The dark journey of the Enlightenment

Perhaps it is because of the name, but for some reason, an image forms in our minds of Enlightenment-era writers penning their lofty ideas about society, governance, and politics in comfortable, book-filled rooms without ever facing any difficulties. Perhaps because of the high-minded ideas they produced, we fail to realize the hardships experienced during the process of creating these foundational concepts.

Yet, many Enlightenment writers lived during times of political instability and social unrest. Their ideas were frequently seen as threats to the existing order, and they were subjected to direct pressure from state authorities. We could call this a bit of luck within misfortune, because in a place where there is no unrest, the impulse for movement does not arise.

"LE ROI SOLEIL" SUN KING LOUIS

One of the most concrete examples of such periods is the era of Louis XIV, who reigned for 72 years between 1643 and 1715 and called himself "Le Roi Soleil," the Sun King. Louis XIV, the embodiment of the principle of absolutism, declared his own person to be the state by saying, "L'État, c'est moi, I am the state."

Using the church's authority over the people to consolidate his absolutist rule, Louis subjected the France of that period to the dark ideas and practices of the dogmatic and oppressive Catholic Church through the excessive privileges granted to the church for this cause.

With these radical attitudes, he laid bare the absolutist monarchy so clearly for over 70 years that the reactions formed against Louis XIV's actions both opened the doors to the Age of Enlightenment and paved the way for the French Revolution.

TRAVELERS OF THOUGHT FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

It would not be wrong to start with Voltaire to remember once again the arduous journeys of the thinkers, philosophers, and writers who shouldered the burden of humanity on the path to becoming a civilized society, at the cost of their own lives.

Voltaire, the critical voice of France with his sharp wit, opposed oppressive government policies, religious dogmas, and the church's interference in political and social life, while building these ideas on the principles of human rights, social justice, freedom, and rationalism. The feature that makes Voltaire most precious to humanity—beyond his ideas—is that he never gave up on the values he defended, despite being imprisoned in the Bastille due to his critical stance in the France of his time, being sent into exile in England, and having some of his works, such as "Candide," burned in public spaces by the church and state, and living by constantly changing cities to avoid imprisonment. So much so that we are still illuminating the dark corridors of ignorance with the torches lit by Voltaire and Enlightenment thinkers like him.

Although he was a Baron, Montesquieu, who had to publish his works anonymously, left such a distinct mark on history with his book "De l'esprit des lois (The Spirit of the Laws)" in reaction to Louis XIV's "L'État, c'est moi" that this mark forms the foundation of even today's civilized states with the principle of separation of powers. We must not forget Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Baron d'Holbach, of course. They, too, had to endure exiles, censorship, imprisonment, and the burning of their books while defending the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people against long-term rulers who used the Catholic Church to suppress rational thought.

THE SITUATION IN ENGLAND IS NO DIFFERENT

Against the absolutist monarchy, John Locke, who defended human rights and freedoms with his book "Two Treatises of Government" and directly inspired the American Declaration of Independence with concepts of natural rights such as the right to life, liberty, and property;

Isaac Newton, who represented a rational and mathematical approach against supernatural explanations;

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who conducted important studies on metaphysics, logic, and the philosophy of language;

Thomas Hobbes, who put forward the social contract theory in his work "Leviathan";

and Baruch Spinoza, who argued that true knowledge could only be obtained through reason and that sensory experiences could be misleading,

were all subjected to the severe pressure and intimidation policies of those on the dark side, by the very nature of the Enlightenment.

EVERY SOCIETY MUST CREATE ITS OWN ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS

In short, the writers and philosophers of the Enlightenment period, which began in the last quarter of the 17th century and continued until the end of the 18th century, continued to write and produce ideas by taking great personal risks, without being sure whether they would reach definitive results. We can only observe the results of their efforts today in the legal systems of modern countries and in the way we think about ethics and morality.

Although these invaluable writers, thinkers, and philosophers set the milestones on the path to the Enlightenment, religious structures, traditions, culture, and forms of government make each country's enlightenment different from the next. An enlightenment prescription written in France might seem too complex and comprehensive for a country in Africa or for India; therefore, every society must experience this painful process for itself from the very beginning by creating its own Enlightenment ideas and thinkers.