The document discusses how the Enlightenment changed Western attitudes towards reform, faith, and reason. Key aspects include: 1) The Enlightenment led to major transformations in Western Europe as societies moved away from faith and towards more secular reasoning. Philosophers were major contributors to these changes. 2) During this period, there was a growing emphasis on using reason and evidence rather than religious beliefs to understand the natural world and humanity's place within it. 3) The Enlightenment ideals of faith in nature and belief in human progress led many to argue that an educated population guided by reason would naturally act to better society rather than through religious doctrine. This helped establish the importance of education systems in Western

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The Enlightenment and how it changed basic Western attitudes towards reform, faith and
reason
To be able to draw conclusions about what actually shaped western history, there is a
need to know clearly the connections that exist between cultural, social, political, intellectual and
political happenings in a given era of interest. One has to understand the wide variety of cultures
that led to western civilization and further place them together in a common context. This will
help one to understand change over time and make up for the fundamental relationships of
different times (Hunt, Martin and Smith 453).
The enlightenment achieved almost total transformation of Western Europe. The
region was set toward reform, making lose the tie n faith to more secular and broad reason.
Philosophers were the main contributors of this enlightenment.
In the recent past, the year 1997, archaeologists working in Ethiopia
discovered fossilized skulls that dated at least 160 000 years from then. These remains were the
oldest ever found after the discovery of Homo sapiens. This, as a discovery, raised considerable
interest to many scientists as it supported the idea that human beings originated from Africa
(Hunt, Martin and Smith 363).
Early human beings made innovations in technology, religion,

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trade, and in social organizations. It is these innovations that create a basis of the modern way of
life. The modern ways of life, including the emergence of war, may be traced back to
innovations of the ancient man. Continuous research provides the world with new information
about the past, therefore, enlightening the thinking f how the past relates to the present.
Enlightenment was an intellectual movement. The goal of the movement was to
understand the natural world, and understand the position of man in this natural world, on the
basis of reason while avoiding turning to religious beliefs. The aim was to create an inquiring
mind that has the urge to understand and know through reason, reason supported by evidence and
proof. Western Europe valued reason as reflected in the philosophic ideas or else what we are
referring to as the enlightenment (Hunt, Martin and Smith 293).
Faith in nature and the belief in human progress were among the most fundamental
ideologies of the Enlightenment. The argument was, if people were free to make and exercise
their reason, they would be naturally good and would act towards the betterment of others.
Education is seen a significant bridge to reason and human progress, other than through faith and
attachment to religion. This can be claimed to be one of the reasons why education is seen as a
extremely crucial aspect of the society in the west, so much value and efforts is attached to the
education system to enhance the value and quality (Hunt, Martin and Smith 117).
The eighteenth century could have been referred to as the Age of Reason. In the latter
decades, there emerged a general reaction against rationalism. There was religious revival. The
revival substantially captured back so many wavering Catholics and Protestants. Another
reaction was advocated for religion over the idea of reason but held the Enlightenment’s view on
individual liberty.
Before the eighteenth century, Enlightenment was mainly confined in to Holland. The

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major spokesmen of the philosophy were religious refugees. Among these spokesmen was
French Huguenot Pierre Bayle (1674-1706). His skepticism and plea for religious toleration were
widely spread in the wider region of France. Enlightenment was mainly French phenomenon
after the Peace of Ultrecht (1973). The leading proponents were referred to as philosophes. These
philosophes did analysis of the evils of the society and sought counter reforms on the principles
of reason (Hunt, Martin and Smith).
Freedom may also be defined as the ability to think rationally for oneself. Enlightenment
made people to start thinking that, relying on obedience, faith, and superstition is a life of
unreason. The idea of questioning every aspect of life started dominating the minds of many
people especially the elites. People started to make for the connections between faith and reason;
which of the two should dominate the other? And what are the benefits of adopting one at the
expense of the other.
The West became more independent as a result of societal reforms. There was
widespread of literature which gave the West an individual culture, creating its uniqueness.
Music in the eighteenth century demonstrated baroque characteristics (Hunt, Martin and Smith).
There are those who believed that Enlightenment was created for political reasons. Chartier
(1991), claims that the French revolution leaders created a canon of basic text. They selected
certain authors and identified them with The Enlightenment to legitimize their republican
political agenda.
Enlightenment at a glance produced basic principles about human life. Naturally, human
beings are good. However, they can be educated to be made better. This view sees reason as the
key to truth, and religion, which relies on blind faith, as wrong. Enlightenment philosophers and
thinkers were interested in technological change, prosperity according to them, was achievable

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and valid in the society. This became a driving aspect for social and political reforms. New ideas
triggered changes in the beliefs and habits of many people (Hunt, Martin and Smith 37).
With Enlightenment, came a new vision of the future. The presence of individual
freedom permits the operation of natural laws.

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Works Cited
LYNN HUNT, MARTIN THOMAS R , ROSENWEIN BARBARA H, R. PO-CHIA HSIA,
and SMITH BONNIE G.. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. United States:
Bedford/St. Martin's; 3rd edition (February 20, 2008), 2008. Print.