The Enlightenment

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The Enlightenment

• The Age of Reason

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The Age of Enlightenment

• An intellectual movement in the 18th century
  Europe applying methods and principles of the
  Scientific Revolution to issues of political,
  economic and social reform.
• Focused on the power and goodness of human
  rationality
• Often referred to as The Age of Reason, a broader
  classification of thinking
• Philosophers searched for general understanding
  of values and reality
• Affected the urban middle classes aristocracy

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Common threads of thought

• Reason - methods of natural sciences should be
  used to examine and understand all aspects of
  life. Belief in God based on reason
• The Discipline of social sciences - scientific
  method capable of discovering the laws of human
  society.
• Progress - It was possible for human beings to be
  educated to create a better society and better
  people. They looked to improvements in economic
  and social life in the 18th century. Emergence of
  the middle class.

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Rationalism

• Everything was to be submitted to the rational,
  critical, scientific way of thinking - making
  reason ultimate.
• It brought conflict between Enlightenment
  thinkers and the Church.

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Philosophes

• One of historys most influential groups of
  intellectuals
• They brought the light of knowledge to their
  ignorant fellow creatures
• Their ideas were embraced by the educated elite

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Growth of Deism

• Deism - Belief in God based only on reason and
  nature
• Deists see God as a watchmaker - he wound up
  the universe then dissociated himself
• Deists skeptical of organized religion
• Catholic church was attacked

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Thomas Hobbes

• Believed in the social contract- people give up
  individual liberties in return for social order
  protection
• The natural condition of humans is one of
  continuous conflict and competition
• Supporter of absolute monarchy
• Believed anarchy to be a state of nature.
• Wrote Leviathan (1651)
• Said life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and
  short.

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John Locke

• Believed in Natural rights Life, Liberty
  Property
• People would not-and could not- willingly
  surrender their fundamental natural rights.
• Government existed to protect those rights, if
  they didnt, it should be overthrown.
• Supporter of Democracy
• Wrote Two Treatises on Government

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John Locke

• Theory of Knowledge
• Essay Concerning Human Understanding
• Reasoning puts man above animals
• Rejected concept that ideas are innate
• Tabula rasa (we are a blank slate)
• Outer ideas from experience
• Inner ideas from contemplation
• Mankind can attain all knowledge

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Baron de Montesquieu

• His idea of checks and balances would influence
  the U.S. Constitution
• Saw human life as a comedy and satire.
• Division of power into 3 branches

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Voltaire

• Strong supporter of Freedom of Speech, Thought,
  Religion
• Humans are liars, traitors, ingrates, thieves,
  misers, killers, fanatics, hypocrites, fools and
  so on. Yet, its normal.
• Believed Govts should ensure personal freedoms
• Satirist who wrote about the French Monarchy, the
  nobility, and the church? Candide Philosophical
  Letters
• Denied writings to avoid trouble

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Believed in Popular Sovereignty
• Argued people are naturally good, but society
  corrupts them through environment, education and
  laws.
• Opposed strong government. Government created
  and controlled by the people.
• Did not trust reason believing that it brought
  corruption and misery.
• Published The Social Contract (1762)

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Denis Diderot

• Created The Encyclopedia
• Teach people how to think critically
• Solicited articles from many experts
• Controversial articles brought criticism
• Overall, moved forward the ideas of the
  Enlightenment

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Mary Wollstonecraft

• Early spokesperson for Womens Rights
• Argued the ideals of equality should be extended
  to women as well as men.
• Governments should extend political rights to
  women as well
• Women should also enjoy educational freedoms as
  well
• Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)

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Adam Smith

• Pioneer of Economics
• Division of labor increases productivity and
  efficiency
• Wrote The Wealth of Nations (1776) - Bible of
  Capitalism
• Individuals should be free to pursue economic
  gain without state restrictions
• People are motivated by self-interest
• Theory of supply and demand

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