The Enlightenment

1. The Enlightenment Global Connections Unit 7

2. The Enlightenment • The scientific revolution as applied to the field of human behavior • Use methods of natural science to examine and understand all aspects of life • By doing this you discover laws of human society (fields of political science, sociology etc.) • The result is the creation of better societies and better people

3. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) • Believed that mans natural state was conflict because they always acted in self interest • Power to govern comes from the people but they transfer it to a monarch by an implicit social contract • The King is absolute and in return the people receive law and order • Author of Leviathan

4. John Locke (1632-1704) • Concept of natural rights explained in his Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690) • People establish governments to protect “Life, liberty and property” • If a government fails to protect these rights they become a tyranny and the people have right to rebel • Church and state should be seperate

5. Locke On Education • In his Essay Concerning Human Understanding he stated that man is born a “blank slate” or Tabula Rasa and learns from experience • The old belief was that man was born with certain ideas and ways of thinking • Locke called for the reform of social and educational institutions that he believed played a major role in the development of human beings

6. The Philosophes • French social critics who turned away from traditional beliefs and relied on reason to guide them (reformers not revolutionaries) • Rejected the authority of the Church and created their own religion Deism • John Toland (Christianity Not Mysterious) • Committed to reforming society • Often in trouble with the law for writings on religion and government • Used satire

7. The Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) • Upper class lawyer and author • The Persian Letters (1721) • Critique of 17th Century French society written from the perspective of Persian travelers • The Spirit of the Laws (1748) • One of the greatest works on social science • Studied all forms of government • Checks and balances • 3 branches of government

8. Voltaire (1694-1788) • Struggled his entire life against legal injustice and class inequalities before the law (70 books) • Best government was an enlightened monarch • The Candide: railed against war and religious persecution (no toleration) • Hated the Church (no room for human improvement)

9. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) • Born poor in Switzerland • Supporter of personal freedom • Believed that civilization (materialism,production) and rationalism corrupted man who was born basically good • Wrote Emile and put forward the concept of the noble savage • Wrote The Social Contract in which he outlined a plan emphasizing direct democracy and the “general will”

10. Denis Diderot (1713-1784) • Attempted to examine the whole of human knowledge from A-Z • Greater knowledge = greater human happiness • Over 17 years they edited 21 volumes of what became known as The Encyclopedia • Contributions from all of the philosophes on matters such as blindness, slavery, religion, atheism, the soul etc.. • Pope placed it on The Index

11. Women in the Enlightenment • Wealthy female patrons would organize salons where Philosophes could present papers and spread their ideas