Define and briefly explain both the Enlightenment and counter-Enlightenment. In addition, explain how each of sociology’s founding fathers’ work embodies both movements.

Question

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Answer 1

The Enlightenment was a period of remarkable intellectual development that occurred in Europe during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The development of civil society (open spaces of debate relatively free from government control) enabled a critical mass of literate citizens to think about the economic, political, and cultural conditions that shaped society. One of the most important aspects of this new attitude was an emphasis on reason. Central to this new attitude was questioning and reexamining received ideas and values. The Enlightenment emphasis on reason was part and parcel of the rise of science. Counter-Enlightenment - in the late eighteenth century, a conservative reaction to the Enlightenment took place. Under the influence of Jean-Jacques Rousseau the unabashed embrace of rationality, technology, and progress was challenged. Against the emphasis on reason, counter-Enlighteners highlighted the significance of nonrational factors, such as tradition, emotions, ritual, and ceremony. Most importantly, counter-Enlighteners were concerned that the accelerating pace of industrialization and urbanization and the growing pervasiveness of bureaucratization were producing profoundly disorganizing effects. Durkheim was interested in both objective or external social facts and the more subjective elements of society, such as feelings of solidarity or commitment to a moral code. Karl Marx fashioned an economic philosophy that was at once rooted in science and humanist prophecy. Max Weber combined a methodical, scientific approach with a concern about both the material conditions and idea systems of modern societies.