Age Of Reason Humanism

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Psychologists often bear the question of whether the need for a better Earth motivates humans to perform good deeds, or if personal gain is the real motivation behind the completion of good deeds. The answer to this question depends on each human as an individual being. The Puritan belief system was established in the early 1600s; this belief states that if one does not withhold the moral correctness of the church, they will be condemned to spend eternity in Hell and possibly experience Hell on Earth as well. The Age of Reason, originating in the early 1700s, brought a new line of thought called Humanism. Humanism is the belief that humans have the moral obligation to attempt to make the world a better place. In most circumstances, Humanistic …show more content…
Humanists believe in fabricating a world filled with joy and sincerity. In order to achieve this type of world, a person must possess specific characteristics. One of these characteristics is generosity. Ironically the people that are the most generous are often the people that have the least “a man being sometimes more generous when he has but a little money than when he has plenty…” (Franklin). This unfailing generosity comes from a knowledge of a life constantly filled with need. A second characteristic needed is kindness, and in that kindness compassion. Compassion presents itself in many forms such as volunteers at a soup kitchen, a youth program cleaning up the community, or in the simplest form being kind to those whose feelings are not mutual. Kindness and compassion go hand in hand, and often the people that possess the ability to reach out are the people that once had a hand reached out to them. These characteristics belong to a subdivision of humans, where few fall. These people that are generous, kind, and compassionate all have a common desire; they desire for the world to be exceptional, but these people also do not wish for anything in return because their works create an unreplaceable happiness within them. The works this subdivision of …show more content…
In Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford illustrated a story where the majority of the pilgrim population became so ill they were bedridden and only “six or seven sound people,” remained able to care for the sick people. The healthy pilgrims exposed themselves to deadly illnesses in hopes of bringing the ill back to health (Bradford). Those who endured the troublesome times, hoped that God would reveal these helpful pilgrims as elect. As an elect, one would be guaranteed an afterlife in Heaven as well as higher social ranking. Psychologists found that extrinsically motivating someone works in some cases, but not every time, “Extrinsic motivators are best applied in situations where people have little initial interest in performing the activity…” (Cherry). If a person’s motivation comes from an object they desire “…sometimes extrinsic rewards can be helpful for achieving a goal” (Hyatt). In some cases, a reward is necessary for the completion. For example, when a child is told to clean their room, it is almost always followed with an immediate complaint. The complaints from the child are typically not punished but quieted with the promise of a reward when they have cleaned their room. In short, extrinsic motivation is necessary in some
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