FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERN WAY OF THINKING

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FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERNWAY OF THINKING
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If You Lived in Medieval Times, Your Life Would
Be VERY Different

• Youd do whatever your king/queen says you
  wouldnt think of questioning this (taxes, war,
  etc)
• Youd have no rights or freedoms youd think
  thats OK because you DONT DESERVE any rights
• There would be one official type of Christian
  religion and youd be discriminated if you didnt
  follow it
• Inequality would be the law your place in
  society would be determined by your BIRTH
• Youd be illiterate and ignorant about life
  outside of your little village. Youd feel
  INSECURE passive.

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14-18th century - FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERN
REFORMATION
RENAISSANCE

• MAGNA CARTA
• ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
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to inform, to shine a light, to give knowledge

• What does it mean to ENLIGHTEN?

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ENLIGHTENMENT (The AGE OF REASON) New
philosophy in Europe (17-18th century) when
people decided to shine the light of reason
to understand and change society. Enlightenment
philosophers developed the ideas of democracy.
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Joseph Wright of Derby, Scientist Giving a
Lecture, 1768
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• SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
• Questioning old scientific dogmas.
• Using reason to discover the laws of nature.
• The universe is rational, based on reason.

• ENLIGHTENMENT
• Questioning old ideas of government.
• Using reason to discover the laws of society.
• Human society should be rational, based on reason.

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• We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that
  all Men are created equal, that they are endowed
  by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights,
  that among these are Life, Liberty, and the
  pursuit of Happiness that to secure these
  rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
  deriving their just Powers from the consent of
  the Governed. . .

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What is the 1st step of the scientific method?

• QUESTIONINGWhat if the principle DIVINE RIGHT
  OF KINGS is wrong . . .
• Then WHAT gives a ruler the right to rule?

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ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS THEIR IDEAS

• Working in groups of 3
• Each group will get a short handout about one
  Enlightenment thinker
• Take 10 min to prepare, then tell the class about
  your thinker and 3 of his/her most important
  ideas.
• For more info - textbook p. 195

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THOMAS HOBBES(1588-1679)

• Rulers get their power by social contract with
  the people
• People cannot be trusted to participate in
  government therefore, absolute rulers should be
  allowed to rule.
• The power of reason
• Book titled Leviathan (sea monster) - powerful
  ruler.

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JOHN LOCKE(1632-1704)

• people are born with natural rights to life,
  liberty property
• People can be trusted to make decisions about
  their government
• Only people (not God) can give power to the
  government
• if government fails to protect peoples rights,
  people have the right to overthrow it

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VOLTAIRE

• freedom of speech I do not agree with a word
  you say, but will defend to death your RIGHT to
  say it.
• religious freedom tolerance
• criticized the monarchy, church, unfair social
  structure privileges
• For equality and rights
• The power of reason

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MONTESQUIEU

• separation of powers (legislative, executive,
  judicial)
• checks and balances
• people, using their minds, could understand and
  improve the world around them.

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ROUSSEAU(1712-1778)

• Equality for people
• The Social Contract gives rulers the right to
  rule the title of his famous book
• The social contract requires rulers to protect
  the natural rights of people
• people must remain close to nature

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BECCARIA(1738-1794)

• fairness in justice
• abolishment of cruelty and torture in the justice
  system
• right to speedy trial

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MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT(1759-1797)

• human rights for all human beings, including
  women
• equal education for women will allow them to be
  independent
• Equality between men and women
• If all men are born free, how is it that all
  women are born slaves?

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ADAM SMITH (1723-1790)

• The idea of laissez faire
• no government regulation of the economy (in
  contrast to mercantilism)
• the free market - the natural forces of supply
  and demand will regulate the economy best.
• individuals should follow their own self-interest
• Social harmony will result as if by an invisible
  hand

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706-1790)

• He spent many years in France and England, where
  he was directly influenced by the ideas of the
  Enlightenment.
• He lived over 10 years in France as a diplomat
  and became a favorite of French society.
• A scientist, inventor, writer, philosopher,
  politician he applied REASON to understanding
  the world and society.
• He felt that slavery was morally wrong and should
  be abolished

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THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826)

• 3rd president of the USA
• Primary author of the Declaration of Independence
• He also lived in France for a few years as the US
  ambassador
• Heavily influenced by John Locke which shows in
  the Declaration of Independence
• Believed that individual freedom and rights
  should be protected by government
• Avid supporter of free speech religious freedom
  (like Voltaire).

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Thomas Jefferson on religious freedom

• "No man shall be compelled to support any
  religious worship . . . nor shall otherwise
  suffer on account of his religious opinions or
  belief but that all men shall be free to profess
  their opinions in matters of religion. . .

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All Enlightenment thinkers believed in

• applying REASON to find laws that govern human
  society
• the power to rule comes from the people, not from
  God SOCIAL CONTRACT OR Popular Sovereignty
  (people-rule)
• people have NATURAL RIGHTS and government must
  protect these rights
• Happiness and Progress for people

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ABIGAIL ADAMS (1744-1818)

• Although she had no formal education, her father
  had a large library of books to which he gave
  Abigail access. Abigail's ideas on women's rights
  and government would eventually play a major
  role--although indirectly--in the founding of the
  United States.
• John Adams frequently sought the advice of his
  wife, and their letters are filled with
  intellectual discussions on government and
  politics.

Wife of John Adams, second President of the
United States.
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Abigail Adams wrote the following letter to her
husband John on March 31, 1777

• I long to hear that you have declared an
  Independency and in the new Code of Laws you
  would remember the ladies and be more generous
  and favorable to them than your ancestors.
• Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of
  the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants
  if they could.
• If attention is not paid to the ladies, we are
  determined to form a rebellion and will not hold
  ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no
  voice or representation.

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Whos Who?Wollstonecraft, Locke, Montesquieu,
T. Jefferson, Voltaire, Beccaria

1. Philosopher who said people have natural rights.
2. Writer who wanted to abolish cruelty torture in
   the justice system
3. Thinker known for ideas about separation of
   powers.
4. Writer who supported freedom of speech and
   freedom of religion.
5. Writer who championed womens rights.
6. Author of the Declaration of Independence.

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THE ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS IN AMERICA

• In the 1770s , the 13 American colonies of
  Britain began to prepare to form a separate
  country.
• On July 4, 1776, representatives of the colonies
  met and issued the DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE.
  It was written by Thomas Jefferson and based on
  Enlightenment ideas.

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John Trumbull, Declaration of Independence(now
in US Capitol building in DC)John Adams, Roger
Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, Ben
Franklin, Charles Thompson, John Hancock (seated)
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Independence Hall, Philadelphia
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The American colonies won their independence and
set up the USA as the first real democracy,
turning the Enlightenment ideas into practice

• Republic representative democracy
• Separation of powers between legislative,
  judicial and executive branches of government
• Federal system of government dividing power
  between the federal government and the states.

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The 3 main US documents summarized

• Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776 -
  announced why the colonies want independence
• US Constitution - set up the structure of US
  government after independence was won
• US Bill of Rights added to the US Constitution
  (the first ten amendments) to guarantee
  peoples individual rights

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Identify Enlightenment ideas in US documents

• Read excerpts from the three main US documents
  identify Enlightenment ideas represented in the
  text.
• In the right column - write down the ideas and
  the thinkers who came up with them first.
• You may want to use the checklist on the screen,
  and p. 209 in the textbook.
• You can work together.

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ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS SUMMARY

• - Social Contract (power comes from the agreement
  of the people) Locke, Rousseau
• - Natural rights - Locke
• - People can overthrow government - Locke
• - Separation of powers - Montesquieu
• - Freedom of speech, religion, etc - Voltaire
• - Equality Rousseau, Wollstonecraft
• - Fairness in justice, no cruelty - Beccaria

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• DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
• We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that
  all Men are created equal, that they are endowed
  by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights,
  that among these are Life, Liberty, and the
  pursuit of Happiness that to secure these
  rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
  deriving their just Powers from the consent of
  the Governed. . .

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CONSTITUTION OF THE USA

• We the People of the United States, in order to
  form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
  insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
  common defense, promote the general Welfare, and
  secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
  our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
  Constitution for the United States of America.

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• All legislative Powers herein granted shall be
  vested in a Congress of the United States, which
  shall consist of a Senate and House of
  Representatives.
• The executive Power shall be vested in a
  President of the United States of America.
• The judicial Power of the United States, shall be
  vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior
  Courts as the Congress may from time to time
  ordain and establish.

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THE US BILL OF RIGHTS

• 1. Congress shall make no law respecting an
  establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
  free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom
  of speech, or of the press or the right of the
  people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
  Government. . .
• 4. The right of the people to be secure in their
  persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
  unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
  violated . . .

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• 5. No person shall. . . be deprived of life,
  liberty, or property, without due process of law
  nor shall private property be taken for public
  use, without just compensation.
• 6. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused
  shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public
  trial, by an impartial jury
• 8. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor
  excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual
  punishments inflicted.

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The UN Universal Declaration of Human
Rightshttp//www.humanrights.com//what-are-human
-rights

• Adopted after WWII to apply to all UN members
• Very similar to US Bill of Rights PLUS more
  rights
• The right to WORK and EDUCATION, and equal pay
  for equal work. What do you think?

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• On Tuesday 10/8, youll have a TEST on the ROOTS
  OF DEMOCRACY.
• Use the study guide to prepare.