ENLIGHTENMENT

17th Century Europe

ENLIGHTENMENTWhat is the ENLIGHTENMENT?

Replacing the obscurity, darkness

and ignorance of European thought

with the light of truth.

ENLIGHTENMENTWhat are their main beliefs?

-Universe can be understood through the use of reason alone

-Truth can be arrived at through observation

-Human experience is the foundation for truth

-Human history is a history of progress

-Humans can improve through education

-Religious doctrines have no place in the physical world

EnlightenmentMany of the enlightened thinkers of this age

believed in Deism and were Deists.

Deism—the universe could be explained in

non-religious terms. Religion they believed

should be a matter of private contemplation

than public worship.

Thomas HobbesImportant Dates

1588-1679.

His main work was

Leviathan (1651)

Thomas HobbesLeviathanIt spoke of human nature

and the fact that people

are in constant conflict

with their fellow man so

they must be restrained.

He believed that

SELFISHNESS motivates

all human beings.

Is that necessarily true?

Thomas HobbesWhen he applied science to politics he

arrived at two conclusions:

All monarchs rule not by the consent of heaven,

but by the consent of the people.

People grant the king or queen absolute

power to maintain law and order. They give

up freedom for security.

John LockeImportant Dates

(1632-1704)

His two main works

were

An Essay Concerning

Human Understanding

&

Two Treasties Of

Government

John Locke

An Essay Concerning

Human Understanding

(1690)

It spoke about

psychology and human

cognition. Two important

beliefs were:

Tabula Rasa and

Empirical Knowledge

John Locke

Tabula Rasa--clean, blank slate. All humans

are born with no preformed ideas.

Empirical Knowledge--the only kind of

Knowledge, the best.

John Locke

Two Treatises of

Government (1690)

Government and

authority are based

on Natural Rights:

Life

Liberty and

Property

John LockeAll individuals are equal, inequality unnatural.

Absolute power is an unnatural development in human history. As result

government and authority should protect

natural law, If not the people should overthrow the ruler.

Baron de MontesquieuSignificant dates

(1689-1755)

Main Work The Spirit

of Laws 1748

Relativism analyzing

governments in relation

to customs, religion and

commerce of various

countries

Baron de Montesquieu

Political liberty requires checks on those

who hold power in a state.

Liberty can thrive with a balance of powers

meaning separation of powers: legislative,

executive and judicial.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Dates (1712-1778)

Works

Emile: Treatise on

Education (1762)

and

The Social Contract

(1762)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Emile: Treatise on Education

Addressing one of the values of the

Enlightenment, education. Story of a young

boy raised by his adult tutor. The tutor

stressed experience over book learning.

Jean-Jacques RousseauThe Social Contract (1762)

Individuals have a role in making the law to

which they submit.

He does not want majority rule but he is

seeking consensus (compromise) to the

best interest of all citizens.

He calls this the general will—an individual

ultimately must do what one ought to do not

simply what one wants to do.

VoltaireDates (1694-1778)

Work:

The Philosophical

Dictionary

Voltaire

Quotes from Voltaire

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Voltaire

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/v/voltaire.html