Enlightenment

Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that took place in Europe and American colonies in 18th centuries before French Revolution. This period is called the age of Enlightenment. The most significant writers who promoted the movement include Thomas Paine, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and David Hume.
The movement advocated that it is the observation of nature, followed by proper reasoning, and not authoritative sources, like Aristotle and Bible that are true basis of knowledge. The supporters of the movement insisted that God did not rule arbitrarily; but through natural laws that He enacted on earth. The thinkers did not rejected religion altogether. They introduced such ideas that make the religion practically ineffective. For example they opted the concept of Deism. Deism accepts existence of God and Hereafter, but rejects authority of religion to give details of theology. They insisted that salvation in the Hereafter is not important, and should not be the main focus of human activities in this world. Our main emphasis must be on improving our worldly life. Church was attacked because it had a lot of political power and was suppressing free exercise of reason. This movement played an important part in the decline of Church and growth of modern secularism.
It was explored that what is the true nature of relationship between citizens and state. The idea that a contract exists between state and citizens grew. This idea influenced democracy and constitutional government.
It is clear that the philosophy of Enlightenment can neither be rejected nor can be accepted in totality. Emphasis on reasoning, efforts to curb the powers of those institutions that suppress individuals (these institutions could be either Church of 18th century or authoritative institutes of third world countries which always tend to gather political powers and cause hindrances in they way of democracy and empowerment of masses) and emphasis on the improvement of human beings in this world are the objectives that must be admired.
Ignorance of Hereafter, denying the authority of Wahi and advocacy of secularism are the goals that can never be supported by Muslims. Advocating Enlightenment in totality is equivalent to revolt against God.
It is a coincidence that in Europe, in the Age of Enlightenment, there were monarchs who were using the term Enlightenment just for propaganda purposes. They were far more despotic than enlightened. Similarly some dictators of third world countries in 21st century are using this term for mere propaganda purposes. As it is obvious that the phrase Enlightened Dictator is a contradiction in terms, because an enlightened person cannot be a dictator and a dictator cannot be an enlightened person.

Tuesday February 27, 2007 - 01:47am
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-7RwkHRY8fqN59oD2VY9B?p=84