The Philosophes

1. The Philosophes Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft

2. The Philosophes • The ideas of the 18th Century were drawn from the scientific revolution of the 17th • Carried the ideas of Bacon and Descartes (inductive and deductive reasoning) • Carried the ideas of Natural Law and Right • Belief, in a non religious way, that life gets better as time goes on • Faith of the age in the natural faculties of the human mind Philosophes • French for philosopher • In the 18th, meant to approach any subject in a critical and inquiring spirit

3. The Reality of the Age • They were social or literary critics • All written under censorship • To protect people from ‘harmful’ ideas • France, the center of the enlightenment, had both censorship and large reading and writing public • It discourage writers from openly or explicitly questioning • Examples: customs of Persians, double meanings, innuendos, jokes • Paris the heart of the movement • Mingling of people of ideas in Salons, conducting by women

5. Thomas Hobbes • Most famous for “Leviathan” – named for a biblical monster • Rejected the Concept of Divine Right • Mankind is selfish, power-hungry, egotistical and materialistic • Society is corrupt • People should be ruled by “all powerful” leader, to keep them in line • People do not deserve freedom • Life is “Nasty, Brutish and Short”

6. John Locke • Most famous book “The Two Treatises on Government” • In their natural state – people are good • Society, civilization and Government corrupt people • Humans have “Natural Rights” which cannot and should not be taken away • “Tabula Rasa” – we are a blank slate at birth – innocent • Governments should be small and the rights of people are most important

7. Mary Wollstonecraft • Considered the Mother of Modern Feminism • Wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” • Believed in Logic – Women lower place in society was not logical – just an extension of tradition • If women have weaknesses (being emotional) – then it is societies pressures that have made them this way • Invented the term “Male Dominated” to describe the conditions of women • She was the mother of Mary Shelly (Frankenstein)

8. Jean-Jacques Rousseau Discourse on the Sciences and Math • Criticizes education • Not progressing us to anything good • Education just makes us deceive ourselves and others – we try to fit in • Leads to individuality, makes us self interested consumers • Puts flowers on our chains – just hiding inequality • Where ever science and math flourished, luxury and leisure flourish • They are born from our vices, and do nothing to improve the moral well being of society • Don’t contribute anything to love of country, friends, or the unfortunate • Science does not give any guidance for making people more virtuous citizens • We learn to hate ourselves because the masks we have to wear • To cope, we hate the people below us • Science is based on a sense of a need for luxury • Science becomes a means for making our lives easier and more pleasurable, not morally better

9. Rousseau Con’t Discourse on the Origin of Inequality • For us to understand the state of nature, there can be no laws, property, understanding of threat, minimal language skills • Natural man is isolated, timid, peaceful, mute and without the foresight to worry • Humans have two principles – self interest, and empathy • Humans forced to settle down, but roughly equal • Series of events move us from the ‘noble savage’ • Organize into temporary groups – hunting • Very basic language - small families based on love • If we stayed here, there would be no inequality • But, agriculture and metallurgy change this • Crucial point develops – we start to make comparisons to others –develop self image • Things become valuable - Division of labour - Distinct social classes, workers, rulers • Leads to invention of private property • Unnatural, but education teaches us its legit • Some people left out of property grab – see it as illegitimate • Great Deception – rich convince the poor, private property needs to be protected • All accepted their chains

10. Rousseau Con’t • The Social Contract • Outlines how governments could exist to protect equality of citizens • Based on the well being of the whole, protects the rights of all individuals • Governments must enter a social contract with its people • People agree to give up some of their rights in exchange for government services • If you have: lack of prosperity, no population growth, legislative body silent, disparity, religious faction – no social contract • If the one is being sacrificed by the many – no social contract • People have the right to remove the government if the contract is broken