Download The Enlightenment (1)

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Shashwath Manjunath
Ms. Gardner
History 6C
20 January 2024
The Enlightenment
European society in the Dark Ages had gone through poverty, suppression, and great
turmoil. It was time to find positive light that would take them to a new beginning. They yearned
for a start where science overruled superstition, power was with the people, and poverty would
no longer keep people awake. As one could imagine, this required a few to help wake up and
lead the rest around them. During this period, Europe was fortunate to have philosophes such as
Montesquieu, Voltaire, and John Locke. They became the source of inspiration for people to get
rid of authoritarianism, heal its thoughtfully restrictive problems, and help restore the peace it
had wanted since the collapse of the Roman Empire.
The dark ages in Europe were infested with many problems. Governments were misusing
their power and torturing innocent people with extreme taxes. Most people lived in extreme
poverty. “The darkness was ignorance, superstition, and unproven beliefs” (The Enlightenment,
The French Revolution and Romanticism, 2). Power was overly concentrated among the
monarchs and church leaders. Additionally, people who spoke against these problems and defied
these authorities were imprisoned or killed! Therefore, the desperate state of society seeded
many influential thinkers. They debunked myths and reformed the government to protect the
rights of the people and reduce taxes. According to John Locke, “It is the government’s duty to
preserve the rights of the citizens” (The Enlightenment, The French Revolution and
Romanticism, 31). Among the many influential thinkers at this time, Voltaire stood at the top and
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laid the foundations that fueled the revolutionary movements that helped the most important
societal problems.
Unlike most other philosophes of his time, Voltaire was a common man; he did not have
any aristocratic relations. Therefore, he was imprisoned for teasing and questioning the
monarchy's and clergy’s rules with his inspirational satires. Voltaire’s most famous book, Letters
On England, “is notable for its advocacy of religious tolerance and freedom of thought, and it
played a significant role in promoting English ideas to a Continental audience” (The Greatest
Books, 2024) Despite knowing that negative comments about societal norms would land him in
trouble, Voltaire boldly educated society and fueled a revolution. His remarks made the ruling
classes seem foolish. “‘My trade,’ he said, ‘is to say what I think’” (The Enlightenment, The
French Revolution and Romanticism, 42). His praise of other countries and published books
ignited a societal change. The ruling class was overthrown, the government was structured to
preserve the people's rights, and ideas were allowed to spread freely. Contrary to his
contemporaries, Voltaire had the greatest impact on European society, and he was to set the path
for Europe’s success.
The Enlightenment was an important time of reform that greatly reduced the turmoil in
Europe. At this time, thinkers invigorated society to reform and enlighten itself. As a result,
people got rid of authoritarianism and established more flexible governments. They were able to
heal many of their problems, which were stopping their scientific progress. Voltaire, the most
prominent philosophe, spread ideas about the foolishness of the monarchs and clergy. These
ideas pushed people to reform Europe and achieve the peace and advancement it had desired for
over a millennium. Voltaire’s impact on the Enlightenment was vital not only for Europe but also
for America across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Works Cited
Donald Hirsch, Eric. The Enlightenment, the French Revolution and Romanticism Reader. Core
Knowledge Foundation, 2018,
www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/CKHG_G6_B1_U3U4_Enlighten
mentFrench_SR.pdf.
“The Greatest Books: Written by Voltaire.” Thegreatestbooks.org, 2024,
thegreatestbooks.org/authors/5312.