The Enlightenment

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The Enlightenment

• Legacy Chapter 5.2

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Key Enlightenment Ideas

• The ability to reason is what makes humans
  unique.
• Reason can be used to solve problems and improve
  peoples lives.
• Reason can free people from ignorance,
  superstition, and unfair government.
• The natural world is governed by laws that can be
  discovered
• through reason.
• Like the natural world, human behavior is
  governed by natural laws.
• Governments should reflect natural laws and
  encourage education and debate.

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I. Age of Reason

• Scientific Revolution convinced European thinkers
  of the power of reason
• What is Reason?
• Ability to think logically through and solve a
  problem
• Reason could be used to help society
• Enlightenment time of optimism where reason
  could be used to solve all human problems

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• Ideas spread through writing
• Paris was the center of Enlightenment activity
• Women held gatherings called salons where these
  ideas were discussed

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II. New Views on Government

• Thomas Hobbes
• People were selfish and greedy
• Needed government to impose order
• Should give up freedoms to a strong leader in
  order to achieve safety Social Contract
• Best form of government was an absolute monarchy

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• John Locke
• People were naturally tolerant and reasonable
• Born with 3 natural rights
• Life
• Liberty
• Property
• Purpose of the government was to protect those
  natural rights
• If it failed to do so it should be overthrown

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• What were the key differences between Hobbes and
  Locke.

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• Jean-Jacques Rousseau the government should
  work for the benefit of the common good
• Baron de Montesquieu argued for separation of
  powers
• Branches of government

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• What are the three different branches of
  government that we have in the U.S. today?
• How are the powers of each branch limited?

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III. New Views on Society

• French Philosophes
• A. Voltaire wrote against injustices of society
• B. Diderot Wrote an Encyclopedia to compile all
  the new works being written
• English Writer
• C. Mary Wollstonecraft Rejected the idea that
  these new philosophies only applied to men,
  pushed for education for women and equal rights

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• D. Adam Smith Argued for a free market economy
• Wrote Wealth of Nations
• Supported Laissez-faire ecomonics
• No govt regulation

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IV. Spread of Ideas

• Ideas quickly spread through the rest of Europe
• Some monarchs tried to rule as Enlightened
  Despots
• Frederick of Prussia
• Developed elementary education
• Abolished torture

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• Catherine of Russia
• Drafted Russian constitution and code of laws
• Wanted to free serfs but never did
• Enlightenment ideas challenged the idea of
  absolute monarchs
• People looked for ways to make society more just
• The ideas would shape the forming of new nations
  and governments