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Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes
Descartes is often regarded as the father of modern philosophy. Reason being that he was the first major figure in rationalism, a philosophical method used to understand the world based on reasoning as the means to attain knowledge. Furthermore, Descartes took part in empiricism, a movement which stresses the use of sense of perception instead of pure reason. These movements revolutionized the Western world and caused society to re-evaluate its traditions and institutions, which led to great social changes. Additionally, the American and French revolutions were based upon these ideas and the processes in which we use in subjects such as science, math, and philosophy were modified.
Portrait of Rene Descartes (painted by Frans Hals, 1649)
Chandos Portrait (painted by James Taylor, 1600-1610)
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is perhaps one of the most, if not the most, influential writers of all time. We can see his influence on many areas of language, literature, and theatre. Many techniques of storytelling can be traced back to Shakespeare. For example, complex characterizations observed in Shakespeare's works which move the plot forward has resulted in a new type of storytelling. Furthermore, Shakespeare is known for mixing genres such as tragedy and comedy in his works, which introduced a new way playwrighting. Apart from plays, Shakespeare's influence has also changed the way musicals are formatted. Historians argue that before, musicals generally placed songs in between dramatic scenes to act as a break from the main plot. However, adaptions of Shakespeare's works changed the formatting of musicals as it used songs as a vital part of the story, rather than just being filler. It used songs to advance the plot. There are many influences Shakespeare has had on history that we can still observe to this day, and those examples are just the tip of the iceberg.
Thomas More
Thomas More
Thomas More is credited with the creation of two literary genres, Utopian and Anti-Utopian, because of his book Utopia. Utopia, a socio-political satirical book, examines the faults of society and explains the changes that should be made in order to redeem and improve society. The Utopian genre focuses on the theme of society and its structure. It addresses questions such as "How can this society be improved, if at all?" Utopia is viewed as the blueprint for this genre. Anti-Utopian, a sub-genre of Utopian, focuses more on the fact that society is irredeemable. Some famous examples of Anti-Utopian literature is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell. Societies in this genre are often deteriorated to enhance theme of an incurable society. Utopia gave authors a new way to communicate fresh and exciting ideas on what society had the potential to be.
Portrait of Sir Thomas More (painted by: Hans Holbein the Younger, 1527)
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