- Immanuel Kant

During the Age of Absolutism, Europeans began encountering

innovations in science and reason. Old ideas about faith and tradition

(like the divine right) were challenged by new ideas. This time

period is known as the Enlightenment and has greatly

influenced contemporary history.

The Enlightenmentchallenged faith & traditional ideas by introducing a philosophy of knowledge based upon observation, experimentation & reason

disputed Catholic teachingsproposed that “truths” could & must be proven

proposed that events happen for logical reasons

The Enlightenmentdisputed “divine right”proposed that people could not take away rights

led to increased access to knowledge & a leveling of society

fostered dissent – and ultimately, that was what the French Revolution was about!

Voltaire on Religion1. Why did Voltaire believe in a supreme being?2. Was Voltaire trying to entertain or teach or do

both? Was he effective? Why or why not?3. If Voltaire was trying to convey serious ideas

about religion and morality, what were those ideas? What was he attacking?

4. If a person today thought and wrote like Voltaire, would that person be called a defender or a destroyer of Christianity? Why?

The Renaissance and the Enlightenment are often

considered to be very similar historical eras. What do you think

of this idea? If you agree, what similarities exist? If not, what

differences come to mind?

Was the Enlightenment “Progress?”What is progress? How do you define it?“More than an intellectual concept, the idea of

progress included a new conception of historical time and of Europeans’ place within world history…Europeans began to call the epoch “modern” to distinguish it from the Middle Ages, and they considered their modern period superior in achievement.”- Lynn Hunt in The Making of the West: People and

CulturesAre progress and modernity synonymous?From your reading list, which people / things do you

consider examples of progress?