The Enlightenment

             Discussion Questions: The Enlightenment
             1. Discuss the reforms proposed during the Enlightenment in the following areas: religion, government, and economics.
             - During the Enlightenment, several proposals came up concerning religion, government, and economics. First, in religion, people were talking about the idea of toleration and Deism. Second, in government issues, there came a proposal about a system of checks and balances, as well as an idea of a "social contract." Lastly, in economics, the Physiocrats argued about agriculture, trade, and the dictates of supply and demand. These ideas would affect the future of Europe.
             The idea of religious toleration was not a new. Since the era of Henry IV and the Edict of Nantes, the thought of religious toleration was out there and getting more and more attention. One person who supported religious toleration was the respected French critic Pierre Bayle. He attacked Christianity's attempts to impose orthodoxy and advocated complete toleration. Another advocate of religious toleration was Joseph II, who issued the Edict of Nantes in 1781 when he ascended the Habsburg throne. This document recognized the right of Protestants and Jews to worship freely, and to hold property and public office. Another follower of the Christian hate society was Francois- Marie Arouet who wrote under Voltaire. In his book, The Philosophical Dictionary, Voltaire attacked Christianity, which he declared that every man should hold. In replacement of Christianity, Voltaire suggested Deism, the belief that God created the earth but does not interfere with our lives. Deism also stated that there was no damnation or salvation, so there was nothing to keep the people from doing the best for society.
             The reforms proposed for government issues came from the Encyclopedia by Denis Diderot and several other philosophers, the French magistrate Montesquieu, and the most original and influential thinker, J...

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The Enlightenment. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 08:57, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/9380.html