ENLIGHTENMENT

• In the early 1700’s, France’s government was still locked in the Middle Ages. French Kings believed they ruled with divine right and the nobles lived in luxury paid for through the taxes of the middle and lower class!

• By the 1780s, French citizens began listening to new ideas!

• “The Age of Reason”: enlightenment occurs!

• Enlightenment: intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems.

• -learned and explored new insights into government, religion, economics, and education

TWO VIEWS OF GOVERNMENT

• Thomas Hobbes: “Leviathan” 1651: without government there will be chaos! Humans are naturally selfish and wicked! People rights should be handed over to a strong ruler!

• -Social Contract: to gain law and order, people must agree to be governed under a ruler with total power! Supported absolute monarchy to impose order and obedience!

• New concept: instead of gaining right to govern from God, rulers gain the right to govern from those they govern.

• John Locke: people have the ability to govern their own affairs, favored self-government! People have the ability to learn from experience! Critical of absolute monarchy! All people are born with life, liberty, and property! – The purpose of government is to protect the people’s right to these! (Roots of modern Democracy in USA and Europe) If government fails provide these, people have the right to overthrow it!

VOLTAIRE: (ex. Of a Philosophe-French for Philosopher)

• -fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief and speech!

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

• There were many thinkers and contributors to Enlightenment. Together, their many ideas involved:

• -Natural Rights: Life, Liberty, and Property (Locke)

• -Separation of Powers

• -Freedom of thought and expression (Voltaire)

• -Abolishment of torture

• -Religious Freedom

• -Women’s Equality

ENLIGHTENMENT SPREADS:• -spread with the help of books,

magazines, and word of mouth!

• Women aided tremendously…especially the wealthy who held SALONS: social gatherings in large rooms where the thoughts of philosophes, writers, artists, and scientists are discussed!

• Denis Diderot: began publishing the new knowledge in a large series of books he called the ENCYCLOPEDIA!!!

• Some Monarchs embraced the new ideas of government! Areas where the monarchs made reforms based on Enlightenment were called Enlightenment Despots. (Despot: Absolute Ruler)

• -instead of considering themselves the most important person in the country, they considered themselves the first servant of the country!

Some examples are:

• Catherine the Great (Russia)

• Frederick the Great (Prussia)

• Some Monarchs fought the new ideas: FRANCE!