For many centuries, various philosophical trends arose and gradually disappeared. Some of them corresponded to the spirit of their time, others were much ahead of him. One part of them was supported and even propagated by the state, and the second became prohibited. There are many cases when persecution of prominent thinkers began, their books were publicly burned at the stake as blasphemous. One of the most powerful movements of the 17-18 centuries was the Enlightenment. Originating in England, it quickly spread throughout Europe.
The main features of the Enlightenment
Enlightenment is a way of struggle waged by representatives of the bourgeoisie with the cultural and political system of the state. The revolutionary sections of society were ardent opponents of the prevailing feudal-absolutist system. You can also give another concept. Enlightenment is the direction of cultural and philosophical thought associated with the affirmation of capitalist relations. It was a logical stage in the development of any state, moving from obsolete foundations to completely new, industrialist ones. The main features of the Enlightenment are:
- democracy, which provides increased education in all segments of the population;
- rationalism, which provides for a deep faith in the limitless possibilities of the human mind. The main propagandist of these ideas was Kant;
- legal education. It included the dissemination of knowledge about inalienable rights and freedoms among all people.
Enlightenment Time in European Countries
The era when rationalism and free thought came first, became one of the key in the formation of modern civilization. Enlightenment is a direction that arose under the influence of the scientific revolution in England. Very quickly, innovative ideas spread throughout Europe, penetrating France and, later, Russia. Thus, the English Enlightenment became the progenitor of a powerful movement, which largely changed the worldview of people. The most influential were representatives of the Enlightenment in France. It is this country that is famous for its outstanding philosophers who created voluminous treatises. Under the influence of the fundamental principles of the Enlightenment, the United States Declaration of Independence was written, as well as the French Declaration of Human and Citizen Rights.
The movement that began could not but affect the ethics and various spheres of the social life of society. In the United States, Enlightenment provoked the abolition of slavery and independence by colonial lands. In addition, the authority of the aristocracy was significantly shaken, and the influence of the church on secular life was also reduced. Previously, it was almost absolute.
The culture of enlightenment itself did not represent one particular philosophical school. Very often, the opinions of certain thinkers and their adherents varied significantly and even contradicted each other. Their criticism united the prevailing traditional foundations, moral, ethical and political views.
As for the time boundaries of the Enlightenment, historians cannot come to the same opinion. Some believe that the movement originated in the late 19th century, others believe that it was the middle of the 18th century. The end of this period is usually associated with the death of Voltaire, as well as with the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars. There is another opinion: the apogee of the Enlightenment was the Glorious Revolution in England and the Great French Revolution.
Enlightenment in the era of Peter
The eighteenth century entered the history of Russia as a time of extraordinary contrasts that affected all spheres of life. The rise of science and enlightenment was observed. The secularization of temple architecture took place, cultural ties were established with other peoples, national isolation was overcome. For the first time there were museums, assemblies, regular print media, official secular educational institutions.
Russian Enlightenment is an attempt by all means to copy the European way of life. The merchants and clergy strongly opposed innovations and reluctantly walked towards the aristocracy.
Enlightenment in the 18th Century
A lot of attention was paid to education, culture and art during the reign of Catherine II. The empress bought a collection of paintings and sculptures, communicated with prominent figures, including those who came from other countries. The example of Catherine II was followed by her close ones. They organized exhibitions on their estates, joining the beautiful and enlightening.
A lot of attention during this period was paid to cadet schools, institutes and schools. The main merit of the empress can be called the creation of a unified system of education, in which there was no division into estates. The only exception was serfs.
For the first time, officials raise the question of the development of general education, and not just technical and natural.
Russian legal education
Questions related to the study and teaching of the basics of legislation arose in Russia at the end of the 17th century. They were caused by established enlightened absolutism and the creation of a unified educational system. Back in 1682, Tsar Fedor Alekseevich strongly recommended studying the heritage, both spiritual and legal. But these undertakings never materialized . The level of legal literacy in the country remained extremely low.
The first real enlighteners in Russia can rightfully be called Peter I and Catherine II. It was their efforts that created the first prerequisites for the formation of a modern legislative system in our country. Peter I ordered the creation of the written normative acts and convened the first commission in Russia to write a new Code and translate foreign legal treatises into Russian. Catherine II continued the activities of her predecessor. She actively involved prominent lawyers, philosophers and politicians.
It is with the time of the reign of Peter I that historians connect the beginning of the existence of a legal entity that entailed legal education. Many thinkers from European countries came to Russia to see firsthand the innovations in the field of legislation. A. Smith, one of the founders of such a direction as the English Enlightenment, was surprised to note the unprecedented pace of development of law under the leadership of Peter I. In the future, more attention was paid to this area.
The historical significance of the Enlightenment
Each philosophical trend becomes a very important milestone in the development of civilization. Enlightenment has affected all aspects of the social and spiritual life of Europe, the USA and Russia. It was thanks to him that there was a separation of secular society from the church, all segments of the population got the opportunity to study, and national borders were broken.