Enlightenment ideals
Reason over tradition
A variant capitalization of enlightenment ideals, sometimes used for emphasis or in titles.
The phrase refers to the core principles of the 18th-century intellectual movement—reason, liberty, tolerance, and scientific progress—that influenced democratic revolutions and modern governance: The founders drew heavily on Enlightenment Ideals. (Lowercase enlightenment ideals is standard.)
- natural rightsFreedoms inherent to personhood
- all men are created equalDoctrine of inherent human equivalence
- rights of manInherent human entitlements
- reasonBasis or justification
- social contractAgreement exchanging freedom for order
consent of the governed · Rousseau · Voltaire · Locke · liberty · civil liberties · Age of Reason · separation of powers · rationalism · constitutionalism · Jefferson · tolerance · scientific method · free inquiry · equality · Montesquieu · democracy · empiricism
- education historypublic schooling, education reforms, school reform, educational reforms, one-room school
- Liberal RevolutionsFrench Revolution, American Revolution, Hungarian Revolution, Greek War of Independence, Haitian Revolution
- classical literatureHomer, Virgil, Ovid, Cicero, Plato
- Jefferson EraThomas Jefferson, Democratic-Republicans, Louisiana Purchase, Monticello, Lewis and Clark
- moral educationmoral education, moral instruction, character education, moral development, moral lessons
- Fonvizinsatirical plays, comedy of manners
Enlightenment idealsblind faith
Trust without requiring proof
religious dogma · superstition · obscurantism · dogmatism · religious fundamentalism
Enlightenment idealsabsolute monarchy
Unrestricted single-ruler government
divine right of kings · authoritarianism · feudalism · totalitarianism · despotism