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Enlightenment: European Thinkers and the Power of Reason

European thinkers during the Enlightenment developed new ideas about government and society by questioning long-held beliefs and embracing the power of reason. This period of optimism, known as the Age of Reason, inspired reforms and revolutions that challenged traditional authority and led to the spread of Enlightenment ideas.

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Enlightenment: European Thinkers and the Power of Reason

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  1. The Enlightenment Main Idea European thinkers developed new ideas about government and society during the Enlightenment.

  2. Scientific Revolution convinced many European thinkers about power of reason Scientific method and reason led to discoveries about physical world Wondered if reason could be used to study human nature, society New generation of philosophers, 1600s Viewed reason as best way to understand truth Concluded reason could be used to solve all human problems This time of optimism now called the Enlightenment– reached peak in 1700s The Age of Reason

  3. Reforms • Belief in progress spurred many to enact reforms • Believed reason could solve any problem, debated ways to make society more just • Did not accept poverty, ignorance, inequality as facts of life • Ideas about power, authority inspired reforms and revolutions - including the American and FrenchRevolutions Enlightenment Ideas Spread • Challenged Beliefs • A few monarchs became enlightened despots, changing their systems of government and ruling according to Enlightenment ideas. • Writers, philosophers questioned ideas long held as absolute truth • Challenged beliefs in absolute monarchies, questioned relationship between church and state, and debated rules and rights of people in society

  4. Hobbes Rousseau Locke Montesquieu Voltaire

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