The Enlightenment or The Age of Reason

1. The Enlightenmentor The Age of Reason

2. What Was the Enlightenment? The Enlightenment: intellectual movement in Europe during the 1700s that led to new theories about society, gov’t, economics, and religion

3. “Dare to Know!” To be enlightened: think independently “Free thought”

4. The Scientific Revolution The Enlightenment grew largely out of the new methods and discoveries achieved in the Scientific Revolution The equatorial armillary, used for navigation on ships

5. Enlightenment Principles • Religion, tradition, and superstition limited independent thought • Accept knowledge based on observation, logic, and reason, not on faith • Scientific and academic thought should be secular (not religious) A meeting of French Enlightenment thinkers

7. Enlightenment Thinkers

8. Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) • English • Book “Leviathan” • studied government/humans • Believed natural state of humans was to be at war • Why believe this? • Lives are “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”

9. Hobbes • Believed that humans were driven by passions and needed to be kept in check by a powerful ruler • absolute monarchy is best • Ruler got power from consent of people..not divine right

10. John Locke (1632–1704) • The “State of Nature”: all men equal • People born a Tabula rasa, or a blank slate • Everything is learned

11. Locke(continued) • Book: Two Treatises of Government • Gov’t exists to preserve natural rights (life, liberty, property) • If natural rights taken, right to rebel/change gov’t • Constitutional monarchy best

12. The French Salon and the Philosophes • Salons: gatherings for aristocrats to discuss new theories and ideas • Philosophes: French Enlightenment thinkers who attended the salons Madame de Pompadour

13. Voltaire (1694–1778) • Most famous philosophe • Wrote plays, essays, poetry, philosophy, and books • Attacked the “relics” of the medieval social order(church, nobles) • Championed social, political, and religious tolerance

14. The Encyclopédie • Major achievement of the philosophes • Begun in 1745; completed in 1765 Frontspiece to the Encyclopédie

15. The Encyclopédie (continued) • Denis Diderot Banned by the Catholic Church Encyclopédie editor Denis Diderot

18. Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755) • French noble and political philosopher • Book: The Spirit of the Laws • Compared different types of govt’s

19. Montesquieu (continued) • Separation of powers • Executive • Judicial • Legislative • Would prevent tyranny • Constitutional monarchy best, not democracy Frontspiece to The Spirit of the Laws

20. Jean-Jacques Rousseau(1712–1778) • The Social Contract • “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.” • Civilization corrupts natural goodness

21. Rousseau • Gov’t receives power from the people • People in society have agreement: give up some freedoms in exchange for protection/common good • Believed all men equal • Democracy is best form of gov’t

22. The Enlightenment and the American Revolution • The Declaration of Independence • Influence of Locke • Unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, pursuit of Happiness • Right to change gov’t Thomas Jefferson

23. The U.S. Constitution • Influence of Montesquieu • Separation of powers • Checks and balances • No branch too powerful Painting depicting the Constitutional Convention

24. Women and the Enlightenment • Changing views • Role of education • Equality Mary Wollstonecraft Olympe de Gouges

25. Wollstonecraft (continued) • A Vindication of the Rights of Women • Women need education to become virtuous and useful Title page of Wollstonecraft’s Thoughts on the Education of Daughters

27. “Enlightened Absolute Monarchs” • Contradiction of terms?? • Most of Europe ruled by absolute monarchs • Open to Enlightenment ideas • passed new laws and practices

28. Frederick the Great (ruled 1740–1786) • Prussian ruler • Had a strong interest in Enlightenment works and the arts • Convinced Voltaire to come to Prussia

29. Wanted to make Prussia a modern state Reforms Religious freedom Better ed Efficient gov’t, simplified laws Banned torture But kept serfs and supported nobles Frederick the Great (continued) Painting titled “Frederick the Great and Voltaire.”

30. Catherine the Great(ruled 1762–1796) • Russian ruler • read Enlightenment works • “Westernized” Russia • Import art • Modernize industry and ag • Wars to expand: Poland, Black Sea

31. Catherine the Great(continued) • Domestic reforms • New legal codes • Improved ed • Restricted torture • Peasant revolt led to • Control serfs • Stronger nobles

32. Maria Theresa (ruled 1740–1780) • Austrian ruler • Government reforms • Improved lives of serfs • Son—Joseph II

33. Joseph II (ruled 1765–1790) • Ruled with his mother until 1780 • Joseph’s reforms • Religious toleration • Control over the Catholic Church • Abolished serfdom

34. Napoleon • French ruler • Military career • Rise to power

35. Napoleon I (continued) • Reforms • Education: public schools • Written code of laws • Men equal • Right to property • But: restricted freedom of press and speech

37. The Enlightenment and the French Revolution • The American Revolution • The Estates General The Marquis de Lafayette

38. The Declaration of theRights of Man • Adopted by National Assembly in 1789 • “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”

39. The Legacy of the Enlightenment • Government • Society • Education The signing of the U.S. Constitution