The Enlightenment

Definition

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority. It challenged established norms and encouraged a shift towards scientific reasoning and human rights, influencing many aspects of society, including art, politics, and education.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Enlightenment was marked by the rise of influential philosophers such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau, who questioned traditional beliefs and promoted ideas about liberty and equality.
2. Art during the Enlightenment often reflected themes of humanism and reason, moving away from religious subjects to more secular themes that emphasized individual experience and morality.
3. The impact of the Enlightenment extended to the Americas, inspiring revolutionary movements such as the American Revolution, which sought independence based on Enlightenment principles of governance.
4. Publications like encyclopedias and pamphlets became popular during this period, spreading Enlightenment ideas to a wider audience and fostering public discourse.
5. The Enlightenment laid the groundwork for modern democracy by promoting ideas about individual rights, separation of powers in government, and the importance of civil liberties.

Review Questions

• How did Enlightenment thinkers influence the evolution of artistic expression in the context of Spanish Colonial Art?
  • Enlightenment thinkers encouraged artists to explore themes of individualism and reason in their work. In Spanish Colonial Art, this led to a blending of traditional religious subjects with more secular elements that reflected Enlightenment ideals. Artists began to depict not only religious figures but also scenes of everyday life, nature, and human emotion, moving towards a more humanistic approach that resonated with Enlightenment values.
• Evaluate how the concepts introduced during the Enlightenment affected colonial governance in Latin America.
  • The Enlightenment introduced ideas about self-governance and individual rights, which challenged colonial authority in Latin America. As these concepts spread among educated elites and reform-minded individuals in colonies, they began to question the legitimacy of Spanish rule. This intellectual backdrop helped fuel movements for independence across Latin America as leaders sought to establish governments based on Enlightenment principles like liberty, equality, and justice.
• Analyze the long-term impacts of the Enlightenment on contemporary Latin American societies in terms of cultural identity and political structure.
  • The long-term impacts of the Enlightenment on contemporary Latin American societies are profound. The emphasis on reason and individual rights has contributed to ongoing dialogues about democracy, civil liberties, and cultural identity. Modern Latin American political structures often reflect Enlightenment principles through democratic frameworks and constitutions that advocate for human rights. Additionally, cultural identity continues to evolve as societies grapple with their colonial past while embracing notions of individuality and collective rights rooted in Enlightenment thought.

Related terms

Rationalism:

A philosophical approach that emphasizes reason as the primary source of knowledge and truth, often associated with Enlightenment thinkers like René Descartes.

Empiricism: The theory that knowledge is primarily derived from sensory experience, which played a crucial role in the development of scientific methods during the Enlightenment.

Social Contract: A political theory, notably proposed by philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, suggesting that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed.