History - Enlightenment and Modernity - Essay Example

The author notes that in order to mobilize an insurrection against absolutist governments during the eighteenth century French revolution, it was necessary to enlighten minds ceaselessly, through a newspaper that would spread in all directions. The author imagined that French easily achieve the project of spreading great political principles if the intrepid friends, enlightened by liberty, could unite, communicate their ideas to each other, and compose their works some place where they could print them and distribute them throughout the world.

Printing and publishing were thus not only the most important cultural mechanisms for spreading the enlightenment ideas; printing and publishing were the embodiment of enlightenment in action; the medium was the message – spreading light. The author further notes that throughout the eighteenth century, printing became the most prevalent means of communication. Gradually limitations from governments and church among other authorities faded off, as more entities that are private begun operating businesses to cater for the rising demand of written materials.

Commercialization of the printing business created new concerns about authorship and enhanced the process of enlightenment by far. In his book ‘enlightenment: Britain and the creation of the modern world’, Roy Potter explores the issue of enlightenment in respect to innovations and changes in scientific, social, political and pysio-theological discourse. According to his evaluation, enlightenment is the core thing in propagating these changes that bolster innovations to higher levels. Political and socio-economic well-being moves to newer fronts thanks to innovations motivated by enlightenment.

Enlightenment thereby comes out as an avenue through which the society explores better livelihoods, equality and economic independence. Alan kors address the issue of enlightenment in the long-term, describing it as the third phase of modernization in Europe, through giving a chronological account of events and moments defining enlightenment. Of great interest, is the way the author tackles issue of divergence and consensus in relation to enlightenment. The text analyses enlightenment in reference to religion, politics, science, social sciences, and imaginative literature.

The emphasis here is on taunting for coexistence and harmony in diversity as a show of enlightenment. Adversary and hostility are among the negatives that enlightenment seeks to dispel from societies. Further, the author explores enlightenment in respect to public institutions and identities. Intellectual maturity of enlightenment coincided with the growth of activism and revolutions in Europe, a fact that promoted its legacy. Enlightenment comes out as a liberator for the communities that had for a long time remained in closed systems.

In her text, Dorinda addresses enlightenment as a global phenomenon that preceded great social changes. Slavery and hustles for freedom are the new features of enlightenment that the author brings forth in this new edition. The fight for freedom and unceasing desire to end slavery globally take the centre stage, with the author drawing attention to how enlightening the masses induced a sense of entitlement to basic rights and freedoms. Norman Hampson argues that the dominant concern for enlightenment thinkers is amelioration, rather than root-and-branch reform, arguing that at best the