Commentary on the Time Period

Joseph II of Austria, ruler of the Habsburg lands

The Principles of Natural Philosophy

Hi! I am Joseph II of Austria, the ruler of the Habsburg lands. During my era, new groups of intellectuals reasonably changed the different aspects of life throughout Europe in the eighteenth century. These groups of intellectuals known as philosophes popularized the ideas of the Scientific Revolution and discussed their reforms which included the application of reason and the scientific method to understand the concept of life itself. This scientific, cultural, and intellectual movement in the eighteenth century is known as the Enlightenment. In addition to the scientific principles, the Enlightenment brought many humanitarian reforms to achieve clarity of perception, reason,and knowledge. Immanuel Kant, and influential German philosopher in the eighteenth century, defined the Enlightenment as "man's leaving his self-caused immaturity." This quote is a prevalent concept of the Enlightenment-the ability to "think outside the box" and explore the rational, scientific approach to life. There are many paths to the Enlightenment that profoundly influenced revolutionary thinkers. The popularization of scientific principles, a growing skepticism where educated intellectuals began to question religious doctrines and attitudes, and the impact of the different accounts of literature helped created and configure a new developed avenue of reason, natural law, hope, and progress-the buzz words of the enlightened multitude. In addition to the diverse passages of rationalism, the legacy from extraordinary, capable, and brilliant minds serve as the truth which disentangles the threads of perplexity. These masterminds generate a grand design as the basis of the enlightenment period. The notorious conclusions from John Locke and Isaac Newton provide exceptional rules of reasoning. The intellectuals of the Enlightenment are convinced that the same principles from Isaac Newton's "Universal Law of Gravitation" govern the same principles in politics, economics, justice, religion, and the arts. John Locke's approach to rationalism endeavored to elucidate the idea that knowledge is derived from our environment, not from hereditary;from reason, not from faith. Ultimately, the principles from the Enlightenment influenced my perspective and I am determined to make amends based on these rational and logical applications.