Differences Between Enlightenment And The Great Awakening

The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening were very different movements, but both have greatly impacted the Americas with their philosophies. The differences in these two movements are very complimentary to each other and to republicanism. The Enlightenment argued for reason in all things, and the Great Awakening argued for Christianity. Together, however, these two ideas laid a foundation for a more republican-like system of government in the new world. To reach this form of government and maintain it required both Enlightenment, or reason, and Christianity, or more specifically, virtue. The values seen through the writings of the Enlightenment thinkers and the Great Awakening philosophers contributed to the emergence of republican ideals in the American colonies. …show more content…
Baron de Montesquieu, a lawyer during the age of the Enlightenment, wrote a book called The Spirit of the Laws to point out the importance of a republican government. Within his book, Montesquieu also points out the need for virtue. Montesquieu says, “Virtue in a republic is a most simple thing: it is a love of the republic; it is a sensation, and not a consequence of acquired knowledge: a sensation that may be felt by the meanest as well as by the highest person in the state.” John Adams was a great Enlightenment thinker who was influenced by Montesquieu's philosophy. Adams was also one of the founding fathers of the American republic. In a letter to Mercy Warren, a political writer, Adams spoke about the importance of virtue in the maintaining of a