...seventh century and made huge contributions to Chan Buddhism. He was an illiterate kitchen monk who lived with the fifth patriarch of Chan Buddhism, Hongren. Hongren, who was significant to the development of East Mountain Schools, taught Huineng and lead him to reach enlightenment. The legend, The Platform Sutra on Meditation and Wisdom, attributes the teaching of both gradual and sudden enlightenment to Huineng; the sutra is one of the most well known in the East Asian Buddhist world. The legend shows the divergence between Northern School of Ch’an advocating gradual enlightenment and Southern...
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...Immanuel Kant coined the motto of the Enlightenment to be “Dare to Know!” That being said, one can describe The Enlightenment as series of philosophical, cultural, and social movements in thought, which occurred during the late 17th century to through the 18th century. (Gay, 1966). The Enlightenment changed Europe and made Europe more modern through emphasis of knowledge and questioning the way that society was structured. The changes are seen through the debate surrounding religion, shifts in societal thinking, and the ideas of Philosophes. The Enlightenment changed a lot about Europe to make it more modern. One way that Europe developed during this time was, many people started to view religion in a different light. Specifically, this change and view was seen with Christianity, people started to question whether Christianity should control how society believes the world should function. From this, theists and deists emerged, theists did not want to outright get rid of Christianity but rather remove the irrational portions of the religion;...
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...Literature on Human Nature The Age of Reason, also known as the Enlightenment, was a movement in which the power of reason was employed to rethink and reform society as a whole as well as various other concepts of human existence. During that time period (about 1650-1800), numerous thinkers such as John Locke, Isaac Newton and Voltaire exercised reason to challenge the basis of their society, which was built on the premise of an Almighty God. Prior to the Enlightenment, the answer to countless questions was only known to God and God alone; however, with the deterioration of this presumption, man was left to discover everything he once believed to be incomprehensible. These noble men questioned religion, science, mathematics and eventually came to question how men should be governed, how money and economics should function and how the human race should operate. The examination of mankind led to many varying philosophies that depicted men as wild, blood-thirsty beasts of passion or sensible, upright creatures, creating juxtaposition. Many forms of writing were directly influenced by the social and philosophical measures this time period contained. Articulated in the literature was man’s questioning of every idea that was once certain, promoting the desire to examine human nature. The influx of knowledge and reason combine with the rebuttal against the idea of an omniscient deity heavily influenced Enlightenment literature. With the invention of the printing press in 1440, the...
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...is a social science that has lost influence in the 21st Century because many do not understand how this science can help humans achieve true happiness. Though philosophy is a heavy subject, it is the science with the most results regarding human nature and knowledge. Philosophy offers guidance to understand human behavior as well as to question our presence and our real role in society. It is one of the leading social sciences because many world leaders have tried to grasp it and understand the meaning of it thus showing how important it is to study philosophy. Nevertheless, not only should world leaders study philosophy but also everyone should be aware of the different philosophical teachings in order to differentiate well from wrongdoing. It is no surprise that philosophers understood ethics and politics before others, therefore showing the depth and practicality of philosophy as well as defining academia. Philosophy should not only be considered a social science but also a lifestyle; to better explain, philosophy is applicable in the daily routine as well as in the professional world making it both a theoretical and pragmatic. As a lifestyle, philosophers focused on how philosophy could be applicable to the daily life to improve one’s being. One of the main philosophies, still applicable today, and serves as guide for those looking for a healthier life is Confucianism. This philosophical ideology analyzes ethics, politics and influence, and through his teachings, the philosopher...
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...Abstract The Enlightenment era is made up of on rational thought, ideas and reason. Many men contributed to this, but a few amongst them are Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Their wisdom and ideas make up the Enlightenment era to which is the backbone of today’s society. The Enlightenment Starting in the mid 1700’s to 1800’s a movement had set in based on rational thought and reason, it was known as the Enlightenment era also known as the Age of Reason. This era created ideas that shaped the political, economic and social institutions in the United States. Men in this era such as Thomas Paine, who was a politician and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson our third president as well as an apostle of agrarian, and Benjamin Franklin, author, scientist, philosopher, and statesman. All these men emphasize the importance of using reason and logic instead of superstition or ignorance. They focus on creating and writing, science, politics and other subjects in this era which influence decades to come (Age of Enlightenment, 2011). In today’s society these ideas have become relevant. Thomas Paine influences the Enlightenment politically and socially, because of his beliefs he was damned by many people in both America and England. Thomas Paine was born in England; he was a corset maker and excise officer in England, although showed interested in philosophy and science. He later in life then met up with Benjamin Franklin in London and soon after he sailed to Philadelphia...
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...Finding the Truth: Manichaeism and Augustine Manichaeism was a common religion in the time when Augustine was alive (from 354-430 A.D). The religion was founded by Mani (216-276 A.D.), a Persian philosopher who taught his followers about gnostic based cosmological dualism and self-enlightenment that had certain Christian aspects. Augustine, in pursuit of religion and ultimately meaning in his life, started practicing with the Manichees. Augustine was a susceptible target of the teachings of Manichaeism. A philosophical gnosticism like Manichaeism was so appealing to Augustine because it offered a new found wisdom that was centered around self fulfillment and wisdom, whereas Christianity deterred him because it emphasized humility and self-sacrifice....
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...Ellis Simerly III AP European History Chapter 17—The Age of Enlightenment: Eighteenth Century Thought Chapter Overview: The Enlightenment is a movement of people and ideas that fostered the expansion of literate sectors of European society and that economic improvement and political reform were both possible and desirable. Contemporary western political and economic thought is a product of Enlightenment thinking; therefore, some historians believe the process of Enlightenment continues today. Inspired by the scientific revolution and prepared to challenge traditional intellectual and theological authority, Enlightenment writers believed that human beings can comprehend the operation of physical nature and mold it to achieve material and moral improvement, economic growth, and administrative reform. Enlightenment intellectuals advocated agricultural improvement, commercial society, expanding consumption, and the application of innovative rational methods to traditional social and economic practices. The spirit of innovation and improvement came to characterize modern Europe and Western society. Politically, the Enlightenment had a direct impact on some rulers--in eastern and central Europe—whose policies came to be known as enlightened absolutism. Section One: Formative Influences of the Enlightenment Section Overview Chief factors that fostered the ideas of the Enlightenment The Newtonian worldview the political stability and commercial...
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...History 101 The Renaissance paved the way for numerous other eras such as The Protestant Reformation, the Scientific Revolution and The Enlightenment. The Renaissance brought on the idea of Individualism and how educating yourself and believing in yourself could make a better world. The Renaissance helped change personal views of one’s self and the world. The Renaissance is portrayed by a number of different ideas about Life and humanity, some of which are Individualism, secularism, and humanism. Individualism was a noteworthy concept that came about during the Renaissance era. It put emphasis on personality, uniqueness, genius, and developing one’s capabilities and talents. Recognizing individual efforts and then becoming known beyond the local areas began to grow during the renaissance. Artist started to sign their work so they could gain fame far from their own areas. This was different because in the middle Ages artist painted to glorify God, so that did not require an artist to sign their work. During the Renaissance the artist wanted to be known for being an individual and not to just contribute to a group (religion). Also during the Renaissance there was more attention to the development of the individual where education was concerned. The Importance of learning all intellectual areas as well as becoming knowledgeable about physical actions was a new development during the Renaissance. During the Renaissance you could become educated in many different areas this was...
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...Although Eugenics did not create the apartheid regime it enabled its development; it was used as a reputable justification for the actions instilled on the “inferior” citizens. The identification and differentiation of the races ensured that racial mixing could be prevented due to the differences it established (for example as stated earlier, differences in intelligence). Furthermore, with the institutionalization of racism, it became hard for citizens of South Africa to challenge the government and its ideology, which resulted in wide spread submissive conformity from the Afrikaaner and white communities alike; the only community able to change the perception of race in South Africa due to their rank in the racial hierarchy. Although, the outcome is unsure on...
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...BUDDHISM AND HUNDUISM REL 212 WORLD RELIGIONS PROFESSOR EUGENE MUHAMMAD OCTOBER 4, 2013 In this paper I will attempt to shed a better understanding about the religious background surrounding Buddhism and Hinduism. This paper will briefly describe how the two religions got its start, how the two has spread itself throughout the world. Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world….. The word comes from “budhi”, to awaken. It’s has origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha. At the age of 35 he himself was awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35. Buddhism is not just a religion it goes beyond that, to so many it is more of a philosophy in other words the “way of life”. To so many Buddhism explains a purpose to life, and it explains injustice and the inequality around the world. But it also provides a code of practice as well as a way of life that leads all too true happiness. Buddhism has become very important to the western countries because he has the answers to many of the problems that are a part of the modern materialistic societies. Buddha teaches many things in summing it up by the four Nobles truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in Lumbini in 583 BCE, what is known today as Nepal. His father was a king and a leader of a Shakya...
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...Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world in terms of adherents, geographical distribution, and socio-cultural influence. While for a long time it has been an “Eastern” religion, it has been gaining an increasing popularity and influence also on the Western world. It is a religion that is unique in the world in its own right, although it has much in common with Hinduism in which the two can be called “Eastern” religions, who believe in karma, the cause and effect; maya, the illusory nature of the world; and samsara, the cycle of reincarnation among other things. Buddhists believe that the ultimate goal in life is to achieve “enlightenment” as they perceive their existence. Buddhism came from Hinduism and spread throughout the Eastern countries until reaching global popularity. The most important person and the founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha after his awakening. He was the son of the head of the Shakya Warrior class. It is said that the Brahmins examined to the newborn, and predicted his destiny as a universal monarch or Buddha. According to “The Buddha’s Early Life” online reading, Siddhartha started looking enlightenment at age 29, when first saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. With the help of his friend Channa, Siddhartha suddenly discovered that suffering is the destiny of all mankind. Then he found a peaceful and serene mendicant monk, and thereafter decided to adopt their way of life, so abandoned his family, wealth and power to start...
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...Chapter 17 Atlantic Revolutions and Their Echoes 1750–1914 MARGIN REVIEW QUESTIONS Q. In what ways did the ideas of the Enlightenment contribute to the Atlantic revolutions? • The Enlightenment promoted the idea that human political and social arrangements could be engineered, and improved, by human action. • New ideas of liberty, equality, free trade, religious tolerance, republicanism, human rationality, popular sovereignty, natural rights, the consent of the governed, and social contracts developed during the Enlightenment, providing the intellectual underpinnings of the Atlantic revolutions. Q. What was revolutionary about the American Revolution, and what was not? • The American Revolution was revolutionary in that it marked a decisive political change. • It was not revolutionary in that it sought to preserve the existing liberties of the colonies rather than to create new ones. Q. How did the French Revolution differ from the American Revolution? • While the American Revolution expressed the tensions of a colonial relationship with a distant imperial power, the French insurrection was driven by sharp conflicts within French society. • The French Revolution, especially during its first five years, was a much more violent, far-reaching, and radical movement than its American counterpart. • The French revolutionaries perceived themselves as starting from scratch in recreating the social order, while the Americans sought...
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...Secularism and religion Secularism and Religion Religion and Secularism have been around for years. People have many different views and thoughts about secularism. Secularism as a philosophy owes its origins to George Jacob Holyoake (1860), who introduced the idea that life should be lived by reference to ethical principles, and the world understood by processes of reasoning, rather than by reference to God or gods, or other supernatural concepts. From the perspective of government and governance, secularism refers to a policy that separates religious authority from the state .The opposite of secularism is usually theocracy; that is, where religion has a major role in government. Religion in the Civil War pervaded virtually all aspects of American society. Not all Americans held religious beliefs and values, but many did. Religion was not confined to one particular group, but soldiers and civilians, Northerners and Southerners, freed and slave, males and females, and Jews and Christians all made use of religion. Furthermore, a reciprocal relationship existed between the Civil War and religion, with both influencing and being influenced by each other. As a result, religion during the Civil War did not remain a static entity during 1861-1865; instead, it became an institution that constantly changed and adapted itself, as well as its devotees. Americans used religion to interpret their experiences during and after...
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...THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND ITS DISCONTENTS Antinomies of Christianity, Islam and the calculative sciences In my point of view, the main concern of this paper is about the role of ideology in retarding or advancing the Enlightenment project. Which the ideologies itself in this case are Christianity, Islam, and accounting as a calculative science because each constitute a social ideology where they are systems of belief that inform conduct in everyday life. And what is Enlightenment itself? From the explanation of Kant, “Enlightenment is the liberation of man from his self-caused state of minority. Minority is incapacity of using one understands without the direction of another. This state of minority is self-caused when its source lies not in a lack of understanding but in a lack of determination and courage to use it without the assistance of another. Dare to use your own understanding.” From the Christian dialectic, human Enlightenment decline. It is characterized by the existence of a war against the accumulation of wealth, which is considered as an obstacle to the development of capitalism. In catholic paternalism, it is seen the pressure internally and externally. Internally, there was hypocrisy of economic in the body of the Church, where they prohibit lending practices and interest rates, but the Church itself there is excess wealth. Externally, the secularization of Church function in the form of God monarchy or God monopoly, faced with land acquisition monarchy that...
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...born from a single man Siddhartha Guatama, the Buddha. After gaining his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha didn’t think that the rest of the world could handle all that he had learned. He did not want to teach others, nor did he want to spread his wisdom. Until at last his great compassion came over him and he started to gain the respect of few by going to his old peers first. By starting with other intellectuals he secured that they at least had the capacity to learn what he had to teach. From this point on he spread his philosophy on the middle path with everyone who would listen. He preached pacifism and that it was wrong to take any life be it a man’s or any lesser being’s. He taught that the noble eightfold path was the route to end all suffering, and that the individual was the most important factor in achieving enlightenment. The Buddha taught about the five aggregates, the notion that the human being is made up of matter, sensation, consciousness, perception, and mental formations. In all of his teachings however the Buddha did not do so much as a lay a groundwork for which his followers could build a society on. The Buddha was acting out of compassion in that he had found the way to end his suffering and wanted to help others do the same. He was not however trying to build himself up as a God, and create a religion under which he was the focal point. Since this was not his goal, he did not get into politics, social formations, or anything else of the like...
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