The Age of Enlightenment

1. The Age of Enlightenment Intellectual Sources of Reform and Revolution

2. Two Phases • Scientific Revolution • Philosophical Revolution

3. Scientific Revolution • New way of thinking—induction. • New way of viewing the world—governed by natural law. • Weakened traditional views/institutions

4. Heavy Hitters of the Sci. Rev. • Galileo—through investigation established the heliocentric theory of the solar system. • William Harvey—circulation of blood—the heart is just a pump. • Isaac Newton—mathematical model of the universe. • Robert Boyle—Boyle’s law. • Antoine Laviosier—Conservation of Matter • Natural laws govern the physical universe

5. The Scientific Revolution spawned the Philosophical Revolution • The PR: European-wide, decades-long philosophical and literary movement that sought to improve the human condition through the application of reason. • Attempt to discover and then align human activity—especially government—with inductively identified natural laws. • Questioned traditional beliefs and practices--Immanuel Kant in “What is Enlightenment?” (1781): “Have the courage to use your own understanding.” • Religious toleration & secularization: Voltaire • Observation and criticism essential: Diderot, Smith • Championed the new science • Belief in Progress

6. Anicet Charles Lemonnier, Madame Geoffrin‘s Salon in 1755 (1812) Franz Anton Mesmer magnetizing a distraught patient, ca. 1760

7. Enlightenment Institutions Salons Academies Masonic lodges Newspapers Coffee houses “Public opinion” Forbidden literature An 18th Century English Coffee House

8. Economy and Science • Scottish Enlightenment (Edinburgh) • Political Economy • Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776) opposed mercantilism, advocated laissez-faire economic system (supply and demand) • The Physiocrats: overregulation bad, remove artificial barriers to production (esp. agriculture) • Philosophy • David Hume (d. 1776) and The Natural Religion of Philosophy, led to deism and atheism.

9. How was “Progress” Defined? • First Sense: Improving conditions in the present • General Optimism about Human Potential • Drew upon Locke’s “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1690) • Second Sense: Civilization was developing throughout history and had reached its peak in Europe • “Modern” era was superior to previous eras • Stages of Human Development

10. Claude-Nicolas Ledoux: Model Town (1775)

11. An 18th Century Print Shop Literacy rates in 18th century France, England, the Netherlands and the German states was one-third to one-half of men and somewhat less for women. Censorship ineffective.

12. Philosophes-- • Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire (1694-1778)—advocated empiricism and religious toleration—A Treatise on Tolerance (1763) • Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)—advocated equality rather than privilege—The Social Contract (1762) • Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755)—advocated separation of governmental activities through structure—Spirit of the Laws (1748)

13. Rousseau Montesquieu

14. Diderot’s Encyclopedia—spread ideas of the Enlightenment • Denis Diderot (1713–1784) • A Classified Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts and Trades, 17 vols.(1751–1772) • Intended as a compilation of all knowledge • Over 150 contributors, including all of the prominent philosophes • Epitomized the skeptical, rational, scientific spirit of the age.

15. Spread of the Enlightenment

16. Effects of the Enlightenment • Implications are revolutionary. Why? • Proposed the belief that men ought to be ruled by laws, not rulers. • The philosophes argued that social progress and political freedom were restrained by the state and the church and did not reflect man’s natural goodness. • Belief in progress and man’s ability to solve problems. • Intellectual justification for U. S., French, and Mexican Revolutions