-
Period: 1400 to
The Renaissance
During the Renaissance, when intellectuals and artists looked back to antiquity for inspiration, there arose the humanist movement, which stressed the promotion of civic virtue, that is, realizing a person's full potential both for their own good and for the good of the society in which the live.
https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Enlightenment -
1500
Vital imput
Establishing some vital input towards the Enlightenment was a group called "pre-Enlightenment" philosophers. -
1500
The Purpose
The purpose of the Enlightenment was to be able to gain education, individual liberty, and secured happiness. -
1517
Protestant Reformation
Thanks to the Protestant Reformation, the Enlightenment prospered in limiting the Christian traditional power. -
1561
Pre-Enlightenment philosophers
The first of the pre-Enlightenment philosophers was Francis Bacon and compared himself to the Columbus. His approach had three steps: assessing existing knowledge, experiments, tests, and data collection, and a new world. However, he died before completing his plan. -
Pre-Enlightenment philosophers
Next, was Thomas Hobbes and he believed in monarchy rather than aristocracy or a democracy. -
Pre-Enlightenment philosophers
Following Hobbes was Rene Descartes, not a direct participation in the Enlightenment. His legacy was a big influence throughout this age. -
Pre-Enlightenment philosophers
Buruch Spinoza who was not very well liked for his unorthodox religious views. However, God is placed at the center of his system of thought, positioning him between the spiritual and material worlds. -
Pre-Enlightenment Philosophers
John Locke believed in a separation of powers with limits on state power. Also, the right to hold property and the government operates only under the people consent. -
Coming out
Coming out of the darkness of the Middle Ages, came the light and that is how they came up with the name Enlightenment. -
Freethinkers
Not for nothing were the new enlightened philosophers also called "freethinkers". -
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte took control of the government in the Coup of 18 Brumaire. Taking the Republic and turning it into the First French Empire (1804-1814,1815) -
National Assembly
The first of four stages of the Napoleonic era was the National Assembly. Consisting of the Kingdom of France, the Third Estate of the Estates-General and later the First and Second Estates joined. Shortly after becoming known as the National Constituent Assembly. -
Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly which was the legislative of the Kingdom of France. Focusing on political debate and revolutionary law-making between National Constituent Assembly and the National Convention periods. -
Revolutionaries
Revolutionaries attempted to dismantle the oppressive old society and build a new one based on the principles of the Age of Enlightenment.
https://www.worldhistory.org/French_Revolution/ -
French Revolutionary Wars
France fought against major European powers. Paranoia set in and then there was the Reign of Terror. 20-40,000 people were killed including most of the Revolution's former leaders. -
The Directory
The Directory also known as the Directorate, consisted of a five-member governing committee in the French First Republic. -
Napoleonic Code
Reforming the French educational system, developing the Napoleonic Code and was a great influence on the 19th century civil codes of most continental Europe and Latin America. -
Codification
The demand for codification and, indeed, codification itself proceeded the Napoleonic era.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Napoleonic-Code -
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon was known as one of the greatest military generals in history. There were three consul in the beginning, and Napoleon abolished the Consulate making himself Emperor Napoleon I of France.