The Basis Of The Secular Paradigm

VIDEO WRITTEN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 1 Sebastien Dekleva 9/13/15

The Secular Paradigm: The basis of secular thought revolves around the observations of life and death in the natural world. The age of Secular thinking lasted up to the early 18th century, and served as a foundation for modern sociology. There were countless philosophers that helped develop the main values of this paradigm, many of whom were Christian and Muslim thinkers. During this era, time was viewed as circular, meaning that it would eventually double back on itself. Picture a wheel on a car. As you drive, the tire makes contact with the ground, then circles back to make contact yet again.This happens thousands of time a minute.Philosophers theorized that

for the first time in human history, the pursuit of truth and reason was placed before the established norms. It was during this time, that authority was constantly questioned, and individualism was prioritised. Many believe that the application of freedom, reason, and democracy was implemented in the west during this time as well, often with dire consequences. Perhaps the main ideal of the enlightenment however, is the idea that society as a whole must move from a circular society to one where we as a people and as individuals progress. Many philosophers and historians agree on this one fact. the spirit of the enlightenment is one of betterment, and one of improvement. However, we can see what happens when we as a people attempt to question authority too much. The French Revolution, which directly followed the Enlightenment, is a good example of how not to challenge the status quo. Heads were lost, and lives were ruined. However, the Enlightenment itself was not a particularly peaceful time. The 30 years war is regarded as one of the bloodiest most scarring wars in history, fought for religious reform during the early Enlightenment. Some of the greatest influences of the Enlightenment were John Lock, Francis Bacon, and the Baron de Montesquieu. These three men helped shape the spirit and Ideals of the Enlightenment, as well as open our minds

However, he is known today by the Baron de Montesquieu. He would study at a local college, eventually becoming a lawyer. In 1721, he wrote his first work, which scorned the wealthy of France, and their rich lavish lifestyle. During this time, Many Western thinkers were trying to evaluate and understand the outside world. the Baron joined in on this trend, publishing many works for the public. it was the style to make his works is confusing and unreadable as possible, so that people would keep reading them and he would stay relevant. He remained intrigued by England for most of his life acknowledging that he was living in a changing time. He believed that there were three things that the people of the world needed to remain happy. Practice their religion, wealth, and liberty. A s he began to grow older he experienced the powers of the Enlightenment shift. For the first half of the Enlightenment most great thinkers and their ideas came from Mediterranean countries, such as Spain or Italy. The Baron watched As the powers of the Enlightenment shifted to more Scandinavian countries such as the Netherlands. He made it his work to find out why this had