THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT (jan 1, 1600 – jan 1, 1800)

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Following Feudalism and by extension the Renaissance, the age of enlightenment led to many developments in science and invention. It is a time period where there is a shift towards science and logic. The Enlightenment spanned beyond Europe into the Americas. During this period two important events that led to the development of Sociology occur: The French and Industrial Revolutions.

The Enlightenment was driven by scepticism about traditional ideas and beliefs, curiosity and a desire for intellectual progress. Enlightenment thinkers and writers challenged existing knowledge and assumptions, seeking new information and a better understanding of humanity and the natural world. Most Enlightenment thinkers were empiricists: they expected new discoveries to meet certain standards of proof and verifiability before being accepted as fact. To achieve this, they developed a new system of thinking and investigation, the beginnings of what we now call the ‘scientific method’. Before the Enlightenment, knowledge was largely derived from religious teachings, supposition and the writings of ancient forebears. During and after the Enlightenment, knowledge was produced by scientific processes, logic and reasoning.

Follow the link to learn more about this time period:

https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/enlightenment

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