Both the Enlightenment and American Romanticism are the two eras that influences

modern society. Even though both were introduced back in the 1700s and 1800s, their effect
are still felt today. The Enlightenment era focuses on scientific observation and logic. It uses
reasoning, and people back then were objective, level-headed, and rational. We could see
these ideas represented through artworks and literature produced during the Enlightenment era,
for example Joseph Wright's painting "A Philosopher Giving A Lecture at the Orrery(1765)", or
Rousseau's "The Social Contract". These work of arts drove people into thinking logically and
more about themselves, questioning their equality and society, which lead to the American
Revolution and French Revolution. We could still see the effects of the Enlightenment today, for
example how the United States' government are separated into three branches: Legislative,
Executive, and Judicial. This was developed by the French thinker Montesquieu who values the
people and balance of power. The age of American Romanticism focuses more on inner
feelings such as emotions and imagination, and people were subjective and intuitive. These
ideas were expressed through works of arts like "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" by Caspar
David Friedrich (1818) or "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850). Emotions
expressed were not always positive ones even though it's the "Romantic" era (people often
misunderstood the Romanticism era as "romantic" as in love). We could see the effects of
Romanticism on modern culture today, for example Individualism, which is usually seen on the
western side of the world. People values uniqueness and how they do what their heart desires
rather than conforming to social norms. In conclusion, we could see that the ideas of the
Enlightenment and Romanticism are clearly opposing viewpoints; these ideas still clash today,
for example the argument between religion and science.
 Works Cited

"A Beginner's Guide to the Age of the Enlightenment." KHAN ACADEMY,

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/rococo/a/a-beginn

Ers-guide-to-the-age-of-enlightenment. Accessed 14 May 2017.

McKay, Brett and Kate. "The Basics of Art: The Romantic Period." artofmanliness,

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/03/03/the-basics-of-art-the-romantic-period/.

Accessed 14 May 2017.