#3 Response: Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment originated between the middle 17^th century and the 18^th century. The Enlightenment mainly took place between thinkers in Europe and some in America. This age was more of a time for people to reevaluate how they lived their lives and what they held as their values. This became a time for humans to question their authority’s way of thinking and create their own. These ideals are (but not limited to) market mechanism and capitalism, the scientific method, religious tolerance.

            Matthew Taylor explores the need for a second Age of Enlightenment for the 21^st century. Taylor points out that we have found new scientific evidence since the first Enlightenment and this evidence could help all humans realize another way of thinking and accepting things within our world. Things that we use to not be able to understand has been researched and possibly been given another resolution that we previously thought. But because our leaders continue to think in the standard form we cannot fully grasp and acknowledge this proven outcome of science as we would with our own thinking and questioning. I agree that a 21^st century Age of Enlightenment is well over due for the people of the world. If we could learn to question things and seek out real answers I am sure everyone would be able to agree more. Not making us solely understand one’s point of view through hearing it but rather everyone knowing is as fact or fiction based on true scientific evidence.

            Sir Ken Robinson also leads us toward a 21^st century Enlightenment. He points out that that our real first education systems were created during the first Age of Enlightenment and these systems were based on what we needed at that time period from those youth. Industrialism was in the process of being created and that seemed to be working so that is how we “manufactured” the children and educational process at the time. However now we need another way of teaching our children, we need to create something that works better for their future. Robinson talks about this “epidemic” of ADHD and how it’s not an epidemic at all. Really it’s just us as humans not knowing to keep our children focused, during a time when barely anyone at all can pay attention due to the mass amounts of things happening at any given point. If we would just take the time to reconsider that not every child learns the same way and will react the same way to the information we give them then maybe they would focus a little more. Thus providing a happier, more educational experience while they learn.