Several key events influenced the development of the Enlightenment, a philosophical and intellectual movement in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries:
- Scientific Discoveries and Publications :
- In 1610, Galileo published Sidereus Nuncius , describing moons orbiting Jupiter, supporting the Copernican heliocentric theory, challenging the long-held geocentric view
* Isaac Newton's 1687 publication of _Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica_ established the laws of motion and universal gravitation, marking a scientific revolution that heavily influenced Enlightenment thinking
* Earlier scientific figures like Francis Bacon and Johannes Kepler contributed to the Scientific Revolution, which laid the groundwork for Enlightenment rationalism and empiricism
- Philosophical Works :
- René Descartes' 1637 Discourse on Method introduced a systematic approach to doubt and reasoning, famously stating "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am")
* John Locke's 1689 _Two Treatises of Government_ argued for natural rights and limited government, ideas that deeply influenced political thought and later revolutions
* Other influential philosophers included Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Diderot, who contributed to ideas of liberty, tolerance, constitutional government, and individual rights
- Political and Social Developments :
- The American Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789) were significant events influenced by Enlightenment ideas, particularly those concerning democracy, liberty, and the consent of the governed
* The publication of the _Encyclopédie_ (1751–1772), edited by Denis Diderot and others, helped spread Enlightenment ideas widely across Europe
- Cultural and Intellectual Context :
- The Enlightenment was preceded and shaped by the Renaissance humanism, the Scientific Revolution, and the Protestant Reformation, which together fostered a spirit of inquiry, skepticism toward authority, and emphasis on reason
These events collectively fostered a shift from traditional authority based on monarchy and church to values centered on reason, individual liberty, scientific inquiry, and democratic governance, defining the Age of Enlightenment
