West European Studies

In 18th century, high Culture a name that was used to distinguish an elite culture of aristocracy or the intelligentsia. The high culture was compared with the low culture and regarded as high because its processed more high profile arts and were more educated compared to Philistines or the barbarians. High culture was a name that was used to regard the held a high set of cultural products like arts that were held high be the culture.

The issue of high culture was a reflection of a given set of attitudes that were crucial to the tradition of the Europeans customs as well as morals. Those who managed to adopt the enlightenment tactics and criticism were regarded as philosophers. Enlightenment initially begun in France and later spread to other countries in the European continent.

High culture was mostly appreciated for their high arts. The expression of high culture in the 18th century goes beyond literature. There were different expressions of high culture included music, performing arts like cinemas, visual arts that were mostly expressed through paintings. Decorative arts were not in most cases regarded as the high culture arts.

The cultural products that were used by the high culture in their performance were believed to have been produced during the periods of high civilization. There were much and very sophisticated products that were produced during this time by the wealthy urban society that gave a foundation of the elitism.

In this regard, the high culture was associated with the wealth and urbanism. High culture members were wealth and had high arts that commanded respect from the low culture and mass culture.

Rationalism
Rationalism can be defined as any view that seems to bring a reason or a justification of a source of knowledge. Rationalism deals much with the intellectual justification but not truth as core criteria. The rationalism has different levels of emphasis as it moves from a moderate standpoint to a more radical standpoint to give the reason as the most unique way of acquiring knowledge. In the modern age, there is no difference between the rationalism and the philosophy because it helps in understanding why things are the way they are.

Descartes is regarded as the founder of modern rationalism because he sought he was finding one idea that could not be disputed and a clear as well as distinct idea that could have no doubts and on which all knowledge could be based. His work dominated all philosophical circles in the middle age. His work intended to replace the traditions with a single desire of making philosophy independent and for one to think of oneself and to rely on ones reasoning to relay what the traditions had maintained.

Descartes is regarded as the first recognized philosopher in modern age who tried to question everything which was doubted and tried to establish what could not actually be called into the question through trying to reconstruct a conceptual world. Though there were other philosophers who tried to argue like him before, he was recognized because he was the last and also gained popularity more than others (Richard, 2009).