the enlightenment

Where: Europe (including Russia)

What: Age of Reason, believed that reason could answer every question

When: Approximately 1600 – 1800

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Enlightenment Basics

How did people try to make sense of their world?

Before the Enlightenment

During and AfterThe Enlightenment

Rationalism (relied upon reason)

Empiricism (results must be measurable)

Tolerance (of others ideas) Skepticism (questioned

established thought Deism (the clockmaker

God) Equality

People relied upon tradition and superstition

Nostalgia-if it happened in the past, it must be good

Allowed the Church to do their thinking for them

Irrationalism (did not rely upon reason, but emotion

Centers of the Enlightenment

Philosophe:

The French word for philosopher

- Men of letters who wrote for public consumption, using humor, wit, satire

- This group originated in France

- Believed people could apply reason to all aspects of life.

- Philosophes included Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot

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Philosophes Advocate Reason

REASON NATURE HAPPINESS PROGRESS LIBERTY

Just as reason had been applied to science during the Scientific Revolution, reason could be used to improve the lives of people and to find the truth!

“Rationalism”- the rejection of superstition and tradition

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Core Beliefs of the Philosophes

Ideas outlined in:

Leviathan

- Influenced by the English Civil War (sided with the king)

- Human Nature = people have a desire for power and are in constant conflict because of it

- People were cruel, greedy and selfish

- If people weren’t controlled there would be chaos

- Hobbes’ Social Contract-People gave up some control to live in an organized society

- Favored Absolute Monarchy

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Thomas Hobbes, England (1588-1679)

Leviathan Title Page Illustration

of book Ruler is pictured as

absolute lord of his lands, but note that the ruler incorporates the mass of individuals whose self-interests are best served by their willing consent to accept him and cooperate with him.

Natural rights

- People were guided by reason and good will

- People had natural rights or rights that belonged to all humans from birth (life, liberty and property)

- People formed govn’ts to protect their natural rights (Consent of the governed)

- If a govn’t doesn’t do its job, the people can overthrow it!

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John Locke, 1632-1704

Ideas outlined inTwo Treatises on Civil Government

Advocated:Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Religious Belief

- Targeted corrupt officials

- Attacked the French gov’t and the Catholic Church

- Was imprisoned and forced into exile

- “I do not agree with a word that you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

- “Men have made themselves slaves to their needs.”

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Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet) 1694-1788

- Admired Britain for being politically balanced-three separate branches (legislative, executive and judicial)

- Felt that each branch should be a check on each other

- Future influence?

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Baron de Montesquieu, 1689-1755

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Baron de MontesquieuAdvocated: Separation of

Powers Checks and Balances

Ideas outlined in: On the Spirit of Laws

Ideas outlined in: The Social Contract

- Man was born neither good nor evil but is corrupted by society

- Society makes people unequal, and therefore, unhappy.

- The Social Contract- Govn’t is an agreement made by the people, and rulers serve by the general will of the people.

- Also believed in consent of the governed.

- “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”

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Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1788

Crime and Punishmen

t

- Laws exist to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes.

- Torture and Capital punishment should be abolished!

- The punishment should fit the crime

- Innocent until proven guilty - The accused should get a

speedy trial.

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Cesare Beccaria, 1738-1794

Women’s Rights

- During this time, women were treated poorly

- Women, like men, need an education in order to be virtuous and useful.

- Women should enter fields of politics and medicine.

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Mary Wollstonecraft, 1759-1797

Enlightenment ideas spread despite persecution

Books, magazines, word of mouth Salons- philosophers, writers, artists,

scientists, etc. gathered in the homes of wealthy women to discuss ideas

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The Enlightenment SpreadsCh.22.3

Newspapers, pamphlets and political songs also spread Enlightenment ideas to a growing literate, middle class.

A Parisian Salon

A Parisian Salon

The Salonnieres

Madame Geoffrin

(1699-1777)

MademoiselleJulie de

Lespinasse(1732*-1776) Madame

Suzanne Necker

(1739-1794)

The Enlightenment Spreads (continued)

Denis Diderot - The Encyclopedia - a compilation of all knowledge!

“No man has received from nature the right to command others.... The government, although hereditary in a family…, is not private property, but public property that consequently can never be taken from the people, to whom it belongs exclusively…. It is not the state that belongs to the prince, it is the prince who belongs to the state.”“It is of the greatest importance to conserve this practice [the free press] in all states founded on liberty.”“The buying of Negroes, to reduce them to slavery, is one business that violates religion, morality, natural laws, and all the rights of human nature.”

Shoes Button-making

Subscriptions to Diderot’s Encyclopedia

Baroque style of art (characterized by grand, ornate style) was replaced by Neoclassical style, which was more simple and elegant.

Classical music also reflected Enlightenment ideas◦ light, elegant and structured◦ Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven rank as perhaps

the greatest figures of the classical period Writers began writing novels, which

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The Impact on the Art World

“Must Read” Books of the Time

Reading During the Enlightenment

► Literacy: - 80 % for men, 60 % women► Books were expensive (one day’s wages)► Many readers for each book

- novels, plays & other literature - journals, memoirs, “private lives” - philosophy, history, theology - newspapers, political pamphlets - often censored by governments

Philosophes favored the Enlightened Despot, a monarchy in which the ruler respected the people’s rights

Frederick II of Prussia Joseph II of Austria Catherine the Great of Russia

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The Enlightenment and Monarchy

Frederick the Great

“Uncle Fritz” of Prussia Did a lot, but didn’t try to change the existing social order

Granted religious freedoms

Reduced censorship Improved education Reformed the justice

system Abolished the use of

torture Called himself “the

first servant of the state.”

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Joseph II

Joseph II of Austria Nobles resisted these changes and undid them after his death

Succeeded Maria Theresa

Introduced legal reforms and freedom of the press

Supported freedom of worship

Abolished serfdom Ordered that peasants

be paid for their work

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Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great of Russia

She may have been enlightened, but she still probably had her husband murdered!

Well-educated Proposed many reforms

but very little was accomplished

Recommended religious toleration and an abolition of torture and capital punishment

Did little to improve the lives of the serfs

Greatly expanded Russia’s empire

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Divine Right of Monarchs would be challenged- Advocated a more democratic-style of government- the Enlightened Despot

A Belief in Progress: Success of the Scientific Revolution made people believe human reason could solve social problems (slavery, social inequality, etc.)

A More Secular Outlook: People openly questioned religious beliefs- tried to get rid of superstition and fear

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Legacy of the Enlightenment

People turned away from the church and royalty for guidance, and looked to themselves instead!

Government was formed by individuals to promote their welfare

Some Kings and Queens would attempt to apply Enlightenment ideas to their rule

Philosophes encourages people to use their own reason (Ex: Immanuel Kant-nonage)

Coming soon…Revolution!!!

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Importance of the Individual!

The Age of Revolution!!!

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