Ahmad Mohammadi
Block 2
English 12
Human Rights
Human rights during the Enlightenment had a huge impact on culture as we see it today, because of the enhancements made in politics to improve human rights. The Enlightenment was the first real birth of the idea of human rights, paving the way for our current human rights structures. As a result, a departure from the State and the Crown can be seen. This movement started to encourage individualism. This created a tolerance towards many different religions not yet acknowledged. The diversified culture that exists today would not be present if the role of human rights during the Enlightenment had not played a part.
The original idea of human rights was formed by five different individuals. These people are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques, Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant. The formulation of these ideas created an ideology in which everyone could act as a free being. This meant that everyone had the right to speak freely, freedom of religion, and freedom from unreasonable treatment from the government. This had an impact on the human rights that are implemented in today’s society. These basic rights set a standard that would be met even in current times. Thanks to the original forefathers of human rights and their revolutionary ideas, people in this time can act as entirely free beings.
Next came the departure from the Crown and the State. This prevented the public from being abused by an absolute monarchy. Freedom to practice any religion that one desired meant that the Crown no longer had control through religious means. Tolerance towards different religions also created a more diversified culture. The diversity offered a plethora of new doctrines that people could live by. This not only caused toleration towards religion, but it encouraged individualism. As the separation occurred people were not bound by the restrictions imposed by religion, which is what created the tolerant, multicultural society that is present in today’s world.
Diversity is something tremendously valued in the current world. Countries like Canada pride themselves in housing different ideologies and doctrines that benefit the culture. This could not be possible without the encouragement from the basic human rights created during the Enlightenment. Through the progress made by the thinkers of Enlightenment, we can enjoy the many rights we have today. The fundamental rights such as freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of liberty, freedom of speech that we take for granted today did not exist back then. The age of Enlightenment was revolutionary as it went against the constructs of society, without it we would have been able to enjoy the peaceful multicultural society that we live in today.
In conclusion the formation of the rudimentary ideology of human rights during the age of enlightenment had a very positive impact on today’s culture. Without it, many of the freedoms enjoyed today would not exist. The period of Enlightenment brought upon us an age of tolerance and acceptance where citizens of the world are able to do or be anything they desire. The age of enlightenment had a great influence on society as we see it today, many of the systems are borrowed from the age of reason. Thanks to the forefathers of the enlightenment, we can enjoy a nonviolent diversified culture with essential human rights.
