By Justine Murray
The Age of Reason was a period in history that affected the world. During the Eighteenth Century, established ways of thinking were changing for everyone. People were converting to a more reasoned rather than traditional way of thinking. The Enlightenment was a time when monarchies fell and new countries formed in their place. The common man was given some importance and the aristocracy was (perhaps) taught some virtues. The Age of Reason has left its mark everywhere, especially in literature. One of the new ideas of this time was public knowledge. The reason that literature was especially influenced by the Enlightenment was that this is how word got around. Writing was the main source of widespread communication. People published letters and speeches on important issues so that everyone would be able to read them and learn. Through his method, the Enlightenment spread like wildfire.
One example of a document that was heavily influenced by the Enlightenment is the Declaration of Independence. In this work, the colonists are rebelling against King George’s tyranny: “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations” (Jefferson). The Declaration of Independence employs phrases such as “All men are created equal with certain unalienable Rights, [and] that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” (Jefferson).
These phrases are the basis of the Enlightenment: that all individuals are created with the same rights. The idea that everyone was equal was especially new, because most rulers and royals had associated themselves with gods. King Louis XIV was literally called “The Sun King” because he was considered that important. Many paintings of Louis XIV depicted him coming out of the clouds, in a similar position to the sun. Because of this, “The Sun King” was considered more important than any of the commoners or peasants. Usually, your family’s wealth determined your worth in society, to the point of appearance. Women with pale skin were considered more attractive because this showed that they had never worked a day in their lives. Men with round bellies were handsome because this showed that they had enough money to afford plenty of food to eat. The thinking that every person was equal was very new and very controversial. It allowed for the common people to believe that they were just as worthy as any king or monarch. Because of this, they were finally able to look past the glittery propaganda of wealth to see how problematic the politics truly were and demand needed a change.
Another famous work from the Age of Reason is Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man. This document defends the French Revolution against conservative people who believed that this new way of thinking was ludicrous. Again, the idea of “Inalienable Rights” is popular (Jefferson). Paine uses it to describe why the French were justified to revolt, claiming that “Rights are inherently in all the inhabitants; but charters, by annulling those rights, in the majority, leave the right, by exclusion, in the hands of a few…” (Paine). He argues that the government’s most important job is to enforce these rights and to punish anyone who tries to take them away. Paine’s idea that the government and the people are one is very democratic.
Thomas Paine’s main argument in this work and others is that rights are not to be infringed upon. The origins of this proposition came from a philosopher named John Locke. Locke wrote many works on the idea of “Inalienable Rights,” coining the phrase “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson). In his writings, Locke talks about the pursuit of happiness, which is not limited to short-lived happiness, but also a fulfilling life. Such pursuits require freedom of choice and speech. These rights are essential and assist in the pursuit of happiness.
Unlike other works from the Age of Reason, Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman promotes freedom for all. During the 18th Century, men were given public roles while women were associated with children and the home. Women were considered insignificant without their husbands, fathers, and brothers. Wollstonecraft articulates the voice of women by describing their current position and stating how it must be changed. She speaks of a woman’s beauty as being the only thing that may grant any sort of power. By describing how women have trapped themselves by buying into the idea that they cannot amount to more than beautiful objects, they give men all the power. Men have grown accustomed to this power while women with knowledge have wasted away. Wollstonecraft believes that women (in the tradition of the Enlightenment) deserve to be on an equal footing with men. Wollstonecraft famously states, “I do not wish them to have power over men; but over themselves.” She wants women to have the choice to become successful through knowledge, rather than be forced into looking beautiful for the approval of others. Wollstonecraft was able to point out the hypocrisy in men wanting freedom and arguing eloquently for “Inalienable Rights” in the face of institutionalized tyranny yet denying others the simplest of choices in life. Wollstonecraft epitomizes the courageous spirit and direct, rational style of the Enlightenment.
The idea that people are given certain rights that cannot be taken away is one of the most common principals from the Enlightenment. Oppression had been building for hundreds of years and the tension was ready to give way. The Age of Reason was merely an expression of this frustration. There is always a breaking point in people; this one was after an incredibly oppressive time period called the Era of General Crisis (1600-1700).
The influence of the Age of Enlightenment is one that is everywhere. Science, philosophy, the arts, and politics are just a few of the other areas where this movement really changed previous ways of thinking. This worldwide change was not only a freeing of the oppressed, but it gave birth to an entirely new country; one founded on these principles.
Works Cited
Jefferson, Thomas. “The Declaration of Independence: A
Transcription.” National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Paine, Thomas. “The Rights of
Man.” USHistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Wollstonecraft, Mary, and Jonathan
Bennett. “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with Strictures on Political
and Moral Subjects.” 1 Apr. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Image: Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix via Wikimedia Commons