Enlightenment Synthesis p4.t9

The Enlightenment was an era of intellectual importance. It was during this period that intellectual thinking flourished as compared to previous periods and it was this large growth in people’s insight that led to an analysis of society and ultimately the criticism of society. Some of the thinkers of the era stressed the perverse nature of man like Moliere. Rousseau claimed materialism destroys friendships and bonds, leading to jealousy and suspicion. Bayle supported a separation church and science, faith and reason, under the pretext that God was incomprehensible. However, others took a more constructive stance and noted the somewhat flawed structures of their societies. Voltaire for example stressed the importance of civil rights, which he believed his society lacked. His ideas revolved around free practice of religion, free trade, and separation of church and state. Montesquieu criticized that his society lacked separation of powers, a more democratic government. Locke wrote that government and its people had a social contract and that government existed mainly for the people, quite contrary to the monarchies established in Europe. These thinker’s ideas of society, although radical at the time, established some sort of standard that future generations like the Founding Fathers used for their governments. Their ideas were spread by their writings. At some point during this era, the Industrial Revolution occurred, leading to mass production of books and other literary forms. Through the establishment of structures and places, like coffee houses, their ideas spread, making their criticism very powerful against the institutions they denounced.

Asher.P1.T1 - Enlightenment Synthesis Question

Whereas the Renaissance era was the age in which ideas of science and individualism only began to bud, the Enlightenment era became the cultural movement where reason and reform flourished and blossomed. During the Enlightenment era, societal woes became a concern and philosophers, writers, and intellectuals sprouted across Europe to express their individual opinions on such issues and how to address them.

Philosophers played a large part in building the sense of reason during the Restoration era, and notable players included John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire. John Locke, often known as the “Father of Liberalism”, became known not only for his work during the Enlightenment period but a guide for the many other intellectual thinkers who follow him. His work on Two Treatises of Government became a framework for a theory of civil society and was later used by our Founding Fathers as the structure of American government. Locke highlighted the idea that any government unjust to its people can be overthrown, and a separation of powers in government would also stop man’s natural tendencies to be greedy. His social criticism against the British society of the time inspired other philosophers, including Rousseau. Rousseau, however, disagreed with Locke and stated that man was not greedy, but instead a moral figure. Rousseau insisted that the people should be the one to legislate, and that class distinctions would soon disappear. Voltaire, on the other hand, advocated for radical social reform by criticizing the society’s restrictions on freedom. Voltaire believed in the separation of church and state as well as the freedom of religion. These glaring remarks contrasted against previous sentiments of how churches should be revered.

The Enlightenment era sparked a collection of individuals who fought for the people’s rights and encouraged reform in the relatively unchanged society. Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire, among many others, became the forefront for rights that many countries now protect.

- Freddy Tsao, Andy Kang, David Lee, Michael Amini

Asher.P4.T8.Enlightenment

Yee-Lum Mak
Clair Fuller
Laurel Kitada
Alex Tranquada
Jodi Shou
Team 8/Team Dragon
December 7, 2011
Asher, Period 4

Enlightenment Synthesis

     The Enlightenment of the mid-1600s to the mid-1700s centered strongly on rationale and reason, prompting focused criticism of the philosophies of previous literary and artistic periods. Religious and other 'sentimental' doctrines were rejected, replaced by emphasis on logic. Rising in response to this paradigm shift, a revival of critical writing swept Europe. A certain form of social and intellectual criticism became the genre of 'satire', exemplified in plays, novels, and essays. Notable among the Enlightenment satirists were Voltaire, Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, John Arbuthnot, and Robert Harley. Many of these writers were members of the Scriblerus Club, and their perception of the previous periods they satirized as "tedious, narrow- minded, and pedantic" accurately sums up the attitudes of the Enlightenment satirists as a general collective. Wit, irony and sarcasm became the weapons of the satirists; extended sarcasm, such as in Swift's "A Modest Proposal", argued effectively for one point by seeming to argue for its opposite. Extreme language and symbolism was also used to effect, for example, in Pope's "The Rape of the Lock". Though humor was often included, the use of hyperbole, analogy, and antithesis to juxtapose two views made satire stinging. In particular, the relationship-centric hierarchy of artists and patrons, present in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, stood in contrast to the sensible, empirical nature of the developing Enlightenment societal structure, and was sharply criticized by the satirists. By employing devices meant to disparage, Swift, Pope, and their fellow writers made laughable the mentalities of those earlier periods.

Enlightenment Synthesis Ash.P4.T5

The valued social hierarchy and influence of those that were born into wealth and power were criticized in the Restoration era, for such values were viewed as shallow and hypocritical by Enlightenment thinkers. During the Medieval and Renaissance eras, those that were born into families that yielded great authority and riches over other citizens of the nation generally maintained that power. Royalty and clergy reigned at the top of the social hierarchy, and residing at the bottom were the workers, traders, and craftsmen. Essays, plays, novels and other literature satirized those at the apex of the hierarchy. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a writer of the Restoration era, expressed his indignant views of the most powerful citizens as he exposed their lack of care for the lower class. In his book, Of the Social Contract, Rousseau wrote, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” Although civil liberties such as a right to “life, liberty, and property,” were emphasized by the “great thinkers” like John Locke of the Enlightenment era, Rousseau points out that man is still bound by the restrictions of the social hierarchy. Rousseau contradicts the traditional ways of ruling by stating that men must first be free; no slavery should be in existence. Only then will one be able to enter into the “Social Contract” where political authority is determined. In his novel and other writings, he satirizes the fact that the elite sustained their power over others through specific tactics focused on targeting the less powerful and maintaining the wealth and power within their own family. Also, John Locke played a key role in founding the Enlightenment movement by establishing a foundation of rationality and freedom. He believed in democratic philosophies where majority rules, not simply the few with the most power. Locke, like Rousseau, expresses his social criticism of the superficial and hypocritical values of the people born into wealth and power through his works of literature and political writings.

Wylie Period 1 Team 5 (Destinee)

In the Age of Enlightenment, people's ideals were being pushed from elementary to secondary, meaning they took the knowledge and culture they had cultivated in the Renaissance and expanded on these ideals. Past ages had been the basis of the progress made in the Restoration era, progress in science, art, and reasoning alike. One great thinker, by the name of John Locke challenged the Renaissance values of reputation and patronage. Locke believed that people are naturally free and have equal rights when it comes to liberty, property, and actions. This goes against all Renaissance ideals concerning people's place in society and class. Locke believed you shouldn't be constrained in this way. Writers criticized past social norms including the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who is considered one of the founding fathers of modern literature. He was a pioneer in the way that he expressed his ideas: mainly those concerning human nature and the way in which people behave. Through these writers and thinkers we are given a look into the way people's ideals were developing and becoming more complex.

Evelyn Ashleigh, Nick Hudson, Bennett Kopperud, Anne Kitchens

Teem Destinee

Enlightenment Synthesis Period 6- Team 7

Christine Yi

Aashrita Mangu

Elaine Hong

Tiffany Show

Period 6 - Team 7

The Enlightenment was an era of discovery and awakening; many of the traditional ideas of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were torn down by the Christine Yi Tiffany Show Aashrita Mangu Elaine Hong Period 6 – Team 7 Enlightenment. In fact, during this era many artistic works satirically attacked many institutions. For example, Jonathan Swift one of the most famous satirical writers attacked the political systems of France and London, the ridiculous structure and nature of religion, and the monetary greed of man in his novel, Gulliver’s Travels. In addition, his essay A Modest Proposal, a quintessential piece of literature that represented the blatant discontent of the corruption of the rich and the suppression of the poor. Swift’s work proposes that not only the unfair treatment of a minority like the Irish is unfair, but that a society that is run by the powerful, greedy rich that is similar to the system of feudalism and the poor that resemble the peasants, cannot continue. Another vital part of the Enlightenment was Voltaire, who was a writer and philosopher of France. He was especially known for his satirical style, and his advocation of the separation of the Church and the state and the politics of that time. One of his most popular works, Candide, was an emergence in style that is direct mockery and contrast to the way of life that the Medieval Era and the Renaissance represents.The protagonist was not the stereotypical hero that was portrayed in the past, he was a bastard and part of the riff raff of society. Overall, Swift and Voltaire are a fragment of the satirical and discontented voice that constituted the literature of the Enlightenment. The arts of the Enlightenment voiced out discontent for the ways of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages and emerged in the sciences and enlightened thought as a result.

Wylie Period 5 Team 7 Synthesis

As society progressed into the Enlightenment era, it was obvious that the reliance on the upper class and royalty was decreasing. What people had once relied on for protection in a barbaric society no longer seemed to be needed due to civilization. Thus, the progressive thinkers criticized society in a nonconformist perspective. What people had relied on at the Medieval and Renaissance Era no longer applied to the capitalistic European countries that now existed. What the capitalistic society provided economically was the rise of individualism where people’s own wealth relied on themselves. So, reliance upon upper class was not needed but criticized. Many progressive thinkers began to shift their thoughts from the differences of the wealthy and the poor to the similarities. As a result, John Locke wrote that all individuals had the right to life, liberty and property and Voltaire argued that people had the right to choose what they wanted to believe. Writers such as these caused epiphanies to the people regarding their own individual rights and the extent of their government’s power.

Many writers took advantage of this time to criticize the society and the mannerism of the time. William Wycherley writes The Plain Dealer to show how everyone in society is deceitful and two faced. These ideas and method that writers used affected the sensibility of the era.

Wylie Period 5

Team 7

Dan Qi

Samudra Thio

Kevyn Fox

Synthesis Essay Enlightment Period 1 Team 3

Michael Abelev

Hyrum Judkins

Marc Yu

Synthesis Essay

Though the Age of Enlightenment was a time of new ideas and new ways of thinking and considering life and how it should be lived, there were those like in any situation that has their own opinion of the new movement of thinking. Many were in support, and of course, there were those who disagreed. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name “Moliere” was a known anti-enlightment activist, but he was just one in the midst of many.

One of the biggest affects the Age of Enlightment had on the the world and Europe in particular was the fact that it was the motiving factor in the start of the French Revolution. The ideology of new rule and new form of government had the people of France in a stur and sparked the eventual revolution. Many who associated themselves with concervative ideas clearly did not agree witht the idea of a revolution, believing the old form of government was the appropriate form of governing in the land. One of the many known anti-revolutionists was Joseph de Maistre who believed that the Revolution and reform of the government would bring nothing but problems to France and the rest of Europe. Edmund Burke wrote the book Reflections on the Revolution in France where he denounced the revolution and the effects it had on the country. Burke and Maistre both belived that the revolution would only bring more problems then it would solve. By hypothetically “whiping the slate clean”, they believed the people of France would only bring about more problems and send the country into a state of turmoil and poverty.

Though they had their beliefs and doubts, the revolution obviously still happened and eventually sent France into a new form of government that many countries used as a blueprint for their own government. The United States used the French Revolution as its own form of motivation for its own revolution. This was all thanks to the ideological thoughts of the thinks of the Age of the Enlightment.

Enlightenment Synthesis Wylie P6 T1

During the Enlightenment era, great thinkers, writers, and artists ridiculed the values that were considered important during the Renaissance and Middle Ages. While during those times, shallow ideas such as superiority and wealth were of utmost importance. However, as times changed and advanced into the Enlightenment era, men such as Isaac Newton, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Voltaire contributed greatly to the knowledge of science and philosophy during this time. They showed that it isn’t things such as noble families that are important in life, but rather one’s advancement of knowledge. John Locke also changed the way we look at our government because he opposed a monarchy and rather favored having a separation of powers within government. This was because he believed in the individual’s rights and their ability to pursue their happiness. He emphasized the fact that people are entitled to their individual liberties, and ridiculed that the government at the time did not recognize that. Locke believed that such rights are given to man by God when they are born.
Voltaire changed the way the people looked at religion, mainly Christianity. He believed that a love for God should come from a true, genuine love for him instead of through religious patterns, rules, and routines. Voltaire found it important that a person find their true god by actually loving it without being told or forced to.
Literature was probably the most common form of expressing the values of the Enlightenment era. The ridicule of the wealthy, elite families were satirized in plays, magazines, and books. Because of this, people were able to share and learn from the great men of the Enlightenment era. Their beliefs about the value of an individual was spread and continues to effect our world today.

Jennifer Suh, Harry Yadav, Charles Negrini, Sid Vyas, Sophie Resnick

Wyl.p5.t9 Enlightenment Era Synthesis Question

Audrey Ford

Nicki Quiles

Gus Shettleroe

Misael Navarro

The enlightenment era was a time of great awakening and exploration. People, for one of the first times in history, were beginning to question their lives and the conventions they lived by. As people began to explore and discover their own selves more, and more, they began to realize new things including the fact that they had various unique talents such as art, or writing. As the core of traditional society began to stir, so did the literary world. Actors, artists, playwrights, musicians, writers, philosophers, and scholars began to emerge everywhere with their new creations, and ideas. One idea that quickly became popular was the concept that historically traditional societal trends namely, the incredible importance and influence of impressive familial acquaintances, and social patronage from the elite class, were something to be satirized, and laughed at. Some of the most notable people from the enlightenment era who drove this public criticism of classical traditions include, the writer/philosopher Voltaire, scientist/mathematician Isaac Newton, writer/philosopher Pierre Bayle, philosopher John Locke, and artist Jacques Rousseau. Although expressive creation took many forms during this era, the most common art shared by these famous names was literature – the art of pen and paper. They used everything from pamphlets, to plays, to magazines to share the way they saw the world, and thank goodness they did because now people everywhere in the world are able to learn from them and hear all of the incredible things they had to say.

Wyl.P6.T3 Enlightenment Era

Within the Enlightenment Era, Voltaire was a philosopher who heavily criticized philosophy of the Restoration society. Voltaire had written the book, Candid, which made fun of the optimism philosopher Leibniz, and he often targeted the philosophical ideas of Descartes. Cartesian scientific philosophy had reduced physics to geometry and denied the absoluteness of motion, did not recognize gravitation by reducing matter to extension, and explained the motion of solar planets by a heliocentric vortex. A follower of Isaac Newton, Voltaire heavily attacked the Restoration scientific philosophy by contrasting Newton’s ideas of universal gravitation, physics, and astronomy. In regards to the human spirit, he criticized Descartes for writing a novel about it whereas praised John Locke for writing a history about it. Voltaire felt that Lock’s ability to explain the origin and the process of the development of human spirit was crucial. Rather than the Restoration period’s Christianity, he was involved with British Deism. Voltaire had thus fought against the traditional establishment of Christianity, arguing that true religion was based on one’s love for God and others, and not on religious dogmas that are blindly followed. Voltaire argued that religion must be rationalistic, natural, and moral and that morality is possible through the concept of God. "If God did not exist,” Voltaire stated, “we must invent God!" It was because of Voltaire’s philosophical success, that he was able to make philosophy more popular among the public and paved the way for other philosophers’ social criticisms.

Dylan Mulcahy
Jenny Zhan
Caleb Ong
James Jin

Wylie. Period 1. Team 6. Enlightenment

The Enlightenment era was a period where the importance of the individual was a concept supported by more than just a handful of artists. Philosophers, writers and artists satirized the noble families and how trivial, unimportant and relatively unsuccessful they were in comparison to the individual, experienced, every day man. In Voltaire’s novel, “Zadig”, he satirized the wealthy nobleman and how despite his wealth, he was never really content and paradoxically felt inferior to other people. By making a direct correlation between wealth and lack of happiness, it was easy for even the most amateur of readers to grasp the satire that Voltaire wrote. During this time period, it was crucial that philosophers try to appease the educated as well as the not so educated persons. In Jonathon Swift’s book “Gulliver’s Travels”, he stresses the importance of the individual, satirizing how noble families during the enlightenment period felt superior due to their “strength in numbers” and family connections, when really superiority and the ability to survive lies in the capable hands of the individual. By actually putting a character in a near-death circumstance in a story, one’s superiority and potency is literally put to the test. Gulliver learned that he couldn’t rely on his crew, and needed to think for himself in order to survive. This directly satirizes and correlates with the noble families of the time who couldn’t think for themselves as individuals. In William Hogarth’s collection of six paintings titled, “Marriage a la mode”, he satirizes women and men of the time period, marrying into wealthy families just for the money. He created a series of paintings that begin customary but then completely exaggerate and satirize the concept of arranged marriages to the point where the death of the wife in the last painting is almost funny. He satirizes the families of this period and how there was jealousy and drama that always grew out of proportion. This was ridiculous considering these were noble families who should be concerned more about running countries and leading their people, and not on family drama. This era was certainly a crucial turning point for the everyday man—his voice was becoming heard, and the upper class was becoming outnumbered.

-Team Waka

Lillie Moffett, Lauren Wakabayashi, Nicole Lussier, Sooji Hong

Asher, Period 3, Team 3, Enlightenment Synthesis

The Restoration era, or the era of Enlightenment, was an expansion of the Renaissance, namely, the proliferation of knowledge due to the printing press and the challenges to the corruption of the church. During this era, there were many great philosophers and “great-thinkers” who ridiculed their society at the time in their own way. All of these philosophers were able to mock their society through their books due the invention of the printing press, thus the spreading of their ideology quickened. Who would read these books? The growing middle class would of course, and they would be the educators who would then pass on this knowledge to the lower class. This massive expansion of the middle class during the era meant there was an expansion of the educated and intellectuals. The availability of knowledge to people led to more insightful literature, which led to more knowledge. They read about the insufficiency of their current form of government through philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Charles Montesquieu. Thomas Hobbes felt that having a systematic government was too inadequate and that a single ruler to rule all would be idealistic. His was known simply as the Leviathan, which derived from the biblical Leviathan, talked about how the idea of many sovereign nations could not peacefully exist and will result in constant chaos and warfare due to these nations’ differences in ideology ad belief. So the idea of the Leviathan is that all these sovereign nations would unite as one under a single ruler. Now on the other end of this political ideology spectrum was John Locke and Charles Montesquieu, who both believed in a systematic government. John Locke more or less ridiculed that society at the time lacked individual liberties, which are natural rights given to people by God at birth. His ideas on freedom were so strong that he is referred to as the Father of Liberalism, and he would greatly influence future and upcoming revolutions. He pushed the concepts of personal liberty, religious tolerance, and protection of property. As for Charles Montesquieu, he preached his philosophy of “branched government”, which stated that separating government into branches would create a system of checks and balances. Little did these philosophers know that their mockeries of society would greatly change the world over the next two or three centuries.

Jimmy Don
Haseeb Khan
Yerin Kong
Erik Seetao
Christina Yang

Wylie. P5. T5. Enlightenment

by Lorena Huang Liu, Diana Huang, Rachel Yeo, and Isabel Kim

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two philosophers who lived during the Enlightenment Era that had opposing views on human beings and their behavior. Despite their differences, they both agreed on the fact that wealthy family connections and patronages were very shallow and hypocritical. To other artists that did not have this kind of patronage, the wealth of families was a motive for envy and want. John Locke believed in every human being’s right to have “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” He thought that humans were naturally good and that, if left to their own means, humans would thrive in a peaceful environment. Despite these beliefs, he thought that wealthy family patronages were an unfair way to gain advantage in the world of art. Even during the Enlightenment, artists struggled profusely to be successful. But in this case, since the artist has a patronage, the he can just do anything he wants because he will be paid by the wealthy family. Patronages also came with a certain price because they had to always satisfy contributors, otherwise, less people would be willing to donate. The second philosopher was Thomas Hobbes, his view on human beings was the opposite of John Locke’s beliefs about human beings. Hobbes thought that humans were naturally selfish and evil and if given the opportunity, humans would always fight and never agree on anything. Therefore, Thomas Hobbes thought that artists who obtained patronages were just selfish human beings who always looked to gain advantage over other fellow artists. Even though during the previous periods artistic patronage was very sought after, during the Enlightenment, many writers, painters, etc. wanted to demean those who did have a family supporting his works of art.

Enlightenment Era . Asher.p1.t5.

The Enlightenment era exemplified some of most unsurpassed scientific and groundbreaking discoveries in history, however proved to disregard the values of the renaissance era. This era was unique because it did not follow the tradition structure, which made up earlier society. For example an era supported a weak emphasis on the status and power of families. Instead shifting to a more logical and economic valued culture, which proved to have forgotten about the past. Essential philosophers such as John Locke and Mary Wollstonecraft showed to have satirized the preceding era.
John Locke laid the groundwork for social equality during this era. Believing that each person begins life with ”tabula rasa”, or a clean slate he felt no man should be rewarded nor punished among birth. Born into a prestigious wealthy family and inevitably adopting the status and beliefs of that family is what Locke opposed most. He felt that each individual has his or her own ideas and thoughts rather than acquired values. Locke’s revolutionary idea was the inspiration to many philosophers who alleviated the profile of this time.
Mary Wollstonecraft rebelled against wealth society and demanded equal rights for women. Before the Neoclassical era, women had close to no rights in comparison to men. Mary felt this was wrong due to the fact that men would be nothing without women. For protesting against the upper class, Mary managed to have women overcome sexual discrimination during this time.
Many philosophers believed in making a changing in society and revolted against previous cultures. Such philosopher like John Lock inspired hundreds of intellectuals who later changed, improved, and encouraged even further change.

Asher Group 5 Period 3 Synthesis Question

Enlightenment Synthesis

As technology and modernism approaches the enlightenment era, social hierarchies started to fade away into the darkness. Less people value the importance of elite family connection compared to the earlier time periods like renaissance and medieval, where it was important to the people in every aspect of their life. Many writers, artists, and philosophers in the Restoration Era thought it was consider to be hypocritical and criticize heavily on it.

Multiple philosophers criticize the family connection hierarchies in this age of reasoning expressed through their speeches, books and art works. John Locke was one of many famous philosophers during the era, his philosophy was based off the social contract, which it's a contract involves both government and the people. He believed humans are born good, but the state of nature force man to become selfish and evil through time. Locke heavily criticize on the social hierarchy in the previous time periods, he believed in the nature state all people were equal and independent. Everyone had equal amount of rights and had the natural rights to defend themselves. Famous quote said by John Locke, "All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions." Locke didn't believe in monarchy, he tried to advocate the idea separation of power within the government.

Greatest thinkers were born in the Age of Reasoning or the Enlightenment era, ideas were spreading within the society. People like John Locke really affect the society at the time and had a huge impact in the future.

Asher.p3.t4 Enlightenment Synthesis Question

The Enlightenment era, also referred to as the “Age of Reason,” was a cultural movement that spread throughout Europe. Its goal was set to promote the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It was during this era that many thinkers expressed their social criticism in hopes that the society would agree and start altering to create a better future.

Voltaire was one of the thinkers that raised his concern about the society and its wrongs. He, for one, supported British Deism and had turned against traditional Christianity as well as Pascal’s Christianity. In short, he believed that only rationalistic natural and moral religion can constitute as a religion. However, he did recognize and appreciate the existence of “God,” because without this figure, morality would not exist and people would act as they please without thinking that there was a greater divine force that would punish any sin. He even said that, “If God did not exist, we must invent God!” Basically, Voltaire portrayed Christianity as a weapon that oppressive tyrants use to defend their own luxurious monarchism; the religion was seen as an inexcusable and ridiculous obstacle of the development of scientific progress.

Another philosopher that was against the society at the time was Rousseau. Interestingly, Rousseau actually rejected the Enlightenment movement because he believed that Reason was also tyranny, and only the return to nature and the revitalization of inner feeling was the correct way to live. He advocated that culture in his world tended to distort the genuine human nature because of its complicated external factors. He opted for a “world of internality” which was much simpler to control and therefore fully explore.

Enlightenment Synthesis

As different kinds of guilds were formed during the Medieval Era, the strong bonds between the families were continued through Renaissance onto the next Era, the Enlightenment Era. More and more family alliances were formed for political or social reasons. However, those social connections were begun to be viewed as hypocritical and superficial in the eyes of the intellectuals such as writers, thinkers and artists starting at the Enlightenment Era (1650-1750). Many new ideas from several philosophy thinkers were praised and broadcasted through media such as newspapers. Since press prints become more available to public, the spread of new information occurred more in people’s lives at the time. The intellectuals, instead of coming from an upper class, were mostly middle class men and their writings were more available to the middle class also. To support other Enlightenment thinkers, Jean-Jacques Rousseau who already mastered in music, switched to writing. John Locke’s writings especially influenced people’s thoughts during the Enlightenment Period. John Lock is known as the Father of Liberalism had rights to property and freedom as the main ideas behind his writing. His writings encouraged people to rebel again the old form of government and churches. Before the Enlightenment Period, the Pope, who is the head of all the Catholic Church also controlled the politics. However, during this time of Restoration, enlightenment thinkers’ literary works began to change that; thus the idea of “separation of church and state” came about in this era.

Ashley Chang, Diana Kim, Justin Park, Jenny Yu P1 t1

Asher P3 Team 2 Synthesis

In the Restoration era, writers, philosophers, and artists alike all criticized society for its flawed and distorted values. Most of these thinkers, like Rousseau, and Moliere, attacked high society and the social elite, blaming them for hypocritical elitism, contrary to their philosophical ideologies. One writer, Voltaire, attacked the biggest hypocritical, elitist institution of them all: the church. In Voltaire’s novel Candide, Candide and his mentor encounter several situations, which Voltaire uses to satirize the sacred hypocrisy of the church. One such situation Candide encounters, is the daughter of a pope, who, as a religious leader, and a priest, should be steadfast in celibacy. This, along with many other situations Candide encounters, emphasizes Voltaire’s of the religious hierarchy, although he does not attack the common god-fearing man in the story. Voltaire also goes on to address the ineffectual process of philosophical theorization. This idea is summarized in the novel, “The whole little group entered into this laudable scheme; each one began to exercise his talents. The little plot yielded fine crops… Pangloss sometimes used to say to Candide: —All events are linked together in the best of possible worlds; for, after all, if you had not been driven from a fine castle by being kicked in the backside for love of Miss Cunégonde, if you hadn’t been sent before the Inquisition… if you hadn’t lost all your sheep from the good land of Eldorado, you wouldn’t be sitting here eating candied citron and pistachios. —That is very well put, said Candide, but we must go and work our garden.” Voltaire uses this image as a way to criticize the philosophical speculation and intellectual posturing that was common of elite society types. If everyone works, there is no time for useless musings that serve no one, and everyone is happy and fruitful as a result. In this way Voltaire uses Candide to examine the current state of his society, and ultimately concludes that he and everyone else would be better off working.

Asher Period 1 Team 6 Enlightenment Synthesis

Synthesis

          Besides Moliere we found a few other authors that expressed criticism in other ways. The first example is Oliver Cromwell who wrote poetry that was elaborate and carnal. This kind of poetry wasn’t usually published because of the censorship of that era. This caused a break in the literary culture by breaking the censorship and moralist standards which opened a path for a new literary tradition. In the 1680s the career of Aphra Behn started which was mostly on comedy. She was the first professional British woman to be successful until there was a turn from comedy to political drama which reflected preoccupations and the political crisis during that time. Another person we found was Johann Sebastian Bach who was an influential German composer who rose to importance in the 1700s. Bach was an organist, who also wrote a body of sacred music that synthesized a variety of styles that influenced composers later on. Also there was Francis Bacon who was a philosopher who created the Baconian method of scientific investigation, which stressed observation and reasoning as a way to come to conclusions. Rene Descartes was heavily influenced by Bacon.