The Enlightenment period resulted in the creation of many different ideas seen in politics all across the world. A perfect example would be the concept of natural rights. Natural rights are supposed to be basic rights that all humans have. When first developed these included life, liberty, and property. This concept was seen in the French Revolution, as the Third Estate fought for the idea and used the phrase "Liberty, equality, and fraternity" to display what natural rights they had as citizens.
Another Enlightenment idea seen in democratic revolutions is the idea of the social contract. The social contract was an agreement between the people and the government that stated that citizens would give up some of their freedoms so that the government could make laws. If a government failed to own up to their end of the social contract, the citizens had a right to revolt. This is a perfect example of what happened during the American Revolution. American colonists felt that the British government was being unjust and was not ruling by the consent of the governed (aka the consent of the people) so they rebelled.
The Similarities, <span>Both Buddhism and Hinduism share a strong belief in reincarnation; an endless cycle of births and deaths that must be broken.Attachment to people, places, things, or even ideas can lead to suffering; therefore, it’s best to practice non-attachment in the sense that you’re more anchored in your center than in outer circumstances.Meditation is highly regarded in both religions, because they believe real truth and spirituality is inward, not outward.Both believe that everything on the planet will eventually achieve enlightenment and liberation.</span>The
Differences, <span>Buddhism has no “rituals” in the traditional sense. They don’t do elaborate prostrations or pujas (prayer rituals). There are not even priests, really; though they do have senior monastics.Hinduism has an entrenched caste system (though it can be argued it was never meant to be that way), where as Buddhism does not. Buddhists believe that anyone can achieve enlightenment, where Hindus believe you must be of the Brahmin caste.In many sects of Hinduism, it’s believed extreme asceticism is the ideal spiritual life. In Buddhism, the middle path is best. Neither extreme poverty nor extreme wealth are considered to be ideal.Traditional Buddhism has no gods, where as Hinduism has literally endless variations and incarnations of gods and goddesses. Although many Hindus believe Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu, Buddhists do not usually share that view.<span>Buddha taught that the original Vedas (ancient religious texts) were originally sacred until animal sacrifice was introduced.</span></span>
The southern colonies (and the colonies in the Caribbeans) required slave labor and indentured servants to maintain plantations that grew valuable crops such as sugar canes and tobacco. Harvesting these crops were often labor intensive that many free workers were unwilling to do without high wages that plantation owners did not wish to pay. These crops could only be grown in the south (or the Caribbean) due to the soil and climate.
