Alexander Pope, Essay on Man

Alexander Pope: Essay on Man (1733-744)

Though it was written during the Enlightenment, Alexander Pope’s attempt to address the imperfect state of the world is in its essence not an Enlightenment work.

The Enlightenment is a period which runs (broadly speaking) from somewhere around 1650 to somewhere around 1800 in Europe, England, and America. It is characterized by writers, philosophers, and political activists (such as – for instance – Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Franklin) who reject traditional ways of thinking about knowledge, authority, religion, literature, and the social order.  Voltaire is one of the main figures in the Enlightenment, and everyone recognized his influence even at the time.