The Taliban regime demonstrated atrocities, world eye witnessed; women were regarded as third class citizens, the foreigners were considered infidels, and Jihad was legalized against them, clean-shaved men were severely punished, female education was banned, the lists of atrocities continue. When I heard that US is willing for negotiation with Taliban, I find US's undoing its efforts of putting Afghanistan on a path to moderation and enlightened democracy for which the world strived for centuries. All the societal development and progress can't be dreamed of, without valuing and pursuing enlightenment.
The Enlightenment was a movement of thinkers who believed that science could explain everything in nature. Until then, most people believed that God controlled the universe in a metaphysical manner. Metaphysical means beyond physical, and suggests that it is impossible for humans to comprehend things that happen in our environment.
Galileo was one of the first thinkers of the Enlightenment. Galileo used a powerful telescope to discover that many moons surrounded Jupiter. He used his discoveries to prove the Copernicus' theory that the earth traveled around the sun. The church was opposed to Galileo's discovery. Galileo was imprisoned for heresy and printers were forbidden to print Galileo's writings. His students continued to discuss his teachings and in time, the ideas of using observations and measurement were to become the root of modern science.
The thinkers of the Enlightenment encouraged people to use science to explore nature and to question what they had always accepted without questioning. The Enlightenment encouraged people to participate in government and to rethink old ideas like feudalism and primogeniture.
The American Revolution was seen by many as a huge achievement for the Enlightenment. Two hundred years ago, his constitution provided for a government where nobody was above the law. People had freedoms of speech and religion, and the press would be allowed to print any true statement.
The Enlightenment writers asked questions about The Divine Right of Kings. They asked questions about how much power the church should have. They asked questions about how equal rich people and poor people should be. They thought about these things using reason and they found that these things were unreasonable (not fair or sensible). They asked European kings to try and make things better but they were not revolutionary. However, their ideas made ordinary people think and this led on to the American and French revolutions.
The enlightenment took a major role in the development and construction of modern Europe. During the enlightenment, many inventions were created; new philosophical ideas were being discussed in massive forums by massive crowds, and now by the average citizen instead of scholars and philosophers. Many revolutions took place, politically, geographically, religiously, and demographically shifting the face of Europe. Literature and art became important and sources of power for the wealthy. Art took new form, being viewed with different perceptions and perspectives. Writers started to speak their mind, even if it meant going against their governments or even church's ideas. The enlightenment shaped the Europe we know today in four distinct and important ways.
Many changes occurred in the political aspect of Europe. Many monarchies were overthrown just to be replaced with a separate monarchy. Philosophers were born who dared to oppose the government and its ideas. Many people preached individualism and the importance of self-betterment. Others preached freedom and equality among all, men at least. Cesare Beccaria was a pioneer in literature and the opposition of the government's ideas. Her book "An Essay on Crimes and Punishments" was the foundation of the abolishment of heinous punishments and preaching having the punishment fit the crime.
The social atmosphere of the enlightenment ranged from both extremes. During the Glorious Revolution the social environment shifted massively from angry for the unwanted and disliked King James II to a rejoicing crowd as they instilled a parliament into action. The parliament was very effective for centuries basing the idea of involving the people in decisions and having their word matter for important decisions. This was a great step forward socially, finally being able to have the people's voices heard.
The enlightenment also had a positive impact economically. Many talented artists could make a living painting for wealthy families. Paintings were an object of power and importance, depending on how many you own. Equality being preached also gave many would-be surfs and peasants a real shot and a chance to reach their full potential. Equality and justice were not perfect, but were vastly improved upon the dark ages of centuries before. New crop rotation ideas breathed new air on agriculture that produced more crops quicker, boosting the economy. With major population boosts, the only way to feed all the people was by crops and the surplus was much needed.
Rational philosophy undermined absolutism in all of its phases. Deism questioned the necessity of state churches and clergies. The political economist, Adam Smith, and other early economic liberals demonstrated the futility of mercantilism. Political theory in the Enlightenment substituted the social contract for divine right and emphasized natural human rights of political freedom and justice. Each of these ideas denied the absolute authority of monarchs.
Respect for rational philosophy was largely derived from the successes and popularity of science. The surprising discoveries of astronomers produced a new view of the individual's place in the universe; in his law of gravitation, Newton supplied mathematical evidence for their perspective. His laws, along with the other laws of science, suggested that human reason operated effectively only when it was interpreting sensory experience. Material reality was accepted as the only reality. Therefore, the natural laws affecting human society were also considered as basically materialistic.
Enlightenment' brings out solutions of multifold unresolved, inbuilt issues, problems and mysteries of human life including mind & fate and their control, stresses and crisis in life and society, happiness, liking others, delusion, social harmony, and path to be pursued when one is at the cross junction of life when the define path is missing. Merely by wealth one cannot procure jewels of life, which enriches us by peace and creativity. Self-efforts are the only means to climb up to achieve virtues in life and understand mysteries of life and death, scientific reasons.
We need the new age of Enlightenment; it is high time we have to pursue it. Our present political systems must abandon their claims on truth, justice and freedom just as rhetoric to fool the masses instead must be replaced with the search for truth, justice, freedom, reason and logics preceding formal execution.