There is no argument against the fact that the Enlightenment instigated countless changes in society’s day-to-day life, specifically in shifting the thought processes of individuals in Western society. “The Enlightenment in Europe and the Americas” touched upon the notion that the Enlightenment itself was rooted in the transition from the masses conceiving about society as whole, to concerning themselves with the idea of the “individual.” This newfound concept of individual rights, desires, aspirations, and ability was able to set precedent to the much needed social and political vicissitudes that occurred, such as the increased rights of the woman, the rightful questioning of authority, and the exploration of scientific inquiries. Contemporary life today continues to implement this idealization of the “individual” in many aspects of society, specifically in the act of feeling a sense of necessity to label oneself in an attempt to showcase just how much of an individual one really is. Prevalent in both societal and political features, labels have become so widespread, that we often find it difficult to perform certain acts in a public space without declaring what we have branded ourselves to be. While in many cases, this may seem innocuous, as labeling does provide a benefit to individuals making an effort to form a sense of identity, whether that be wanting to identify with certain political parties, sexual orientations, etc., the detrimental aspect of labeling has the ability to limit one from further exploration. As stated in the article, “The world would be a better place, if people examined not only their standards of behavior but also their tendency to hide behind them” (6). It is not to say that people should not define themselves using labels, as it is prevalent that this utilization of labels has brought about many advances in society. It is when we start to use these labels as a mechanism to set the bar of how high we can reach that we start to stray from the original purpose of labels themselves.

Thomas Hobbes attributed the creation of social organization to men and women who “had originally banded together for the sake of preservation”. However, this interest soon changed as social organizations had become “elaborate hierarchical structures’, whom those at the top felt entitled to a share of social power. Along with these hierarchical structures, society seemed to have performed in a seemingly uniform way. Education was limited to the wealthy, while literature was used in means to stimutameously delight and instruct their readers of what is moral in society and what is not. Women only had the ability to accomplish getting married and taking care of their children. A divine spirit was the only explanation of the elements unknown. Finally, the past served as a concrete guide as to how the future should be approached.

However, the Age of Enlightenment was a time that ushered the whole world into a new era. This new age promoted us to see our own judgement and senses, to remain skeptical and critical towards everything around us, to question divine revelation. This age gave us a “new sense of equality of all humans beings” which demanded for universal human rights. As Isaac Newton marked the change of the unknown from God’s creation to science, revolutions sparked in all major areas of society. Modern values and science promoted individualism as opposed to the classical side. Social instability marked the initiations of a change as women started to expand and showcase their full intellectual and moral capacities. Social responsibility started to acknowledge human obligations and ethical standards. Literature started to focus on the art of realism, which allowed the readers to “convey the literal feel f experience” rather than read other’s promoted agendas. The value of permanence was challenged against the value of change. It was a change that people were stimutameously waiting for and astonished by.

The Age of Enlightenment sparked changes all around the globe and created a lasting effect that still occurs even today. Its changes contributed to many lives of Americans ever since the eighteenth century and equal rights amongst men and women arose to a higher level of belief. The race of men and women however, created a different outlook for equal opportunity and being a colored American, for instance, would reduce chances of corresponding treatment as to a Caucasian American. Although the Enlightenment wasn’t so specifically about the colored and Caucasians, it did “…begin to question whether slavery could be ethical..” (Page 7) which falls under the notion of equality. This can relate to todays racial movement known as “Black Lives Matter”, which shows the terror that colored people have to face with the judicial system and the unethical acts from police officers that result in the violent demise of colored people in America. Black Lives Matter continues to fight for its purpose and the ideas it contains of civil and human rights for colored American lives derives from the father of colored social movements known as the Civil Rights Movement conducted in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The ideas of the Civil Rights Movement were all about behaving towards African Americans the same as to Caucasian Americans and respecting the human rights of an African American. Essentially the intention of this movement was for equality, which shows inheritance of beliefs from the Age of Enlightenment and its lasting legacy of effects on the world today. Its because of the thoughts and ideology risen from the Enlightenment that fuels such critical situations to be broken free from constraint and to be lived amongst balance and fairness.

Through the Enlightenment, our lives have undergone tremendous changes, the biggest change is to realization that everyone are equal. In the late seventeen centuries, Civilians began to learn to think, why we need to obey king’s instructions, why upper class people have more opportunities to get a good job. Why women can not work and so on. Many people began to stand up to break the feudal system. Like women’s only job is to take care their children and “Among the privileged classes, men had many opportunities, for education, for service in government or diplomacy, for the exercise of political and economic power” (Page 7). We are all human beings, why do some people have privileges but we do not. This is unfair to most of us. same to women, like their said “if god had given all human beings reason, then women were just as entitled to develop and exercise their minds as their male counterparts the emphasis” (page 7). Many people have begun to protest this system in their own way，which make the Enlightenment began. “Women published translations from the Greek as well as volumes of literary criticism, and were the most prolific writers in certain genres, such as gothic fiction, even if society as a whole did not acknowledge their full intellectual and moral capacities, individual women were beginning to claim for themselves more rights than those of motherhood.”(Page7) like they said, “when the enlightenment began, was a period of great turmoil,”(page 3)。 The Enlightenment was the first step towards democracy. Because the Enlightenment occurred, changed the feudal ideology of many people. People began to understand that we should not be restricted by anyone, everyone is equal. Each of us should strive for the right that we should have. As a result of the Enlightenment, most of the countries became democratic countries, and everyone’s rights should not be violated by others.

The Age of Enlightenment has a profound impact on our world today. Using reason as the guidebook to governance, ethics, and truth, as opposed to blindly following the authority of a specific group, humanity is able to topple the kings and queens of Europe and usher in a new age of scientific and philosophical thinking (Norton 4). It served as the foundation modern society for centuries. However, this foundation is starting to crumble in the American politics with the newly elected President Trump and his administration.

Donald Trump’s recent executive order to ban Muslims from seven different countries is a direct consequence of individualism. Ever since the 17th century, people feared that commitment to individualism might lead to social alienation and lack of moral responsibility (Norton 3). Donald Trump and supporters of this ban seek a divide between “us” and “them.” In reality, we are all human beings regardless of our background. America is a land of immigrants and by not allowing immigrants in is a complete contradiction to American values.

Donald Trump’s stance on climate change is irrational and deprived of any logical coherence. Despite the abundance of empirical evidence and the general consensus of the scientific community, he still refuses to accept the fact and take the necessary action. Instead, he diminishes the power of the Environmental Protection Agency. This means he is either deliberately ignorant or he is in alignment with special interest who benefit from this. I think it’s both. These kinds of selfish and irrational acts are exactly why monarchs fall and democracy for the people flourish (Norton 6).

Although we thank Enlightenment for advancement in countless subjects, it seems as though the United States government are going back to a period of irrationality and monarchy. Humanity is being divided and we act based on fear rather than reason. It’s time to usher in a new Age of Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment raised the knowledge of all human beings are equal, and of human could control the nature for gaining their own profits.

The Enlightenment contributed to decreasing discrimination among humans such as sex and race. The sense which women’s education and women’s social right in and outside home are required began at that time. For example, women were participated in intellectual works by writing books in the late seventeenth century. Today, it is hard to find any case that women cannot be educated due to their sex. Even they are more active in diverse area than men. Discrimination between men and women has been relieved when it compares to the previous ages. However, no one says that discrimination doesn’t exist anymore. We keep trying to reduce discrimination between sexes. This also can be a reason, a premise, and pre-step to a result and a conclusion. Our society has rapidly changed all the time based on those cause and effect.

Also, the Enlightenment enable us to think that we can control the nature’s power. Scientists have defined the unexplained nature with human’s words, equations, and logic. Then, people have understood knowledge and used them to manipulate the nature. The big problem is that human tend to act like God as nature is properties which human already own. It means that people want to control the nature too much for economic profits. Positive effects of developed sciences surely exist. However, the false sense which human can control of nature is destroying the Earth. We have a right to preserve our environments for our following generations.

Current Government’s political actions led by Donald Trump look like disregarding the equal human rights and over-controlling the nature for only economic profits. The United States have a various of cultures which immigrants have established. However, the government is trying to expel them from the States. It looks like reasonable just in case current political actions will protect the U.S from terrorism and solve the problem of unemployment of U.S. citizen. But Trump’s executive orders cannot be judged with fairness and equality of human rights. In addition, the government with Trump deregulate the environmental policy to raise economic growth. Economic status, money, is not only criteria to define who has the better qualified life. I think that the government has enough time to find a better way to figure out current issues in the United State. I hope the government tries to hear people’s voices.

Enlightenment is a breaking through of new ideas and is a huge step in the development of modern civilization.  It was a milestone for the continent of Europe in that it brought about the realization that people are born equal; ultimately ending the feudal hierarchy. It also established the roots of America’s constitution.

As we know, China has been a monarchy for thousands of years.  It is so hard for the people to change their old way of thinking.  It seems like the Chinese people are used to being suppressed and unconditionally obeying the orders of their superiors.  The Chinese mind is changing today.  People have started talking about freedom, and the pursuit of civil rights.  However, look at the lives we have now.  The government is still like an organized gang.  Being an officer is a lucrative position, and almost transparently corrupt.  People have no candid place to appeal their grievances. Grievances such as: breathing the worst air quality, and eating various toxic additive food.

I was born in 1992.  Thinking back to the late 18th century in France, about 200 years ago, almost the whole world has progressed in regards to human right t.s.  But not China.  While the rest of the world is enjoying real human rights, it is difficult and dangerous just to find an open place to speak one’s own political opinion.

I don’t know when or if the Chinese government will give its people their civil rights; the rights that allow their people to speak freely, or to elect their respective leaders, or to abolish the old hierarchy.  However, I do feel that as these injustices continue, the Chinese people may become increasingly aggravated and start a revolution, just like the French people who guillotined their king.

China is at stake, and we need an enlightenment. 

I feel so lucky that I live in 21^st century after I read “Introduction to the Enlightenment”. “The question raised by Enlightenment thinkers about human powers and limitations have left a legacy so lasting that it is hard to imagine our world without the Enlightenment. (Norton 5)” Yes, without the Enlightenment, I think that the great advances cannot have been made in our social life. I am a woman. I can’t imagine that women had less opportunity for education, service in government, and the political and economic rights than men before the Enlightenment period. “Among the privileged classed, men had many opportunities: for education, for service in government or diplomacy, for the exercise of political and economic power. (Norton 7)” Looking around women’s social life, women can get a better job after she graduated from colleges, women also work in many departments of the government, women also can support themselves through their work. I can’t bear such situation, “Both men and women generally accepted as necessary the subordination of women, who, even in the upper classes, had few opportunities for education and occupation beyond the household. (Norton 7)” I can’t imagine that the women only can stay at home. It’s unfair because “If God have given all human beings reason, the women were just as entitled to develop and exercise their minds as their male counterparts (Norton 7)”. “The emphasis on education in virtually all of the period’s tracts about women provides proof that the concert of rational progress offered a device that could be used to gain at least rights for women – if not civil rights, which were long in coming, at least the right to thought and knowledge (Norton 7)”. Women started fighting for theirs rights. For women contemporary social life, the Enlightenment legacies are the equal opportunities for men and women and the struggle for women’s rights.

One of the things that Enlightenment brought about is reason. Before the period of Enlightenment, people accepted the belief that Kings and Queens were divine rulers, and that God had chosen them to rule over common people. That thinking changed as “reason had led many thinkers to conclusion that kings and queens were ordinary mortals and that conclusion implied new kinds of uncertainty,” (5-6). Through this reason, colonized America not only break her ties from Great Britain but also accepted, “all men are equal.”

As time progressed, the role of reasoning had played huge roles, be it for judiciary or personal purposes. Yet, it seems like as of now, use of reasoning does not have the same impact it did back in the eighteenth century. Now, reasoning can be used for any purpose; reasoning can be used by ISIS for them to explain why they do things the way they do; whether what they do is good or bad is another question. Trump and his supporters reasons why they want to build a wall or ban immigration; whether they are justified is another question. In addition, people nowadays with their own reasons are racist, sexist and discriminatory towards others.

What I wonder is whether there is going to be another Enlightenment. Maybe this Enlightenment might be towards more understanding the world we live and discovering universal truth, if it exists. Maybe our tendency to reason and drive for truth and knowledge will create a universal understanding of issues like racism and what is good and what is bad. Maybe, when that time comes, mankind will be looking back at this moment where discrimination exists and shake their heads like how we, right now, shake our heads to the fact that slavery was ever permitted in a so called, “free country.” I guess when that day actually comes, or if it comes, we’ll definitely be most aware of ourselves, and the way we reason things that we do might significantly be affected.

A huge aspect of our lives today is equality, likewise women equality. In the past decades, groups of women and also men has been coming together to create a better society by fighting for equal rights. Feminism is a social outcome that grew from the Enlightenment era. Where women could have equal rights just like men do. Without the roots of the Enlightenment era where scholars and philosophers thought thoroughly about how women can be more than just mothers at home or housekeepers. There wouldn’t be the idea of equal rights in today’s society. Gender oppression in the Enlightenment era caused many women in that time period the lack of ability to better their circumstances. Women were portrayed as weak individuals who were limited to childbearing and housekeeping. They were not given as many opportunities or professions as men. Women, who held property at the time would be in possessions of her husband after marriage due to the lack of belief on how she could expand the use of the property. Though during this time period, women’s intellect and ability to be just as smart as men were acknowledged. They paved way for many participants to embrace the role of women. Which allowed many to be driven to fight by their belief of how equal rights for women could improve the system and operations of society. “Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a Mexican nun articulated her passion for thought and reading, and became an eloquent advocate of the right of women to education and a life of mind” Despite the few opportunities and inequality of the enlightenment era, many women are now known as brave literary figures. Changes in women equality today really resulted from the enlightenment era. Today, we have females in high executive professions and also women running for president. To have women participate in cultural and political problems today the enlightenment really played a big role. Although from this recent 2016 election, results show that women’s ability and intellect are still being questioned by many which are some things all women and men should work together to assure the people to believe in women’s ability. To give more recognition to women, believe and be inspired by how far we’ve gone since the work of those from the enlightenment era.