The first step we are going to take in order to discover the meaning of the term enlightenment that we are now going to discuss is to know its etymological origin. In this case, we have to emphasize that it is a word that derives from Latin. Specifically, it is the result of the sum of the following lexical components of said language:
-The prefix “in-”, which means “inwards”.
-The noun “lux”, which is synonymous with “light”.
-The suffix “-men”, which is instrumental.
-The suffix “-ism”, which is used to indicate “doctrine”.
The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) defines enlightenment as the school or method of the enlightened . It is the doctrine followed by the members of a religious movement of the 16th century or by the members of a sect of the 18th century .
In the first case, the followers of Enlightenment were known as alumbrados . These people considered that, through prayer and surrender to God , they reached a state of perfection that allowed them to remain free of sin despite not performing good actions or practicing the sacraments.
This type of enlightenment emerged in Spanish territory and was considered heretical. The enlightened ones maintained that they did not have their own will, but that God guided their behavior: that is why they could not sin. Being led directly by God , they rejected religious dogmas and the Church .
Enlightenment can also be linked to the secret society that, in the 18th century , promoted a moral system that was opposite to that in force at the time. These enlightened ones sought to perfect the world .
Enlightenment, on the other hand, is usually associated with the Enlightenment : a movement that sought to impose the predominance of reason and knowledge as the engine of progress. It was developed in the 18th century , known for this reason as the Age of Enlightenment .
According to the followers of Enlightenment, knowledge was the necessary tool to build better societies, where tyranny and ignorance had no place.
Other data of interest about the Enlightenment or Enlightenment are the following:
-It began to be developed mainly in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
-He intended to put an end to obscurantism and the superstitious and tyrannical ideas that reigned during the Middle Ages.
-It had a notable influence not only on society in general but also in specific areas such as culture, art, science or philosophy.
-Among the causes that led to the appearance of the Enlightenment or Enlightenment, some stand out such as the weakening of Christianity, the Protestant reforms or the birth of a new social class: the bourgeoisie.
-Freedom, equality and fraternity were three of the pillars of Enlightenment, but also that reason was the supreme value, that the human being was the center of its existence and not God or the important value of idealism.
-Among the main figures who represented the aforementioned Enlightenment we can highlight Rousseau, Voltaire, Hume, Montesquieu or Locke, among others.
“Dialectic of Enlightenment” o “Dialectic of Enlightenment”, por último, es una construction site publicada en 1944 por Max Horkheimer y Theodor Adorno. En ella estos autores analizan el fascismo y la cultura de masas y reflexionan sobre la razón en relación al sistema social.