Enlightenment Philosophers: The Act of Being

Enlightenment Philosophers: The Candide ConnectionJoanna Morelli & Molly Easton

1Characteristics of Enlightenment PhilosophiesRationalism reason is authority

Cosmology a new perspective on mans place and the Earths place in the universe

Secularism applying scientific methods to religious and philosophical matters

Scientific Method mathematical analysis and inductive reasoning2Characteristics of Enlightenment Philosophies Cont.Utilitarinism the greatest good for the most people

Tolerance accepting others beliefs

Optimism and Confidence man is good and progressing

Freedom liberty in thought, expression, and man

3Characteristics of Enlightenment Philosophies Cont.Education of the masses the right of all to be educated

Legal reforms just laws & punishment

Constitutionalism written documents listing citizens and their rights

Cosmopolitanism single community of people based on shared morality4Thomas HobbesWrote The Elements of Law, Natural and Political &The Questions Concerning Liberty, Necessity, and ChanceBeliefs:Natural stateIndividual rightsAll men are equalSociety/state differenceAll legitimate political power must be "representative"Liberal interpretation of law leaves people free to do whatever they wishPeople act solely based on self-interest5Hobbes Cont.Humans should save their own skin in difficult situations.Candide kills Cungondes brotherMost of the characters in Candide act with their own self-interest in mindLiving in the natural stateThe Biglugs and the Oreillons

6John LockeWrote An Essay Concerning Human UnderstandingBeliefs:Wants humans to search for the truth with reasonGod created man; we are his propertyNeed life, liberty, health, and propertyState of nature: love, awareness, and respectWar violatesAlways victim & aggressor in warReligious toleration7Locke Cont.Is this the best of all possible worlds?Candide listens to PanglossListens to Martin & questions philosophyEverything happens for a reasonEven horrible things (would never have found Pangloss if he hadnt gone through the Bulgars & been punished by the orator from Ch.3)Religious toleration in EldoradoAuto-da-fe8

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Wrote his Discourse on the Sciences and ArtsHelped with Diderots EncyclopediBeliefs:State of nature is brutish, without law or moralityOpposed private propertyEmphasized learning by experience

9Rousseau Cont.Many brutish situations occur in Candide

Candides experiences lead him to finally dismiss his mentors philosophy

10Gottfried Wilhelm LeibnizWrote Meditations on Knowledge, Truth, and Ideas & Discourse on Metaphysics

Beliefs:God acts for the best (The Principle of the Best)There is no cause without an effect (The Principle of Sufficient Reason)Nothing takes place suddenlynature never makes leaps (The Principle of Continuity)If two things share all characteristics, they are identical and are the same (The Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles)

"Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 22 Dec. 2007. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

11Leibniz Cont.The Principle of the BestPanglosss All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds

The Principle of Sufficient ReasonPanglosss idealsex: Cungonde observes Pangloss and Paquette kissing, which causes her to flirt with Candide cause and effect

The Principle of ContinuityOpposite of this is portrayed in CandideAll the random events that occur in CandideThe earthquake, Pangloss suddenly being found alive12Denis DiderotTranslated Ephraim Chambers The Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences into French with his Encyclopedi

Beliefs:Did not believe in an emphasis of mathematics in philosophiesLooked down upon and condemned the Church and Christianity (Separation of Church & State)Warned against blind optimism

13Diderot Cont.Optimism is shown as foolish in CandideCandide is optimistic about everything, no matter what

The Church is often portrayed as the enemy in Candide:The corrupt abbeThe monk (with Paquette)The Grand InquisitorThe PopeOld woman is the child of

14VoltaireHelped with Diderots Encyclopedi

Wrote Letters Concerning the English Nation & Treatise on Tolerance

Beliefs:freedom of religionfreedom of tradeseparation of church and stateconsidered himself a deisttoleration of other ethnicitiesdistrusted democracy, which he saw as spreading the idiocy of the masses

15MartinWhereas Pangloss subscribes to a philosophy of extreme optimism, Martin is an extreme pessimist.

Martin goes against everything Candide learned from Pangloss, even the statement that there is some good in the world.

Martin has learned more from experience than Candide, who blindly trusts Pangloss for the better part of the book.

Martins pessimistic instincts are not always correct. 16Martin Cont.Martin has a negative outlook on life, so he contrasts with Leibnizs philosophy (everything is for the best)

He stands in opposition to the Church, which puts him in line with Diderot

He agrees with Rousseau, in the belief that all of humanity is brutish

Martin agrees with Hobbes- everybody acts for his own interests and benefit

17Works CitedBertram, Christopher. "Jean Jacques Rousseau (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 27 Sept. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Brians, Paul. "The Enlightenment." Home Page of Paul Brians. Washington State University, 11 Mar. 1998. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

"Diderot, Denis." Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

"Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 22 Dec. 2007. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Lloyd, Sharon A., and Susanne Sreehar. "Hobbes's Moral and Political Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Center, Stanford University, 12 Feb. 2002. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

18Works Cited"Philosophical Connections: Diderot." PhiloSophos: Advice and Resources for Philosophy Students. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Pojer, Susan M. "The Enlightenment." Powerpoint Palooza. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Shank, J. B. "Voltaire (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 31 Aug. 2009. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Sheridan, Patricia. "Locke's Moral Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Tuckness, Alex. "Locke's Political Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford Encylopedia, 9 Nov. 2005. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Uzgalis, William. "John Locke (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2 Sept. 2001. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

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