1-Why do you think the 18th century is called the Age of Enlightenment?

Because it was in this period of time where people began to introduce philosophy and arts into the
political and economic area, which gave birth to "the century of lights" or The Enlightenment.

2-What did the bourgeoisie do to control the political and economic power?

They developed new political and economic postulates based on human reason against the
darkness of the Ancient Régime.

3-Research the terms theocentrism and anthropocentrism.

Theocentrism:

Doctrine that considers God or divinity to be the center of reality and of all human thought and
activity.

Anthropocentrism:

Philosophical conception that considers the human being as the center of all things and the
absolute end of creation.

4-How did the Ancient Régime understand reality?

the Ancient Régime understood reality with God, religion and dogmas at its center.

5-What did the Enlightenment propose? Did Enlightenment proposal exclude religion? Explain.

rational thought. It was considered that the use of reason was the only way to reach the truth and
understand the world, so religious dogmas and beliefs that were not supported by empirical
observation and logic were abandoned.

6-Look for the postulates of the enlightenment in the following historical documents, THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF U.S. and THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND
OF THE CITIZEN and paste them below these lines. (Both documents are at the end of this
reading)

The declaration of independence of U.S.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless
suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has
utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those
people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them
and formidable to tyrants only.

The declarations of the rights of man and of the citizen

- Article first

Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on
considerations of the common good.

- Article 2

The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights
of Man. These rights are Liberty, Property, Safety and Resistance to Oppression.

7-According to enlightenment thought, what would be submitted to the rules of society?

Social contract: The enlightened hold that people give up their individual will in order to abide by
the social norms that have been created.

Class organization: The Enlightenment opposed the stratification of society and proposed a new
social structure in which groups were distinguished by their wealth rather than by their place of
birth.

Faith in progress: The philosophers held that human beings may make unending development
through education.