the
United States Bill of Rights and the French
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen were motivated by "Enlightenment" principles (although the
English Bill of Rights predates the era).
The intellectual and philosophical developments of that age (and their impact in moral and social reform) aspired towards governmental consolidation, centralization and primacy of the nation-state, and greater rights for common people. There was also a strong attempt to supplant the authority of aristocracy and established churches in social and political life forces that were viewed as reactionary, oppressive and superstitious.
The term came into use in English during the mid-nineteenth century,[1] with particular reference to French philosophy, as the equivalent of a term then in use by German writers, Zeitalter der Aufklärung, signifying generally the philosophical outlook of the eighteenth century.
The terminology Enlightenment or Age of Enlightenment does not represent a single movement or school of thought, for these philosophies were often mutually contradictory or divergent. The Enlightenment was less a set of ideas than it was a set of attitudes. At its core was a critical questioning of traditional institutions, customs, and morals. Some classifications of this period also include the late 17th century, which is typically known as the Age of Reason or Age of Rationalism.[2]
