The Enlightenment in Europe

1
The Enlightenment in Europe

• Chapter 6.2

2
Enlightenment

• A revolution in intellectual activity changes
  Europeans view of government and society

3
Views on Government

• Europeans seek insights into society during the
  1600s and 1700s
• Leads to the Enlightenment - a movement stressing
  reason and thought

4
Hobbess Social Contract

• Hobbes distrusts humans, favors strong government
  to keep order
• Promotes social contract getting order by
  giving power to monarch

5
Lockes Natural Rights

• Philosopher John Locke says government gets power
  from the people
• Stresses that the people have the right to
  overthrow an unjust government

6
Philosophes Advocates Reason

• The philosophes are French social critics in the
  mid-1700s
• Value reason, nature, happiness, progress, and
  liberty

7
Voltaire

• Voltaire influential philosophe, pen name of
  Francois Marie Arouet
• Publishes many work arguing for tolerance, reason
• Makes powerful enemies and is imprisoned twice
  for his views

8
Montesquieu

• French writer who admires Britains government
  system
• Favors separation of powers to keep one body form
  running government

9
Rousseau

• Philosophe who favors individual freedom, direct
  democracy
• Views social contract as agreement by free people
  to form government

10
Beccaria

• Italian philosopher Cesare Beccaria works to
  reform justice system
• Calls for speedy trails, greater rights for
  criminal defendants

11
Mary Wollstonecraft

• Urges greater rights for women
• Argues that women need education to be virtuous
  and useful

12

• Urges women to go into traditionally male
  professions like politics
• Some wealthy women use their status to spread
  enlightenment ideas

13
Legacy

• Philosophes are not activists, but inspire others
  to begin major revolutions
• Scientific breakthroughs show human capacity to
  improve society

14

• Secular outlook new ideas question religious
  ideas
• Many people openly question beliefs and practices
  of Christianity

15
Importance of the Individual

• People place more importance on individual rights
  and abilities
• Reason becomes central concept for philosophers
  and rulers