Causes+&+Effects+of+the+Enlightenment

= Explain the causes of the Enlightenment and the impact of the Enlightenment on modern governments. =

Summary
The Enlightenment period was a period in time where sciences and other aspects of the world became more advanced. We still feel some of these impacts today. One of the major areas we feel the impact of the Enlightenment is in our government in the United States. Many of the ideas from the enlightenment thinkers were put into the government and documents that we have today. As shown in the Human Legacy textbook received in Global Class, we have discovered that some of the ideas from these thinkers have been shown in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

Causes of the Enlightenment:

The enlightenment was caused by people not wanting to continue the church's teachings. This is portrayed by the websites listed below and our textbook.

The cause of the enlightenment was the development of new ideas. These ideas went against the church's teachings. These ideas were advancements in science and technology. These ideas were rejected by the church and most of the people that created these ideas were placed on trial and imprisoned. One person that helped create new ideas was Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolaus Copernicus created the Heliocentric model of our universe and solar system. His ideas stated that the sun was the center of the solar system and that Earth was not. This went against what the church taught. The church taught that the Earth was the center of the solar system. The teaching of the Heliocentric model started to change ideas of the people of Europe. Many other Enlightenment thinkers created new ideas such as John Locke and Montesquie.

Effects of the Enlightenment:

Because of the Enlightenment period, we now know that the Earth revolves around the sun. This was proven by Nicolaus Copernicus. John Locke stated the ideas that everyone in society should be treated equal and that we should have a representative Democracy. These controvercial ideas changed the way we think about sciences. This now forms what we know about government and science. Nicolaus Copernicus even started our scientific revolution. That made advancements for us around the world.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the Enlightenment made advancements in many areas that now affect our lives daily. These are representated by the United States government and the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independance. Many of the enlightenment thinker's ideas were placed into these documents and now shape our government. The scientific advancements made by Nicolaus Copernicus has developed the way that we look at science.