The Radical Thinkers Of The 18th And 19th Centuries

Although the radical thinkers of the 18th and 19th centuries who captured the â€Å"zeitgeist† of their era contributed to shaping Western Civilization ideals, many of these radical thinkers were condemned during their lifetimes for their unorthodox views. Around the 17th century, Western European society began to adapt to a new method of thinking known as rationalism, which focused on proving beliefs with rational sources such as data and reasoning instead of faith and tradition. While William Paley was one of the first highly influential rationalist thinkers of his era, he also agreed with the orthodox views of his time. Paley was not significant for challenging his era’s views; rather for representing his era’s views while challenging society’s method of formulating these views. Contrary to Paley, David Hume actually challenged societal norms and traditions by opposing to all of Paley’s ideas with his reason, thus exposing his era to his radical skepticisms. Friedrich Nietzsche was able to criticize traditional principles of morality and culture which sparked conflict for the authoritative entities of his era. While Paley represented his era’s normative beliefs and encouraged rationalism, Hume was able to challenge his society’s religious and moral beliefs prior to Nietzsche’s critique on morality and culture during his era which ultimately influenced future political and artistic figures. In spite of the fact that William Paley differed from many of his contemporaryShow MoreRelatedChanges During The Industrial Revolution1796 Words   |  8 Pageswere at work that led to the emergence of Sociology in the late 18th and early 19th century. Some of these include: the industrial revolution, the French revolution, the Enlightenment and the Counter-Enlightenment. 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Heraclitus, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, states firmly: â€Å"There is nothing permanen t except change.† Heraclitus’s works have influenced later philosophers and thinkers, including Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher of the late 18th and early 19th century. In order to define â€Å"contradiction†, I found it is understandable to use Hegel’s principle of non-contradiction, which has been studied for a long time. As Horst Althaus says in his Hegel: An IntellectualRead MoreThe Enlightenment : The Age Of Reason1126 Words   |  5 PagesThe Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was an important period in the history of Western Civilization during the 17th and 18th centuries - a time of social turmoil where societies were divided between social groups and struggled for freedom, equality and democracy (Seidman, 2008: 6). This time gave rise to remarkable social thinkers, known as Enlighteners, who pioneered a new science of society (Seidman, 2008: 5). These highly educated Enlighteners believed the world could be rationallyRead MoreThe Theory Of Government, Science And The Nature Of Human Beings1466 Words   |  6 Pages The bed of thought for the Enlightenment in the late 18th and early 19th century was laid down in the 17th century with the commencement of reason. The authority of the Catholic Church had been broken by radicals, such as Martin Luther, and the liberation from orthodoxy meant that there was no longer a single authority. People began to examine the world with reason rather than faith.This intellectual curiosity eventually led to the Era of Enlightenment. The central ideals of the Enlightenment ultimatelyRead MoreThe Basis for Russian Military Thought: from the Late 18th to Early 20th Century1714 Words   |  7 PagesThe Basis for Russian Military Thought: From the Late 18th to Early 20th Century The success, or lack thereof, achieved by Russia s military during the 18th and 19th centuries has often been linked to the integration of Western, or European, strategies. Peter the Great, one of Russia s most revered military leaders, based much of his ideology concerning war around the things he learned while visiting other European nations. Russia s need to go abroad to find military strategies is oftenRead MoreIn The Ancient World, Little Efforts Were Made To Protect1592 Words   |  7 Pagesbetter than slaves and those who attempt to support for any kind of equality were condemned. Plato, a great philosopher, was one of the rare supporters of equality for women in Greek society and around the world. His views about women’ rights were radical, and this explains why he is regarded as champion of the female cause. In his theory, Plato argues that women ought to enjoy same social roles as their male counterparts. Plato’s theory holds that men and women are the sam e in nature except that menRead MoreTheme Of Transgression In Frankenstein1235 Words   |  5 Pagessubterranean secret, the gloomy castle and ghostly sightings. [1] This shaped the way in which we understand the genre. Transgression is a continual theme within the genre, meaning an â€Å"act that goes against a law, rule or code of conduct. During the 18th and 19th centuries, crucial changes were taking place around the world that influenced the formation of the Gothic writing. Industrialisation and political unrest were at the forefront of this. The frequent abdications in England and the French revolution hadRead MoreThe Enlightenment Era Of 1620 And 1789910 Words   |  4 PagesEnlightenment Era of 1620 and 1789 The European politics, communication, science and philosophy were radically reoriented between 1685 and 1815, during a time that was referred to as the Age of Reason, or in other words, the Enlightenment Era. The European thinkers from Britain, France and throughout Europe started questioning the traditional authority and developed the idea that humanity could be made better through rational change. As a result of the Enlightenment, there was production of numerous essaysRead MoreHumes Ethics1047 Words   |  5 PagesConclusion 4. Bibliography David Hume is an outstanding Scottish philosopher of the 18th century whose views has a significant impact on the following generations of thinkers throughout the world. His sceptical arguments concerning induction, causation and especially religion, including his famous thesis that human knowledge arises only from sense experience and not from rational judgments, shaped the 19th and 20th century empiricist philosophy. His famous saying that ‘reason is the slave of the passions’