Is Romanticism A Rejection Or An Extension Of Enlightenment Thought?

Is Romanticism A Rejection Or An Extension Of Enlightenment Thought?

Introduction

Romanticism basically originated in Europe during the course of eighteenth century. The movement is beyond the scope of definition through words however one can say that it was imaginative, legendary, and intellectual movement.

Romanticism can be differentiated from the former era, known as Enlightenment by scrutinizing that the one advocated the role of soul, spirit, intuitions, and sentiments, whereas the other promoted a cool, isolated methodical approach to the majority human happenings and predicaments. In a nutshell, Romanticism was a rebuff of numerous of the principles of the Enlightenment movement.

Discussion

Romanticism fundamentally projected the rejection of doctrines of the former Enlightenment philosophy. The Enlightenment Doctrines advocated the concept of scientific ideas and theologies behind the progress of nature. It illustrated the rationalized and methodological viewpoints regarding the origin of civilizations and world. Scientific ideas were the fundamental grounds of enlightenment era. The discoveries were being made that somewhat sidelined the concept of influence of divine authority over the processes of nature. Science became the motivating force of life and men started to realize that the involvement of inventions and discoveries of things beneficial to the society would in fact gratify God and would enhance the human life quality (Wallace, 2009).



However Romanticism advocated totally different theologies that were often in direct competition with the theologies of Enlightenment. Emotional self-consciousness was the basic institution of Romantic values. The self awareness of emotions facilitates an individual to understand the stipulations and specifications of the society. According to the doctrines of Romanticism, an individual must comprehend emotional value of others and his/her self as this will eventually improve society and augment the dimensions of betterments in human condition. The romantic institutions, unlike the Enlightenment philosophies deemed that ...