Age of Reason

The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment resulted in a dramatic change in the way educated people viewed the natural world around them. These eras significantly changed the way people acquired knowledge and applied it to their lives. Scientists and philosophers both used reason to find answers to the questions that mystified society. This age of Reason, as it came to be called, led to concrete changes in the areas of science, government, and social issues.

            Scientists started to question the teachings of the church. Copernicus challenged the ancient astronomical idea of a geocentric universe that stated that the Earth was the center of the universe with heaven fixed perfectly above it. This was what the church taught and Copernicus wanted to prove it wrong. Copernicus came up with a heliocentric theory with the sun as the center. Galileo continued Copernicus’s work after he passed away. Galileo made an astronomical telescope to help prove Copernicus right. He studied the moons of Jupiter which revolved around Jupiter the same way the Earth did around the sun. After these people started to question the church’s teachings. Scientists developed a method in order to prove things correctly. Scientists had to make a hypothesis then collect and accurately measure data in order to prove the hypothesis right. This became known as the scientific method which changed the way scientists had to prove things. Isaac Newton later proved the laws of gravity. After the scientists proved  these ideas people started to question other teachings of the church.

            During the Enlightenment philosophers sparked new ideas about government. Thomas Hobbes believed that were naturally cruel greedy, and selfish. Hobbes wanted a powerful government to control the people and he thought that an absolute monarchy would be the best. On the other hand John Locke thought people had natural rights because people were reasonable and moral. Locke thought there should be a government with limited power over the society and that is accepted by the society in order to protect the people’s natural rights. Montesquieu studied European governments. Montesquieu wanted a government that was divided into different powers. After philosophers introduced these types of governments the people wanted the rulers to follow these ideas.

            Rulers that used the ideas of philosophers to change society were called enlightened despots. Rulers started to use the ideas of philosophers for different reasons. One of the reasons was the French Revolution and the execution of the king and queen. One of the enlightened despots was Fredrick II who used Voltaire’s ideas to change Prussia’s society and government. He used Voltaire’s ideas in order to make the government more efficient. Fredrick II also tolerated religious differences which made Voltaire’s ideas even better for him.

            The Age of Reason was a result of people questioning the world and what they were being taught. Scientists started to develop new methods and theories, philosophers developed ideas for the way governments should work, and despots helped changed the governments. This helped greatly change the world and influenced the people to help make the world what it is today.