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Imagine a bunch of nobles in coats, wigs, and dresses speaking and dreaming of a world with representative governments, feminism, and capitalism in the luxurious parlor of an affluent noble.

That’s the Enlightenment in its truest form.

A Background in Science

To understand the Enlightenment, you have to understand the Scientific Revolution first. And no, despite happening in the same time period, they are not the same thing; rather, the two of them combined make up the Age of Reason. The Scientific Revolution was a change to the way people think and learn. Previously, everyone received their education from the Catholic Church, and everyone blindly followed and believed everything they were told. There’s three main issues with this system: the church was corrupt, priests were not scientists, and all of their teaching came from the Bible which was written before modern technology. Since, this was all they had ever done and all their ancestors had ever done, they didn’t know any better. This entire order in society was shattered by the Scientific Revolution. A lot of people began to question why things are the way they are, and those same people are the scientists that shaped the way we think about the world. For example, the general public used to believe that the earth was the center of the universe because of the ideas in the Bible, but Copernicus and Kepler searched for mathematical proof and found that the sun was actually the hub of the galaxy. Overall, the Scientific Revolution created an environment where everything would be questioned unless there was science and experiments backing it, and all problems would be solved through logic and reason.

Logic & Reason

What does any of this have to do with the Enlightenment? The most simple description of the Enlightenment is as follows: political, social, and economic problems were being approached with logic and reason. It was the Scientific Revolution that created the foundation for the Enlightenment to grow. Just as with every other story, the Enlightenment has different sides. The first perspective is that of the conservatives; these were the people who had been traditionally in power for centuries – the monarchy, the Catholic Church, and the privileged nobles. On the other side, there were the liberals – basically everyone else. The Enlightenment armed the lower and middle classes with knowledge and the bravery to ask questions. The traditional sources of power – who were now being questioned – did not appreciate the movement in the slightest because it limited their power. Throughout history, it is known that uneducated people are easier to control. Due to that idea, many governments tried to keep education away from their people, so they could enjoy absolute authority. The Enlightenment was changing this drastically. Everyone was encouraged to think for themselves, people wanted to participate in changing the government for the better, and logic and reason were trusted above everything else.

Enlightenment Philosophers

Although John Locke lived before the time of the Enlightenment, his ideas were revolutionary. He was the first to come up with the philosophy of Natural Rights –  life, liberty, and property – and he believed that the government should protect those rights of citizens no matter what. (Fun Fact: Thomas Jefferson would later put his own twist on Locke’s Natural Rights by calling them “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness). He also claimed that no one has the right to rule over other people unless they give their consent. Lastly, he wrote about the Right to Revolution or the idea that citizens are obliged to overthrow tyrannical governments. All of these philosophies fall under the Social Contract (the mutual relationship between the citizens and government).

Voltaire was an incredibly significant political philosopher in the Enlightenment. He was one of the many people advocating for religious tolerance during this time, so no one would have to live with the fear of being persecuted due to their beliefs. Along with that same idea of personal beliefs, Voltaire was also a pioneer of the Freedom of Speech. He wanted everyone to be able to share their ideas freely without judgement or censorship.

Montesquieu was yet another political philosopher during the Enlightenment. Despite not being as well-known as some of the others, his ideas were equally as pivotal. Baron de Montesquieu was the founder of the following terms: Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances. These very ideas are the backbone of the US government. For instance, the powers of the United States government are separated into 3 branches – Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. These branches maintain balance through “checks”; the legislative branch creates laws, the judicial branch interprets laws, and the executive branch enforces laws. Since they all have varying roles, the power is equally divided.

The last man on this list is Adam Smith. While his name may seem to be the most stereotypical in all of England, his ideas were anything but ordinary in that time. Smith was crucial in the development of capitalist societies. He theorized that there is an “invisible hand” in economies that makes it so that individuals acting in self-interest will help boost the economy. To put it simply, people buying objects and services for themselves – consumerism – would grow the economy. He wrote the Wealth of Nations in 1776 – that’s right, the same year the United States won its independence and set up a capitalist society. Truth is, that was not a coincidence; numerous nations modeled their economies after Smith’s theory soon after.

Last but certainly not least is none other than Mary Wollstonecraft: the first woman on this page and the first known feminist in history. (Fun Fact: Her granddaughter is Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein). Wollstonecraft challenged the social order and advocated for all women. Her belief was as simple as this: giving women educational and career opportunities would greatly increase the society’s potential and capabilities. However simple and logical this may seem, it was radical in her time. Mary truly promoted that women are equal in every sense and ability, but they are held back by the sheer lack of opportunities provided for them. Mary Wollstonecraft paved the way for every other feminist from the Enlightenment age to today to be able to fight for the rights of women.

Revolutions & Ruthless Royals

Uncoincidentally, two out of the five Enlightenment philosophers listed above are French (Voltaire and Montesquieu). In fact, most Enlightenment ideals spawned in France. This is because of France’s line of oppressive kings in this time period. French people paid incredibly high taxes to fund the kings’ costly wars and losses, had no representation in government policy making, and suffered food shortages while the royals feasted. (Fun Fact: This is why Marie Antoinette is portrayed as saying “Let them eat cake” – the people were starving and she was an aloof monarch; although, she did not actually say that). These tough conditions led to nobles meeting and speaking about ways to bring about reform; when word of these Enlightened ideas reached the poor, the French Revolution was off. The poor began to demand rights, overthrew the monarchy, and set up their own republic. Long story short, the revolution was unsuccessful (the republic became corrupted and the monarchs were brought back), but it showed the power the Enlightenment had. The next effect of the Enlightenment was despotism, which is when rulers use their power in cruel ways to suppress the population. The Enlightenment led to a whole new series of brutal monarchs called Enlightened Despots. The worst part of this whole ordeal was that these leaders pretended to be Enlightened by applying certain philosophies while continuing to use power for their own ruthless benefit under a facade.

Enlightened Despots

His violent, war-mongering reputation precedes him; this is Frederick of Prussia. He created the Edict of Tolerance which gave every citizen religious freedom. He also created a bureaucracy based solely on merit and revoked the death penalty law. Under all of this though, he waged numerous wars and ran a country completely devoted to his precious military. Frederick even called Voltaire to visit his so-called Enlightened nation, but Votaire soured at the sight of his immense focus on only the military.

 “Where some states possess an army, the Prussian Army possesses a state!”

Voltaire

Next we have the Enlightenment’s cruelest despot: Catherine of Russia. (Fun Fact: She is known to have murdered her own husband to come to power). Catherine’s only notable positive impact on the country is the large library she created filled with Enlightenment books. On the other side, she was incredibly anti-semetic, she gave nobles the power to be vicious towards the poor, and she censored any press speaking against her. She even lied to the serfs of Russia (farmers bound to the land of nobles who were treated as slaves) claiming that she would free them then failed to hold up her end of the bargain which led to the serfs revolting in the Pugachev Rebellion.

Change Minds; Then Change Laws

The Enlightenment was a tremendous turning point in the course of history because it fundamentally changed the way people think. Never before was there ever such a powerful emphasis on logic and reason, and its effects continue to reverberate around the world. It is known that one must first change minds before they change laws, and that was what the Enlightenment did.

Why is This Important?

It is very obvious how many democracies have adopted Enlightenment ideals, especially the USA. For example, America is based on Natural Rights, Social Contract, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, and Capitalism – all of which were created during the Age of Reason. These wondrous reforms were only invented because people spoke to each other. Discussions have played a key role in every single great discovery and decision throughout the course of history because multiple minds will always be more advantageous than one. Today politics has become almost a shunned topic due to some people’s fear of conflict, but what would’ve happened if the Founding Fathers of America never communicated? The United States would not exist. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to talk about difficult subjects so that good decisions can be made – especially in situations as important and impactful as politics. Everyone’s voice must be heard in order to build a better world. Remember, everyone has a story to tell.