The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment period is commonly referred to the age of reason. It is the period that stretches throughout the seventeenth century into part of the eighteenth century. This period saw the end of the Medieval World Age and ushered in the new and modern Western world. This period saw the revolution of politics, science, arts and philosophy. All these were mainly brought about by the ideas concerning God, nature, reason and humanity. They encouraged positive thinking through which human beings can change their conditions and improve the universe. Three goals were considered vital and as the tools and movers of the new era. The goals were happiness, freedom and knowledge.

The Birth of the Christian Religion

Philosophers in Ancient Greece were the first people to explore and seek to find out and explain the power of reasoning. They saw that a human being was so much concerned with the ideas and the rules of nature that they did not think. They followed what was called the natural law or the rationality of the natural order. After the introduction of the need to reason and struggle to change, a new kind of thinking emerged. This did not abide people to the natural law. This new thinking was self-challenging and demanded individuals to think about them. The philosophers sought of ways to make one better and improve nature. This is what led to personal salvation. This paved the way for the Christian religion. The reason was applied in Christianity, and it showed us the truth that there is a God. Through reasoning people understood that there are the right ways of God and that punishment will be served to those that do not meet their personal salvation. Personal salvation couples up the understanding of oneself and the efforts to be better and at the same time being conscious of the nature laws.

The Social Contract

The enlightenment did not just look at the things that affect the human being but also at the reality of the society. What we believe may at times contrast with the values that are considered by an individual community. We, therefore, have to be careful while reforming so as to change in a manner that conforms to the social organization. Social and poetic justice are the two things that enlightenment insists on when thinking of the social contract. What you do wrong will have a pay back sometimes in the future. Justice will always be served.