Enlightenment Ideas Spread

1. Enlightenment Ideas Spread

2. New Ideas • Enlightenment Ideas spread quickly through many levels of society • With printers, these ideas were spread easily • Many saw reform as necessary to achieve a just society • Not everyone agreed with replacing the values that existed

3. Salons • Ideas spread in the Salons • Informal social gatherings where writers, artists, philosophers and others exchanged ideas • Middle class citizens could meet with the nobility to discuss and spread enlightenment ideas

4. Writers face censorship • many government and church authorities felt they needed to defend the old order • They tried to restrict access to ideas and information by banning and burning books and imprisoning writers

5. Art and literature • Art was starting to change from a bright, grand, ornate, and often religious style to a more charming style with pastel colors often depicting pleasures of everyday life • Composers and musicians were making new forms of music- again more elegant and “classical” • Bach, Mozart

6. Art and literature • Literature changed • Middle class readers liked stories about their own times told in straightforward prose • We see an outpouring of novels during this time

7. Enlightened despots • Some monarchs did accept Enlightenment ideas • Some still practiced absolutism- monarch with unlimited power • Those that did accept the new ideas became enlightened despots or enlightened rulers who used their power to bring about political and social change

8. Enlightened despots- frederick the great • had tight control over his subjects while he was king of Prussia but saw himself as the first servant of the state with a duty to work for the common good • some of his first acts as king were to reduce the use of torture and allow free press • Practiced religious tolerance • In the end though, he wanted a stronger monarchy and more power for himself

9. Catherine the great • Empress of Russia read the works of philosophers and believed in the Enlightenment ideas of equality and liberty • Abolished torture and established religious tolerance • Criticized the institution of serfdom • However, did not intend to give up power

10. Joseph II • Successor to the throne in Austria • Eager student of the Enlightenment • Would travel in disguise among his subjects to learn their problems • Supported religious equality • Ended censorship by allowing free press • Abolished serfdom

11. All of this change came more slowly for most Europeans. Most were peasants living in small rural villages during this time and were not part of courtly or middle-class culture where the changes were occurring.