History of Western Civilization - Essay Example

The key enlightenment figures began with sets of philosophers that began to perceive reality in an alternative manner. Descartes and Lebiniz were two of the leading figures with the concept of self – evident reasons to create ideals. This was followed with concepts such as through Newton, with created a scientific basis that experience and experiment were the two formations of knowledge, as opposed to reason and belief. The philosophies continued with the artists of the time, such as Voltaire, who created the belief that science should be regarded as ahead of the metaphysical.

Each of the philosophers during this time based the Enlightenment on reason as opposed to spirituality and belief that was practiced in the culture (Porter, 3). The concept of the enlightenment was followed by scientists, politicians and religious leaders who either accepted or rejected the notion of reason and science being before belief. The scientists were split into several groups that experimented in different ways. For instance, the materialists, such as La Mettrie, created an understanding of how the mind and the soul coincided and how the physical was a reflection of the spiritual.

David Hume, Darwin and Newton followed this with disagreements that led into the practical, such as basic physics and mechanics of how the world worked. This was followed by politicians, such as Adam Smith and William Burke, which believed that science should be combined with politics for more practical and reasonable associations with the functioning of society (Porter, 25). The goal of the enlightenment figures was to take out the superstition and beliefs that led society. The main association was to create an understanding of abstract reason.

It was believed that the power of reason could create a status quo that could lead into a Utopian future. The beliefs were followed by the understanding that those who used reason and rationalization for all concepts could easily find a way to reform society and culture. The reason was one which was required to come from scientific discoveries and beliefs which gave a physical and practical understanding to how the world worked and what was done in the world. Within these thoughts were several associations with how this related to production.

The reason was followed by scientists who were focused on discovering and observing attributes in nature as well as politicians and philosophers that were finding reasonable ways to rule and guide society and culture into new forms of knowledge (Porter, 2). The concept of reason that the key thinkers in the Enlightenment held also led to specific ideologies about religion. Most believed that religion was led by superstition and ignorance, as opposed to having knowledge about how the world functioned.

This was followed by the concept of having a sense of freedom for religion. The historical time frame had led society into forced religion, specifically with the Catholic Church. This was followed by outbreaks that divided the church into sectors. During this time, there was a movement forward with the belief that religion should be free choice. Most who were considered a leader in the Enlightenment didn’t believe in Church based concepts and instead insisted that they were evils of society.

Instead, there was a belief in a natural religion that allowed free thought and natural