On one hand, the Enlightenment views saw God as a far away figure that did not interfere with the lives of humans. The Enlightenment was a period of intellectual growth that tried to explain the true nature of mankind and how it progresses. One of the most important theorists for The Enlightenment was John Locke. John Locke created a theory called tabula theory, which had important assumptions about human nature and undermined Christian assertion that humankind was inherently sinful. Another person who also criticized some of the religious views was Pierre Bayle.
1.) Why does Paine begin his argument for independence with an attack on monarchy and hereditary succession? Thomas Paine attacked monarchy and hereditary succession in the beginning of his argument because he wanted to gain more support on the revolt against Britain. His approach was straightforward and got right to the point for the independence movement and the rights of all men. He wanted to show that supporting the independence movement instead of remaining loyal to the British Crown was a better idea and would result in happier lives.
The Puritans tended to admire the early church fathers and quoted them freely in their works. In addition to arming the Puritans to fight against later developments of the Roman Catholic tradition, these studies also led to the rediscovery of some ancient scruples. Chrysostom, a favorite of the Puritans, spoke eloquently against drama and other worldly endeavors, and the Puritans adopted his view when decrying what they saw as the decadent culture of England, famous at that time for its plays and bawdy London. There was also a group of people known as The Rationalists. The Rationalists were a group of people who believed that the world and everyone on it was basically good unlike the puritans who believed the total opposite.
Renaissance vs. Protestant Reformation Despite the impact of the pro reformation, the cultural + intellectual achievements of the era are greater symbol of revolutionary change. This essay is about achievements of renaissance vs. Achievements of protestant reformation. But in both cases it had a faith in the Catholic Church and was declaimed from the Middle Ages. As you read this essay you’ll find that people gained alot from renaissance than protestant reformation.
“Expressions of secular humanism reject both the minimal Christian elements of its precursors and essential biblical truths, such as the fact that human beings bear the image of their Creator.” (Text Book The popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics) Meaning/ Purpose: Secular humanists never think about God don’t pray, never worry about what God thinks. So they may devote much more time and attention, and their energy to improving themselves, their relationships, and their environment. Morality: “Secular humanists base their morality and ideas about justice on critical intellect unassisted by Scripture, which Christians rely on for knowledge concerning right and wrong, good and evil.” (secularhumanism.org) Destiny: Secular humanists know that the truth of human experience is that certain virtues, practices, and habits of mind and character make for a better life. “It aims to heal this world and glorify man as the author of his own, progressive salvation.”(secularhumanism.org) Contrast: I was not sure if I would like to do this paper since I do not agree with the beliefs of secular humanism. Before I could consider my Christian response to secular humanism, I had to do my research.
Jefferson explains that the government should only interfere with religious freedom when it inferences with someone else’s natural right; thusly making the separation of church and state not absolute. Kennedy misinterpretation is unethical because it causes citizens to falsely believe that their religious freedom cannot be taken away. Romney misuses his information when he argues “[w]e should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders –in ceremony and word. Romney is correct that a one of the Founders, such as Jefferson states [w]ell aware that Almighty God hath created the mind free...”. Jefferson does acknowledge that there is a God or Creator that gave human beings the freedom of thought.
Artists began to sign their work and sell off on it opposed to the past where artists painted to simply glorify god and to this day many of their works remain unknown. Political beliefs shifted too. Many scholars looked back on ancient Rome and found that their republican government was the best model. This encouraged education standards to grow. It became important that one be well rounded in all intellectual areas as well as becoming knowledgeable about ones physical being through wrestling or fencing.
Many literary critics interested in philosophy have found in Emerson's thought the origins of American pragmatism, and philosophers from around the globe who value the active mind more than systemic philosophical exposition continue to respond enthusiastically to the two sides of Emerson that Buell identifies: the democratic idealist and the anarchic provocateur. In addition, Thoreau's philosophy of civil disobedience, which hangs on a transcendental understanding of self-reliance, helped to inspire the movements of peaceful revolution set in motion by Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Futhermore, Whitman's radically cosmic belief in the unique grandeur of every self and every mindis Romantic vision of a universal oversoul connecting slave, whore, president, and preacher all alike through a daily sharing in the erotics of experience, as expressed in Leaves of Grass (1855)mounts to the first philosophically significant statement of tolerance and multicultural acceptance in American
Allusions convince and change the mind of men like the clergymen in this case. Using religious figures makes allusions that men of God would easily relate to. He makes a comparison to his actions to those of Socrates practicing civil disobedience in the quote, “To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience”(210). Another allusion is included about Adolf Hitler reign in Germany where “everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal”, ”to prove the point of what is “right and wrong” is in the eyes of the beholder (210). In most paragraphs he uses at least one allusion that the clergymen can compare his or their opinion to.
During the middle Ages they also revered Aristotle as the philosopher. Thomas Aquinas of Paris in his Summas held that faith came first, but that human reason allowed a greater understanding of natural order, moral law, and the nature of god. Although scholasticism deteriorated after Thomas, it had opened new paths for human understanding. It allowed people to understand that even though Christ came first the average person was able to use logic to make rational descions for himself. These ideals world further develop during the Renaissance and became more extreme with movements such as Humanism