The European Enlightenment

Western Civilization The European Enlightenment Researchers show the European Enlightenment came about as the result of the new natural science ideas of Isaac Newton, the political and social theories of great thinkers like Hobbes, and the psychology of John Locke. Much of Newton's thought comes from the thirteenth century science of men like Galileo, Copernicus, and Kepler. Hobbes's political and social theories can be traced back to the Northern Renaissance, and the psychology of Locke …

…a powerful avenue to truth, and it alone defended all kinds of absurd notions. The seventeenth century was torn with witch-hunts and religious wars. Led by thinkers like John Locke and David hume, great Britian developed its own enlightenment. After decapitating the king, the monarchy was restored, this experience created an openness toward change. Because England had gotten its revolution out of the way early, it was much more able to proceed smoothly toward democracy.