Essay on the causes of the enlightenment?

Question

i have to write on essay on the causes of the enlightenment
9 pages long
i don't know what to write about for nine pages
so far all i have is that it occured because of the renaissance and the scientific revolution
can you give me more evidence? or specific stuff...its worth a ton of points

Answer 1

You need to start off by giving the state of (Europe) at the beginning of the Enlightenment. What about these events led to the explosion of learning? there should be 3-4 things in the 50 years or so before around 1650 that led to the changes. Then explore each of those 3-4 things in more depth, then summarize on the last page (a number of the causes will be from the spread of literacy). Include 5-6 references (can be internet). I would start with Wikipedia and get more detailed from there. Start off with an outline.


Here are some ideas:

"The Enlightenment developed through a snowball effect: small advances triggered larger ones, and before Europe and the world knew it, almost two centuries of philosophizing and innovation had ensued. These studies generally began in the fields of earth science and astronomy, as notables such as Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei took the old, beloved “truths” of Aristotle and disproved them. Thinkers such as René Descartes and Francis Bacon revised the scientific method, setting the stage for Isaac Newton and his landmark discoveries in physics.
From these discoveries emerged a system for observing the world and making testable hypotheses based on those observations. At the same time, however, scientists faced ever-increasing scorn and skepticism from people in the religious community, who felt threatened by science and its attempts to explain matters of faith. Nevertheless, the progressive, rebellious spirit of these scientists would inspire a century’s worth of thinkers."

Answer 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment