Why Study the Age of Enlightenment?
It is important to teach our students the Age of Enlightenment for many reasons. The most distinguishable reason being the radical transformation in individual and societal rationale throughout Western societies during the Mid-17th and 18th century. While it is imperative that our students learn that skepticism; logic and reasoning emerged from the Enlightenment Era, it is also vital that they understand that these notions did not simply occur overnight. The cultural explosion of the Renaissance Era, the discovery of new lands in the Age of Exploration, schisms within Western religions during the Reformation and the birth of modern science through the Scientific Revolution, all contributed to the development of this new way in which we perceive the physical world. Only when students comprehend these prior benchmarks in our time-lined history, will they begin to appreciate and learn of the Enlightenment Era’s significance and impact to our modern society.
In addition to this, students will gain exceptional qualities outside of the historical academia, which will be applied in the real world. For example, when students study the philosophical works of John Locke, they will be able to piece together his relevance to our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In doing so, students will build upon their moral values by observing the everyday lives, struggles and triumphs of historical figures, like John Locke. By bridging this content with our modern society, students will recognize their nation’s values and identity, as well as their own identities. In correlation to this, students will shape and hone their critical and analytical skills, as well as, the ability to recognize diverse perspectives and biased opinions through the interpretation of different sources.