Significant Areas of Change in the Enlightenment

Significant Areas Of Change In The Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment was a cultural movement of intellectuals in eighteenth century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It was an age of optimism and reason that promoted science, happiness and intellectual interchange, rather than superstitions. New values stressing freedom, rights and equality were emphasized, but these were kept in sharp contrast to the realities of the time. It was a period in which thinkers believed that humanity, through the employment of reason, was truly beginning to gain grasp over the world. Changes throughout the Enlightenment were shown in aspects of intellectual enquiry; however, they encompassed a development of knowledge mainly through the distribution of ideas, the economy and the philosophers, who brought significant change to thought and politics.

The dissemination of ideas was an important area of change during the Enlightenment due to the increased consumption of reading materials and the influences of cultural hubs like salons. The increased consumption of reading materials of all sorts was a key feature of the social Enlightenment. Developments in the Industrial Revolution allowed consumer goods to be produced in greater quantities at lower prices, encouraging the spread of books, pamphlets, newspapers and journals. This meant ideas were spread more swiftly than ever before, people were becoming more educated, and that the common man had become more knowledgeable about his/her society. Besides reading, another significant vehicle for exchanging and spreading new ideas was the salon. The salon began as a way for a small group of elite women to satisfy their educational needs, eventually evolving into meetings of intellectuals guided by individual hostesses. They played an integral role in the cultural and intellectual development of France as they became responsible for the dissemination of sociability, manners and ideas. The magnified utilization of reading materials and the impact of cultural hubs, specifically salons, were two key features of the dissemination of ideas, a significant area of change during the Enlightenment.

The economy was subject to significant change during the Enlightenment as a result of the encouragement of economic principles, such as economic liberalism and the increased emphasis on agricultural productivity. Theories in support of economic liberalism were developed and firstly fully formulated by Adam Smith, a leading economist in his time. This concept advocates minimal interference of government in a market economy, while not necessarily opposing the government's provision completely. He claimed that if everyone were left to his or her own economic campaigns instead of being controlled by the government, then the result would be a simple and more equal society of ever-increasing prosperity. His ideas and encouragement reinforced the move towards a capitalist economic system and signified the end of the mercantilist system in the Enlightenment. His ideas and encouragement reinforced the move towards a capitalist economic system and signified the end of the mercantilist system. Along with this capitalist approach, the Physiocrats