Propelling Western Civilization Forward Essay

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Expansion in Literary Eras

There are a number of poignant similarities and inherent differences found between the Age of Reason and the Age of Discovery. Moreover, these dissimilarities and parallels exist in the literature which typified each of these historical epochs. A close examination of the writings endemic to these time periods reveals that there was a definite focus on expansion. Mankind was attempting to progress, propelling civilization forward in the process. The key distinction between the writings of these ages is that in the Age of Discovery that progress was based on physical expansion, whereas in the Age of Reason that progress was based on intellectual expansion.

Numerous pieces of literature abound in the Age of Discovery attesting to the fact that the common motif of this era was physical expansion. In fact, the most noted works of this time period were those of explorers. These explorers were attempting to traverse the globe searching for new lands, cultures, and territories to claim for their European patrons. In this respect, a number of the writings effectively served as travelogues documenting these adventures. Christopher Columbus, for example, wrote several works detailing his voyages to the so-called New World. Fray Marcos de Niza composed similar writings in his quest for a city of gold for the nation of Spain. Therefore, the vast majority of the works during this period were about physical manifestations—new lands, new people, and new countries.

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The explorers were seeking to make new discoveries in the physical world. Their writing—and that of the Age of Discovery—evinced this fact.

In contrast, some of the more noteworthy writings of the Age of Reason were about intellectual expansion. These works were not typically focused on travel and cultures or lands which were considered strange at the time. Instead, they focused on man’s intellectual prowess and achievement. An undercurrent to the writings of the Age of Reason is that they were about man’s achievement as contrasted to that of God. In most eras prior to the Age of Reason, man made deliberate attempts to remain subservient to God. During the Age of Reason, beliefs such as Deism counteracted that notion and contended that ultimately, man was the master of his own fate. Hobbes’ Leviathan typified this intellectual expansion. Although this book was a political treatise, it incorporated elements of philosophy, science, and even some religious components to stress man’s achievement. Locke’s Two Treatises of Government followed in this vein, although it was published towards the end of this historical era. Thomas Paine’s Age of Reason typified the sentiment of the day. This book contrasted God’s influence with man’s newfound prowess and ability….....

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