Historical Foundations: Events Leading to the Age of Reason
Renaissance
One historical event that led to the emergence of the Age of Reason is the Renaissance. According to Davlatova (2021), the Renaissance period was characterized by a revival of classical antiquity, especially in art. The period was marked by massive social change as people transitioned from the Middle Ages into modernity. The lost Greek and Roman art elements were revived during the time, and multiple changes also occurred to give the art much-needed nuance. In essence, the Renaissance period fueled the age of reason as people began questioning, analyzing, and modifying social and cultural elements.
Scientific Revolution
Another factor that contributed to the Age of Reason is the Scientific Revolution. Jones (2019) writes that the scientific process obsoleted existing views of nature, replacing them with explanations that relied on reason. The period helped achieve milestones in mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry, astronomy, among other areas. Additionally, the period led to a rise in atheism as there was no scientific argument to support the existence of a supreme being. Thus, the scientific revolution modeled human thinking in Europe, leading to the Age of Reason.
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was another crucial event that ushered in the Age of Reason. Nicoll (2023) asserts that many Christians separated from the Roman Catholic church due to doctrine differences, creating the Protestant movement. The new creation among the church led to the generation of multiple doctrines as many Christians differed on the translation of the bible. As a result, many Christian scholars emerged to challenge existing values, norms, and traditions. Therefore, the Protestant Reformation helped create the Age of Reason across Europe.
Philosophy’s Influence: Key Movements and Ideas
Philosophy helped shape thoughts in the Age of Reason. Philosophers used and celebrated sense and the human ability to probe the universe and understand society. For instance, Voltaire and Rousseau pioneered a movement that believed in natural law, experimentation, and observation (Sonnleithner, 2022). Other notable philosophers during the Enlightenment period include Immanuel Kant, John Locke, and David Hume. As much as all philosophers differed in ideologies, they all agreed on the life-transforming power of science.
The Shift from Medieval Philosophy to Modern Thought
The modern age furthered the idea of science to generate discovery. The contemporary period moved away from medieval philosophy because the latter only enhanced the understanding of the universe but failed to offer solutions to many of life’s phenomena, such as commerce. In this case, the movement that French philosopher René Descartes pioneered helped achieve milestones in science, politics, and culture. The modern age also generated significant political revolutions that led to world wars. Powerful nations claimed colonies on other continents, and the slave trade became prevalent. The contemporary era is crucial as it revolutionized industrialization by introducing capitalism.
References
Davlatova, M. K. (2021). The process of transformation of philosophy understanding as factor of information culture of the period of the English renaissance (XVI C.). Oriental Renaissance: Innovative, Educational, Natural and Social Sciences, 1(5), 949-957.
Jones, M. L. (2019). The good life in the scientific revolution: Descartes, Pascal, Leibniz, and the cultivation of virtue. University of Chicago Press.
Nicoll, D. (2023). Reforming France: The Protestant Political Assemblies during the First War of Religion, 1562–1563. In Reading the Reformations (pp. 101-126). Brill. Web.
Sonnleithner, M. (2022). More Voltaire than Rousseau? Deism in the revolutionary cults of reason and the Supreme Being. In Between Secularization and Reform (pp. 160-196). Brill. Web.