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Professor
Course
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Enlightenment
Introduction
Enlightenment was undertaken in between the 17th and the 18th century. It was an international movement that was composed of sensibilities and ideas that concentrated on critical reasons as opposed to issues like the religious dogmatism. It gave rise to scientific thinking that were different from religious concerns (Burns, Robert and Hugh 12). In most cases it concentrated on the nature as well as the natural order as a bank of knowledge. Enlightenment thinkers were able to defend religious freedom and tolerance (Burson 15). The motive behind human rights and intellectual freedom led to conflicts that later advocated for new information, ideas as well as gave rise to establishments in America and Europe amid other nations in the world. The Enlightenment was a better part of changes as opposed to negativity.
The Enlightenment is United States of America was reasonable than the one that took place in Europe. It was able to influence both political and religious organization and platforms through the nation. Many scholars have urged that its approach to religion acceptance was at its pick of fame in USA in greater part because not even a single group among those in the Enlightenment could garner enough votes to get themselves onto the fledging nation. Pioneers such as Benjamin Franklin were considered the supports of Enlightenment ideas (Eger 34). This is because to their thoughts it was a freedom-loving rationalism that was intended to bring up a foundation independence as well as the constitution of United States of America. Truly, this was the outcome of America’s Enlightenment as the country was able to garner its constitution as well as independence.
The rise of Enlightenment bred various religious dispute. Many of the supporters commonly denoted as Christians, dismissed revivalist religion. They considered that this was a great awakening as well as an emotional excessive (Burns, Robert and Hugh 17). On the other hand, protestant noted that enlightenment ideals were risky to shy away from and was a mode of solidarity to free the nation as well as make it a budding country. It’s clear that Enlightenment was so passive in the United States that not a good number of Americans were exclusively bounded to its waves (Frazer 21).
It is evident that both the revivalist and the emotionalism as well as the rational individuals related to Enlightenment played vital roles in the American Revolution. The radicals were from all religious groups (Frazer 11). Most of them shared a common commitment to freedom of the American people as well as freedom of religion. Though not all, the radicals or the revolutionaries took part in the enlightenment process not for the wholly freedom of religion in the United States but that of their individuals denominations. However, most of them eyed the nation’s freedom to independence. The enlightenment was a foundation to experiments in religious freedom.
Conclusion
The enlightenment was now part of American Myth. It has become a powerful source of information about the American origin. The movement acts as a storyboard that led to the creation of new Christian society, led to the birth of constitution and also independence of America; I conclude by saying that it is true that the enlightenment fostered positive change to America such as development of religious tolerance, American Revolution, and spirit of service.
WorksCited
Burns, Robert M., and Hugh Rayment-Pickard. “Philosophies of History: From Enlightenment to Post-modernity.” (2000).
Burson, Jeffrey D. The Rise and Fall of Theological Enlightenment. University of Notre Dame Press, 2010.
Eger, Elizabeth. Bluestockings: women of reason from Enlightenment to Romanticism. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
Frazer, Michael L. “The Enlightenment of Sympathy: Justice and the moral sentiments in the eighteenth century and today.” (2010).
