#Reason and Rationality

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Enlightenment

The philosophy of Enlightenment refers to an intellectual movement in 17th and 18th-century Europe that emphasized reason, science, individualism, and the pursuit of knowledge as the means to challenge traditional authority and improve society. The Enlightenment thinkers, known as “philosophes,” believed in the capacity of human reason to understand and reshape the natural world, human behavior, and social structures, seeking to cultivate human rights, progress, and freedom.

Key Concepts in Enlightenment Philosophy

Reason and Rationality: Enlightenment thinkers believed that human reason could understand the universe and uncover truths about nature, humanity, and society. Rational inquiry and empirical evidence became central to developing knowledge, opposing the uncritical acceptance of tradition, superstition, and dogma.

Scientific Inquiry: The Enlightenment emphasized the scientific method, which applied empirical observation, experimentation, and analysis to uncover natural laws. Influenced by figures like Isaac Newton, Enlightenment thinkers saw science as a tool to demystify the universe and unlock practical knowledge for human betterment.

Human Rights and Individual Freedom: Philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that individuals have inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and property. They advocated for a society where government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, promoting individual freedom as essential to a just society.

Secularism and Skepticism of Authority: Enlightenment philosophy sought to separate church and state, emphasizing secular governance and questioning religious authority. Philosophers like Voltaire and David Hume criticized organized religion’s influence over politics and its discouragement of independent thought.

Progress and Perfectibility: Enlightenment thinkers believed that humans and societies were capable of continuous improvement. They emphasized education, social reform, and moral development, seeing each as pathways toward a more just, knowledgeable, and equitable society.

Social Contract: Building on ideas of individual rights and justice, thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau developed theories of the social contract. This theory posits that people consent, either explicitly or implicitly, to form governments that protect their rights in exchange for certain responsibilities, providing a framework for democratic governance.

Equality and Democracy: Many Enlightenment thinkers advocated for greater equality and democratic ideals. Rousseau, for instance, emphasized that legitimate government represents the “general will” of the people, an idea foundational to modern democracy. Thinkers promoted the idea that social and political structures should not be based on birth or privilege but on merit and rational principles.

Prominent Figures and Their Contributions

Immanuel Kant: Known for his essay "What Is Enlightenment?" Kant argued that enlightenment is the process of an individual’s release from self-imposed intellectual immaturity, encouraging people to "dare to know" and think for themselves.

Voltaire: An advocate for freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and social reform, Voltaire was a vocal critic of religious dogma and the absolute power of monarchies.

John Locke: Locke’s theory of government based on natural rights influenced the American and French revolutions. His social contract emphasized individual liberty, limited government, and the right to property.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Rousseau’s ideas about the social contract and direct democracy influenced political thought, promoting the concept that government authority should represent the collective will.

Baron de Montesquieu: Montesquieu’s idea of the separation of powers provided a blueprint for modern democratic governance and the prevention of tyranny.

Enlightenment’s Impact on Society

Political Revolutions: The Enlightenment laid the intellectual groundwork for the American and French revolutions, promoting the ideas of individual rights, self-governance, and the rejection of absolute monarchy.

Education and Literacy: Enlightenment thought encouraged education as a means for personal and social improvement, leading to an increase in literacy rates and the spread of ideas through pamphlets, books, and public debates.

Development of Modern Democracy: Enlightenment principles contributed to the establishment of democratic institutions and legal systems based on equality, justice, and respect for individual rights, setting the foundation for many modern governments.

Advances in Science and Medicine: The scientific approach of the Enlightenment fostered progress in areas such as medicine, physics, and technology, setting the stage for the Industrial Revolution and improving human understanding of health and the natural world.

Human Rights and Social Reforms: Enlightenment ideas advanced the causes of social reform, including the abolition of slavery, prison reform, and gender equality, based on the belief in universal human rights and dignity.

Criticisms and Limitations

Over-reliance on Reason: Critics argue that the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason undervalued emotions, intuition, and cultural diversity, leading to an overly rationalistic worldview that can neglect the complexities of human nature.

Colonialism and Eurocentrism: Some Enlightenment ideas were used to justify colonialism and the spread of European dominance, as the values of "civilization" and "progress" were often imposed on other cultures.

Environmental Impact: The Enlightenment’s focus on mastering nature contributed to the view of the environment as a resource to be exploited, laying the groundwork for environmental degradation.

Legacy of the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment continues to influence contemporary society, shaping democratic governance, human rights, scientific progress, and secular ethics. While it has faced criticism, Enlightenment philosophy remains central to modern values and institutions. The movement’s call for rational inquiry, individual liberty, and social progress endures in efforts to address global challenges and strive for an informed, just, and progressive society.

[bluef00t]

The Shawn & Gus dynamic in Psych is so subtly yet beautifully shaped by the fact that they cast a naturally deadpan introvert to play the world's most hyperactive attention-seeking detective, then cast a chronic theater kid to play his supposedly boring, reasonable best friend

[mashmouths]

does anyone know how to stop the body from keeping score? i have shit to do

[starcurtain]

I think one of the funniest things about the Sabzeruz event is that the devs choose to go with Candace, Traveler, and Paimon having a whole "Ooh, two mysterious men are going into an alley to have a 'private' conversation; they must be bad guys!" only to then go "Oh just kidding, it was only Alhaitham and Kaveh doing typical Alhaitham and Kaveh things."

Except the "Alhaitham and Kaveh" thing in question this time was talking about Mehrak, a sentient robot that Kaveh built using absolutely forbidden technology, and which he then whole-heartedly willed would develop a consciousness of its own, violating one of the central taboos of his nation's governing agency, committing what amounts to an inherent and extreme felony punishable by law.

Alhaitham and Kaveh: Listen, we're not bad guys discussing illegal activity here. We're just two men having a private, personal conversation. Happens all the time.

Paimon, Candace, and Traveler: Oh cool, they're not doing a crime; they're just gay.

But they were, in fact, doing a crime.

[warlenys]

from anger to dejection

[kukopelli]

Finally Made some ghost in the Machine by @venomous-qwille fanart !! Love that fic so much it's insane , making banana bread with soleil bc i was so sad we didn't get to spend time with him my shayla 💔

Made in the @daycarefriendpickup magma todayy

[philosophybits]

The habit of logical thinking kills imagination.

Lev Shestov, All Things Are Possible

[stump-not-found]

FIC LINK

Ford having his dick out while investigating local folklore isn't the oddest thing he's ever done, though he's never had to worry about having sudden company pop in before. Well, cock or no cock, the conversation is always appreciated.

something silly i whipped out in about a day

[poisonouspastels]

hi guys here's my interpretation of Tessa as a drone hope you like it

[paging-possum]

tldr everyone stop dating its taking up valuable thinking about the character time. "oh but I need a relationship to feel fulfilled you wouldn't get it" I do get that it actually sounds like something you should work on. but I digress. the character.

[greencarnation]

eleven is fascinating to me because he came right off the back of tens horrible traumatic breakdown after he lost everything and he immediately tried to establish himself as the opposite of that. he is funny and goofy and almost childlike, and he bulldozes on in his adventures with amy like nothing happened at all. but then something happens and his masks slips and it's like oh! the core of this man is still anger. he is so so angry all of the time and this façade is the only thing stopping him from being consumed by it. he isn't over any of it and he hasn't moved on. he is wearing a fez and laughing but under that all that exists is age old anger and grief and it is going to consume him

[canisalbus]

i think, audience truly loving your art and characters will enjoy any piece of art you publish, whether its a thoroughly polished piece or a simple silly sketch — because both carry author's feelings and their love to their characters, and that's what makes any art truly beautiful i don't want this to sound corny or something, just wanted to say you shouldn't be too hard on yourself and your art, because people don't expect to see only and only very high-quality pieces and will enjoy seeing your silly gay dogs regardless <3 but don't forget the main thing is you should enjoy the things you do too in the first place! excuse me if this looks pushy or too sudden. and have a good day or night!

.

[thirdity]

Each night when you go to bed you think, ‘At last I found it. I tried out theory after theory until now, finally, I have the right one.’ And then the next morning you wake up and say, ‘There is one fact not explained by that theory. I will have to think up another theory.’ And so you do. By now it is evident to you that you are going to think up an infinite number of theories, limited only by your lifespan, not limited by your creative imagination. Each theory gives rise to a subsequent theory, inevitably.

Philip K. Dick, The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick

[bambiraptorx]

[I.D. Digital comic with three panels using TMNT characters. The first shows Rise Casey Jr, wearing a t-shirt and cargo pants, standing next to 03 Bishop with his hands behind his back. Bishop says "Alright men, for tonight's mission blah blah blah", standing with one hand behind his back and gesturing with the other. In the second panel Bishop says "yada yada strategy blah blah-". As he continues gesturing, Casey Jr slips a rock into Bishop's hand. In the third panel, Bishop stares at rock now sitting in his palm and says "...why did you just give me a rock?" Casey replies "Why did you accept it?" End I.D.]

BISD au Casey deserves some psychological warfare as a treat, and Bishop being Bishop the more mild forms of messing with him are probably more effective lol

[kindahoping4forever]

Calum for Unraveled Edit Magazine

📸: Sara Regan

[carlando554]

Something about Lando that I think is what drew me to him in the first place, is that he says is as it is. With his false start at the beginning of the race the announcers theorized reasons for why it might not have been Lando's fault, but when asked about it Lando admits that he moved forwards intentionally because he didn't think he was that far up. He had an out and refused to take it. By the end of the race, when he finished 3rd after starting 6th, he talks more about the mistakes he's made than the fact that he made it back onto the podium and has been on the podium every race of the season so far. It baffles me at times where people get the idea of Lando's arrogance from. I keep coming back to people just intentionally misinterpreting what he says. Honestly it's infuriating to me as his fan and I need to work on tuning it out more but the hate is everywhere. I have literally never seen this kind of hate where the double standards are so glaringly obvious but the haters refuse to see logic. Lando says something self deprecating? He doesn't have the right mentality, you have to think you're the best or you won't be. Lando says something positive (usually not even about himself btw almost always about the car/team)? He's too arrogant, he thinks too highly of himself who does he think he is? I'm sick of it, and I needed to get this off my chest because we are only four races in and at this rate I'll lose my mind.