The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment Chapter 17

Essential Question • How did the Scientific Revolution change the way people looked at themselves and the world?

Foundations of The scientific Revolution • The Renaissance • Learning Greek as well as Latin allowed thinkers to read more books by others like Ptolemy and Plato

Foundations of the scientific revolution • New & Improved Technology • New instruments like telescope & microscope • Printing press spread ideas quicker

Foundations of the Scientific Revolution • New Math • Algebra, geometry and trigonometry became standard • Provided a base for scientific theory to be tested

The Scientific revolution • Heliocentric Theory • Advanced by Copernicus, solidified by Kepler, and taken a step further by Galileo

The Scientific Revolution • Isaac Newton • Universal Law of Gravitation • New view of universe as “one huge, regulated, uniform machine that worked according to natural laws” which would last until Albert Einstein

The Scientific revolution • The Scientific Method • Through the work of all scientists of the time, the procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence was created • Francis Bacon : inductive reasoning (small bits of evidence to create the big picture) • Rene Descartes : rationalism, reason is the chief source of knowledge

The scientific revolution

The scientific revolution • Causes ? • Effects? • How did world view change? • What groups were affected the most ? Why?

Essential question • What does the term Enlightenment mean and how did it change the way people viewed human reasoning?

The enlightenment • According to Webster’s Dictionary: • 1:the act or means of enlightening: the state of being enlightened • 2 capitalized: a philosophic movement of the 18th century marked by a rejection of traditional social, religious, and political ideas and an emphasis on rationalism —used with the • 3 Buddhism: a final blessed state marked by the absence of desire or suffering

The Enlightenment • Common terms used during the Age of Enlightenment by the “thinkers” of the time… • Reason • Natural Law • Hope • Progress • Would these terms apply to everyone? Why or why not?

Essential question • What influence did John Locke have upon Enlightenment thinkers?

The enlightenment • John Locke • Lived during the English Glorious Revolution (1689) • He believed that with reason and the proper information people could make good decisions • He believed that people entered into an agreement with their government, therefore people had to consent to their government • This agreement was a type of contract • Government must respect the natural rights of people • Life, Liberty, Property • If government abuses those rights the people have a right to overthrow it and institute a new government

The enlightenment • Thomas Hobbes • Lived during the English Civil War and execution of Charles I • Wrote The Leviathon • Believed that human nature required a strong ruler to keep people in check • Humans were naturally selfish & greedy… in his words “nasty, brutish, and short”.

The Enlightenment How does the cover of Hobbes’ book demonstrate his ideas about people and government?

The enlightenment • Many of the new philosophes read the works of Hobbes and Locke • Due to new theories regarding science, reason and progress most were in agreement with Locke’s ideas regarding human nature (tabula rasa) and relationship between government and the governed • The new philosophes included: Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, and Rousseau

The enlightenment

Essential question • What are the major ideas of Voltaire, Wollstonecraft, Diderot, Rousseau, Smith, and Montesquieu?

The Enlightenment • Baron de Montesquieu • Wrote The Spirit of the Laws to study types of governments using the scientific methods • Looked at three forms of government: republic, limited monarchies, and despotism • Admired the separation of powers into branches that he saw in England: executive, legislative, & judicial • His ideas directly influenced the US Constitution

The enlightenment • Voltaire • Considered the most well known and most outspoken of all the philosophes • Was invited to the courts of numerous monarchs and corresponded with many more • Was anti-clerical; believed organized religion was corrupt • Followed the religious idea called deism

The enlightenment • Denis Diderot • Widely read and studied many subjects and languages • Edited the 28 volume Encyclopedia • The Encyclopedia helped spread new ideas and challenge old ones • Called for reform of the government • Called for toleration • Called for increased freedoms and equality

The Enlightenment • Adam Smith • A physiocrat a thinker who focused on economics • Advanced the idea of laissez-faire • Wrote The Wealth of Nations • Government role in the economy should be limited • Government should protect people &nation from invasion • Government should provide schools • Government should help provide roads, canals, etc

The enlightenment • Jean Jacques Rousseau (JJR) • Considered both an Enlightenment thinker and a Romantic • Believed that both emotion and reason were important to human development • On Government: • Felt that government had co-opted society and therefore a social contract was necessary • The social contract provides that people agree to abide by the general will because it is what is best for the entire community

The enlightenment • JJR (cont’d) • On Education • Education should foster children’s natural instincts • Would support today’s Montessori schools • On Women • Women were “naturally” different than men • Should be educated only in their spheres as wife and mother

The enlightenment • Mary Wollstonecraft • Considered the founder of the women’s rights movement • Arbitrary power of government is wrong • Arbitrary power of men over women is also wrong • Women should have the same rights in education, economic and political life

The enlightenment • What were the main ideas of the Enlightenment philosophes? • What was 1 or 2 things all seemed to agree upon? • Which thinkers were most different? Why?

Essential question • What is an Enlightened Despot and how did Prussia, Austria, and Russia reflect this?

The Enlightenment • Enlightened Depots were rulers who tried to govern by Enlightenment principles while maintaining their royal powers Joseph II of Austria Catherine II of Russia Frederick II of Prussia

The enlightenment • Frederick II or Frederick the Great • Ruled Prussia (what becomes Germany) • Prussia was known as the “Sparta of the North” • Frederick II allowed limited reforms in religion, press, and criminal punishment • Frederick II did NOT abolish serfdom or change the social structure which kept the nobles in power

The Enlightenment • Catherine II or Catherine the Great • Ruled Russia • most believe she murdered her husband Peter III • Allowed for very limited reforms in education and law • A peasant rebellion in 1795 caused her to change her mind regarding any freedom for the serfs and she allowed her nobles to suppress them further

The enlightenment • Joseph II • Ruled Austria; co-ruled with his mother Maria Theresa for 10 years then ruled alone • Joseph II enacted the most reforms • Abolished serfdom • Eliminated death penalty • Equality of law • Religious toleration • Land reform • Most, if not all, of his reforms were REVOKED after he died

The enlightenment • How “enlightened” were these rulers? • What seemed to be their main interests? Proof?

Essential question • What advances were made in the fields of art, music, and literature during the Age of the Enlightenment?

The enlightenment • Art • Rococo becomes the popular style of art and architecture • “delicate, light, elegant, pleasurable” all describe this style

The enlightenment • Music • The world’s most enduring music comes from this era…what we now call classical • Bach, Handel, Haydn & Mozart

The enlightenment • Literature • Novels became increasingly popular • Coffeehouses became a place to meet and discuss news, poetry, books (Think Starbuck’s without the free downloads or wifi)

Essential question • How did the American Revolution reflect Enlightenment ideals?

The Enlightenment • Background to the American Revolution • The royal line switched to the Hanover family in 1714; the Hanovers did not know or understand English customs • By the time the Hanover Kings were ready to reassert their power, the colonies had experienced a degree of self-governance they did not want to give up • The Seven Years War (aka the French & Indian War) was a drain on British $ and they needed to raise more to maintain their empire

The Enlightenment • The British View • Americans were colonists • Under the theory of mercantilism, the purpose of colonies was to enrich the mother country • The British had defended the colonies in North America against the French and should help pay for those costs • Even in Britain, the most democratic nation of the time, was not a democracy! • Only wealthy, Protestant landowners participated in Parliament’s House of Commons • The right to vote in Britain would not expand until 1832, 1868, and 1884 to include men with property, farmers, and workers

The Enlightenment • The American View • England had no right to tax the colonists • England had no right to prevent settlement west of the Proclamation Line of 1763 • The writings of Locke and Smith provided the basis of their arguments • Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness • Laissez-faire • Consent of the governed • Social contract & the general will

The enlightenment • The American Revolution • The French (longtime enemy of Britain)supported the colonists • The American colonists won • Established the principles of the Enlightenment in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights • Enlightenment ideas were used to further revolutionary ideas in France in 1789 and in South America (or Latin America) in the 1820’s

The Enlightenment • Summary • P. 570 visual summary • P. 571-573 regent’s practice • Enlightenment ideas helped to stimulate people's sense of individualism, and the basic belief in equalrights.

The Enlightenment