Age of Enlightenment

Namaste,

In Europe the time period between 1685 and 1815 is called the Age of Enlightenment. It was during this time frame that the noted scientists and philosophers of the day from all across Europe came to an understanding that anything worth believing should either be proven in a lab or be able to pass the test of reason. The German philosopher Immanuel Kant summed up the thinking of the time in his famous words, "Dare to know? Have the courage to use your own reason."

On a cursory look, it appears to be the period when reason and physical proof meant everything and faith and spirituality became worthless currencies. Effectively, they killed God. If I can't rationalize it through logical thinking or measure it in a laboratory then it does not exist. Some 'Enlightenment'!

Pranam.

Dear Believer,

the term ‚age of enlightenment‘ is so misleading. It has nothing to do with ‚light‘. It was an age of obscuration, a glorification of Maya, a deep step into Kali Yuga.

In French it is called ‚age des lumières‘ where ‚la lumière‘ means ‚light‘.
In Italian it is called ‚eta dell’illuminazione‘, where ‚il lume‘ means ‚light‘.

Only the German language has a different term - we call it ‚Zeitalter der Aufklärung‘. Aufklärung means a mental kind of learning, finding a new fiew or vision of something, just what you described.

Greek knows the term ‚gnosis‘ meaning ‚to be aware of God‘, that comes closer to ‚enlightenment‘, it derived from gyana.

Regarding Effectively, they killed God – may be you heared about Friedrich Nietzsche, also a German philosopher. One of his works is ‚God is dead‘.

What exactly he wanted to say is matter of interpretation. Fact is, he criticized and despised Christianity as the only religion where the precondition was given to 'kill' God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFyolMWU2pY

Pranam

Namaste,

Thanks for educating me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Indialover

the term ‚age of enlightenment‘ is so misleading. It has nothing to do with ‚light‘. It was an age of obscuration, a glorification of Maya, a deep step into Kali Yuga.

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That is what I meant when I said that they killed God. By emphasizing that we should trust only the things that we can measure quatitatively and accept only the ideas that we can rationalize, they tried to take the faith for the Divine out of human existence.

Pranam.

Sri Mahaganapataye Namah

Namaste,

Yes you are correct dear.

Prayers for Guru, we ask for light.

Past history had some, but it's the heart that shows the way.

Many statements were made which did not make sense..

Harih om

[Past history had some not true.]

There have always been people who read between the lines. There will always be those people. The fact is this - we keep on learning more as we search for the truth. What might not have made sense once, might make sense at a later date. The simplest way to live is to keep the heart and our senses open to understand the world we live in.