(Porter, 161-168) As time wore on, many men began looking back to earlier writers and philosophers such as Descartes and Newton. ... Philosophers and intellectuals at the time of the Enlightenment strived to discover the laws that rule this orderly universe. ... Rene Descartes, a French philosopher and scientist, believed that reason and rationality defined all sciences and philosophies. ... This type of rationalism was developed by other European philosophers, such as the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza and the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Descartes" the...

• Word Count: 2303
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Fortunately, that hasn't been the case since Adams ranks as one of the greatest of political philosophers, who contributed profoundly to American political thought. ... Jefferson was largely influenced by Enlightenment writings and was a firm believer in Locke's theory. ...

• Word Count: 1399
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Also as a man of the Enlightenment, with its analytical detachment, he knew that the Indian way of life could no longer exist in an expanding United States. ... He was to observe this race as a philosopher and to inquire into its languages. ...

• Word Count: 2097
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School