The Age of Enlightenment

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The Age of Enlightenment

• Late 1600s 1800ish

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Definition

• An era of time or mindset which involved ideas
  and attitudes centered around criticism
  questioning of traditional
• Institutions (Church and Govt)
• customs
• morals

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Inspired by Science

• Grew out of emphasis on reason from the
  Scientific Revolution,
• Found laws to govern the physical world
• Therefore, apply methods of science to help
  discover laws of human behavior that governed
  society.

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Source of the Problem

• Problems in history had been caused by ignorance
  and superstition
• Cruelty and oppression created by Govt and the
  Church

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Rationality
Logic, Reason
Experimentation

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Freedom of Thought

• Challenge Traditional Authority
• Reject blind/strict obedience

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Humanitarianism

• End Human Suffering
• Caused by Cruelty Oppression

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Progress

• Break away from the past
• Reach the Golden Age
• Ultimate goal Solve the worlds problems

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Vocab.

• Natural Laws laws that govern human nature or
  behavior
• Social Contract An agreement by which people
  give up the state of nature for an organized
  society
• Philosophes Enlightenment thinkers, means lovers
  of wisdom, applied the methods of science to
  improve society

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Adam Smith

• Physiocrat Worked toward solving economic
  problems
• Supported
• Free market
• creates competition
• Laissez-faire policies (lay-zay-FAIR)
• Regulation stifles growth
• Connection to Today?
• Capitalism free market economies of today U.S.
  

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Baron de-Montesquieu

• Separation of Powers
• Combined Executive/Legislative branches no
  liberty
• Critical to separate Judicial branch from
  Legislative branch
• Connection to today?
• Basis for U.S. Constitution
• Checks and Balances system

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Published The Social Contract
• General Will of the people must govern
• Give up rights/self interest
• Connections to Today?
• U.S. has the common good
• Aspects of socialism