The Enlightenment and Its Roots in 17th Century Europe
Difficult and Unequal Life in Seventeenth-Century Europe
During the 1700s, life for most Europeans was marked by difficult and unequal circumstances across three main spheres:
Political Inequality
Many countries were governed by absolute monarchs.
These monarchs claimed divine right, asserting their authority was granted by God.
This political structure left ordinary people with little to no influence over government decisions.
Economic Hardships
The majority of Europeans were peasants or farmers.
They worked long hours in often harsh conditions.
Peasants were subjected to heavy taxation, which contributed to their poverty.
Most of the wealth was concentrated in the hands of nobles and the clergy.
Social Division
Society was characterized by rigid class divisions.
The opportunities for social mobility were extremely limited.
Access to education was restricted for the lower classes, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
This widespread suffering and inequality prompted many individuals to question the legitimacy of traditional authority and the fairness of the socio-economic systems controlling their lives.
Rise of the Enlightenment
The discontent among the populace served as a catalyst for the Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that emerged as a response to the existing societal conditions.
Key principles of Enlightenment thinking included:
Emphasis on reason and logic.
Promotion of science and rationality.
Advocacy for individual rights and freedoms.
Enlightenment thinkers believed society could be improved through rational thought rather than reliance on traditional or religious authority.
Various Enlightenment philosophers contributed significant ideas that reflected and reacted against the conditions of their time:
John Locke:
Officially promoted the idea of natural rights, claiming that individuals are born with rights to life, liberty, and property.
Argued that governments are instituted to protect these rights.
Adam Smith:
Focused on economic theories concerning wealth and the growth of economies.
Advocated for free markets and limited government involvement to spur economic competition and individual self-interest.
Jean Jacques Rousseau:
Proposed that legitimate government should derive its authority from the general will of the people.
He challenged the existence of social inequality and criticized the institution of absolute monarchy, emphasizing that true political authority must come from the consent of the governed.