INTRODUCING WESTERN SOCIOLOGISTS
‘The Enlightenment’, a philosophical and intellectual movement that swept through Europe in the late 17th and 18th centuries, fundamentally shifted how society understood the world. The key change was the emphasis on human rationality as the central mechanism for understanding reality. People were seen as knowing subjects, capable of both creating and understanding knowledge through reason. This was a radical departure from previous worldviews, where nature, religion, and divine intervention were considered central.
This new focus on human-centred reason introduced the attitudes of secularism, scientific thinking, and humanism. Society itself was seen as a creation of human beings and, thus, something that could be analysed and understood through rational methods.
The French Revolution of 1789 further cemented the notion of individual and national sovereignty. The movement rejected inherited privileges and asserted the equality of all citizens. The revolution led to the dismantling of feudal structures, freeing peasants from serfdom and cancelling numerous taxes that had been levied by feudal lords and the church.
This revolution also significantly altered the relationship between the state and its citizens. It differentiated between the public realm, represented by state institutions and laws, and the private realm, characterised by family life and individual privacy. Concepts like liberty, equality, and fraternity became the cornerstone ideals for modern nation-states.
The Industrial Revolution, originating in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, introduced two monumental changes: the use of science and technology in industrial production, and the reorganisation of labour and markets on an unprecedented scale. This revolution not only mechanised production but also globalised it, making large-scale industry a worldwide phenomenon.