The Age of Enlightenment (sometimes called the Enlightened Age) was a major philosophical movement that began in the late 18th century. It focused on reason and religion as the main source of legitimacy and authority for society. The controversial and radical ideas of the enlightenment include democracy freedom, freedom, separation from religion, tolerance liberty, toleration, tolerance and minimalism. One of the most influential writers, Martin Heidegger, criticized the popular rationalism of the time and claimed that people were inspired by "the feeling of touch." Enlightened thought stressed the need to comprehend the human experience, feel it and apply human experience in order to discover truth.

It can be difficult to discern architectural styles from the Age of Enlightenment. Because architectural styles that were prevalent during the Age of Enlightenment were influenced by a variety of ideas, theories of philosophies, and idealistic movements, it is often difficult to recognize them. In general, architecture of this era was characterized by its awkwardness and unnatural shapes, cramped spaces, and intricate geometric shapes. The most important architectural periods during the era of enlightenment comprise the French Enlightenment period (ca. 1760 - 1800), Dutch enlightenment period (ca. 1700 - 1800), Italian Renaissance period (ca. 1503 - Renaissance), German enlightenment period (ca. 1900 - 1950, and English Enlightenment (after World War II).

Because of their resemblance to other forms, architectural forms are difficult to distinguish. The style of these buildings has been interpreted as a representative of one kind of philosophy. Machinery and Stirner were two prominent philosophers who had a major influence on the architectural styles of this period. Stirner was a proponent of spontaneity, opposed the discipline of architecture. Stirner believed that buildings should be free of limitations.


Age of Enlightenment On the other the other hand, Machinery was a believer in reason and ordered structure. The 18th century began with architects using philosophical axioms in their work. Leibniz's famous thesis about knowledge being the basis of power, Immanuel Kant's thesis about knowledge being progressive, as well as Jefferson's utilitarian thesis that the ultimate goal of govern is value are just a few examples of these axioms. Descartes' idea of a right of arming John Locke's concept of a moral conscience, and Thomas Jefferson's belief that the best government functions when people are educated were just some of the concepts that were central in the design of the period. In his infamous Essay on Government, Jefferson offered his unique interpretation of constitutional guarantees.

In the age of enlightenment, there was also the movement toward rationalism. The Enlightenment Period saw the growth of new ideas in a variety of disciplines, including science, religion and politics, which led to the movement towards rationalism. This emergence of rationalist thinking was the product of the increasing concerns of people over the nature of reality. The rise of rationalists caused a divide between the old-fashioned sentimentalists as well as the younger thinkers, the Enthusiasts.

Montaigne led one school of Enthusiasts who believed that the world was rational and independent of all understanding. According to Montaigne, man was created in the image of God which is why man's thoughts and feelings could be compared to God's thoughts and feelings. Other Enthusiasts, including Enlightenment thinker Malebranche believed that all thought is derived from sensory experience. Malebranche believed that language is the fundamental physical and linguistic faculties. To grasp an object or idea one needs to use language.

During the 18th Century There were thinkers who rejected both Pantheism and rationalism, even though they did not offer an outright criticism of the latter. Some were disillusioned with the developments in natural philosophy. Others did not find the decline of religion's faith to be alarming because they believed that all truths can be comprehended by the mind and the senses. The Enlightenment thinkers, like Malebranche, however, went on to argue that knowledge can only be found in experiences. Malebranche, in his essay "The The Decay of Learning" stresses the importance of experiences. He points out that learning is about taking part in it as much as it is about learning.

Another school of Enthusiasts, most closely associated with the latter period of European history, are the Continental Rationalists. They rejected any belief in the fundamental distinction between the mind and body, rejecting any possibility of absolute knowledge, even those taught by the philosophers of Athens. These philosophers believed that religion is a mediator of much of nature's knowledge. Bertrand Russell, Albert Einstein and John Locke are among the notable figures who were influenced by the Romantic movement. Romanticism, they claimed was a valid alternative to the philosophy of. It permitted the exploration of nature and the expression of ideas about reality.