What Does It Mean To Be Enlightened?

What does it mean to be enlightened? Is it just the ability to think in a new way, or to be able see things from a different or better perspective? Is our society enlightened? Sir Francis Bacon and Jean-Jacques Rousseau outline their ideas of enlightenment and an enlightened era. And it is through these philosophers works that we clearly can see that today's society is not enlightened. In Sir Francis Bacon’s ideology of enlightenment, our generation does not equivalate. In Bacon’s “The New Science”, he states,” ...For even if men went mad all for the same fashion, they might agree one with another well enough.”(Bacon 40) In this he is saying that a truly enlightened era consists of people being able to work together despite any differences in opinion. Today's society simply could not do that. With all the political differences especially we would not all be able to forget our differences and work together. Bacon continues his description

He says,” As soon as the multitude is united into one body it is impossible, it is impossible to offend against one without attacking the body, and more to offend the body without its members resenting it.”(Rousseau 434) He is saying that an enlightened era would be unified, but in today's society, unfortunately with all the racism and segregation, were are clearly not unified and once again do not meet another requirement of enlightenment. He states,” The problem is to find a form of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before.” he is explaining a big split between an “upper” and “lower” class. Stating that for an era to be truly enlightened, there would need to be equality for all. Today's society still has that split and could not be enlightened according to