After reading about the Enlightenment, I began to wonder about the essential questions on this subject.Was the Scientific Revolution a sharp break from the past or a continuation of earlier thought? Do rapid changes constitute a revolution if they only affect a small number of people? How did the enlighteniment connect science and society, and how might the englihtment affect political life in the future?
To first understand these questions, I needed to have a proper understanding of what the Enlightenment was. The Enlightenment was an era of Western Philosophy and intellectual, scientific and cultural life. Occurring in the 1700's, the Enlightenment questioned traditions and values set in place before, and rebelled. (McKay)
- That the scientific revolution was a sharp break from the past and a continuation of earlier thought. The ancient Greeks, and then the medieval Muslims, used scientific reasoning and experimentation, but then the Christians in the middle Ages stopped using scientific reasoning, preferring religious dogma over it. That changed with the scientific revolution, even though it was a hearkening back to ancient times.
- Rapid changes do not constitute a revolution if they only affect a small amount of people. A revolution is an overthrow of an established government &/or political system that happens in a sudden, complete change. A revolution will have important effects, repercussions and consequences affecting the mass population. It would not be a revolution if if only affected a few people, because there would not be a big enough change.
- The Enlightenment connected science and society because in the 1700's, people began to use reasoning and scientific experimentation to solve problems in society. Instead of just relying on old religion-based ideas, they tried reason and experimentation to address issues like ruling, equality and diplomacy.
- The enlightenment may affect political life in the future by (hopefully) having all around less lying, more truth, and real change. But with progress, comes danger. Is less lying and more truth really for the best? Should some things be kept a secret from the public, is it better to lie to protect the people or better to tell the truth and run the risk of a chaotic society? These are important questions which one needs to consider about the future.
