Interaction between religious, philosophical and political belief
I can explain how Enlightenment thinking challenged Middle Ages views, focusing on empiricism, deism and the separation of Church and state.
Interaction between religious, philosophical and political belief
I can explain how Enlightenment thinking challenged Middle Ages views, focusing on empiricism, deism and the separation of Church and state.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- To understand religious and philosophical views from a different time period, context is very important.
- Enlightenment thinking was influenced by changes in approaches to the arts and by religious reform.
- Enlightenment philosophers used empiricism to challenge superstitious religious views.
- This made it possible to move away from the worldview of the Middle Ages. One example of this, was deism.
- The Enlightenment shifted to advocating for a separation of religion and politics.
Keywords
Deism - the belief in a creator God who does not intervene in the universe after creating it
Empiricism - the philosophical theory that knowledge comes from sensory experience and observation
Superstition - a belief based on fear or misunderstanding of the unknown, which goes beyond what is logical
Common misconception
The Enlightenment was a complete rejection of Christianity.
While it challenged traditional religious views, most people remained Christian, and many Enlightenment thinkers still believed in God, such as those who supported deism.
Equipment
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a belief that God created the universe but no longer intervenes
a theory that knowledge comes from sensory experience and observation
an illogical belief based on fear or misunderstanding of the unknown