enlightenment philosophers

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ENLIGHTENMENT PERIOD 17 th and 18 th Centuries

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Page 1: Enlightenment Philosophers

ENLIGHTENMENT PERIOD17th and 18th Centuries

Page 2: Enlightenment Philosophers

WHAT WAS IT?

Less a set of ideas than it was a set of attitudes

At its core was: Criticism A questioning of traditional institutions, customs

and morals Viewpoint summed up by Jean-Jacques

Rousseau in The Social Contract: “Man is born free and everywhere he is in

chains” Most popular thinkers were those who could

simplify and publicise new viewpoints

Page 3: Enlightenment Philosophers

CHARACTERISTICS OF ENLIGHTENMENTEverything had a cause and effectRationalism – truth can be arrived

at solely by reason, or rational, logical thinking

Reasoning to Solve Social ProblemsQuestioning of established ideas

Did not attack religion, but superstition

Disliked Absolute Monarchyaka – Age of Reason

Page 4: Enlightenment Philosophers

IMMANUEL KANT

Read Kant’s What is Enlightenment from 1784 and answer the following questions.

Where does freedom come from according to Kant?

... Limit religion Encourage own intelligence Have the courage to use one’s own

intelligence

Page 5: Enlightenment Philosophers

ENCYCLOPEDIA

Page 6: Enlightenment Philosophers

PHILOSOPHERS

Published work in books, plays, pamphlets, newspapers, and “encyclopedias”

At this time (1700s), the educated wrote in French

Writings criticized the church, government, slave trade, torture, taxes, and war

Wrote in a questioning style

Page 7: Enlightenment Philosophers
Page 8: Enlightenment Philosophers

DEFINITION BY AN ENEMY

Just what is a philosophe? A kind of monster in society who feels under no obligation towards its manners and morals, its properties, its politics, or its religion. One may expect anything from men of their ilk.

Page 9: Enlightenment Philosophers

PHILOSOPHERS Thomas Hobbes - England

People enter into a social contract in which they exchange freedom and rights for security and order

A strong government was necessary to protect people from themselves

Page 10: Enlightenment Philosophers

THOMAS HOBBES

Published the Leviathan In the beginning, people lived in anarchy Life is violent and dangerous People choose a leader to rule them

People give Monarch absolute power A social contract creates stability

People only have the right to protect themselves Hobbes preferred Absolute Rule

Page 11: Enlightenment Philosophers

Famous Hobbes Quotes

“During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man.”

“It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.”

“The obligation of subjects to the sovereign is understood to last as long, and no longer, than the power lasteth by which he is able to protect them.”

“The Papacy is not other than the Ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.”

Page 12: Enlightenment Philosophers

PHILOSOPHERS John Locke - England

People are reasonable by nature and they have natural rights Life, liberty, and property

Government should protect those rights

Government power comes from the consent of the people

Page 13: Enlightenment Philosophers

JOHN LOCKE Published Two Treatises of Government People have made a social contract But have kept:

The right to live The right to enjoy libertyThe right to own property

Rulers must preserve these rightsIf not, people have the right to overthrow such

ruler and replace him for breaking the social contract

Locke’s preferred Government is a consensual government between the people and their ruler Democracy or a Constitutional Government

Page 14: Enlightenment Philosophers

Famous Locke Quotes

“All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.”

“Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.”

“Government has no other end, but the preservation of property.”

“Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip.”

Page 15: Enlightenment Philosophers

BARON DE MONTESQUIEU

Political liberty could best be preserved through the separation of powers among branches of government A system of Checks and Balances is needed

Published The Spirit of the Laws Promoted separation of powers Legislative – makes the laws Executive – administers the laws Judicial – interprets and applies the laws These powers should check each other Will later influence the U.S. Constitution

Page 16: Enlightenment Philosophers

Montesquieu He preferred Non-

Absolute rule Constitutional

Government

Page 17: Enlightenment Philosophers

THE SPIRIT OF THE LAWS

Page 18: Enlightenment Philosophers

Famous Montesquieu Quotes “Countries are well cultivated, not as they

are fertile, but as they are free.” “If we only wanted to be happy, it would be

easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are.”

“To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.”

“There is no nation so powerful, as the one that obeys its laws not from principals of fear or reason, but from passion.”

Page 19: Enlightenment Philosophers

VOLTAIRE French Philosopher Supported natural rights but felt that few people really

had the ability to rule freedom of religion and freedom of speech Tolerance of other’s religious views and viewpoints

Wit had him exiled from France Used his intellect to criticize the French

government and the Catholic Church for their failure to permit religious toleration and intellectual freedom.

Published novel Candide Also wrote Letters on the English and Elements

of the Philosophy of Newton Ridicules oppressive government, prejudice, and

bigotry Later fought in cases of injustice, particularly

against religious prejudice

Page 20: Enlightenment Philosophers

Voltaire Believes in Absolute

Rule if the ruler is: Enlightened Supports human

rights

Page 21: Enlightenment Philosophers

PHILOSOPHICAL DICTIONARY

Page 22: Enlightenment Philosophers

Famous Voltaire Quotes

“All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”

“Common sense is not so common.” “I do not agree with what you have to say, but

I'll defend to the death your right to say it.” “It is dangerous to be right in matters on

which the established authorities are wrong.” “Judge a man by his questions rather than his

answers.” “The art of government is to make two-thirds

of a nation pay all it possibly can pay for the benefit of the other third.”

Page 23: Enlightenment Philosophers

JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Believed in Direct Democracy but people should give up some of their freedom for the

common good all people are born equal

Published The Social Contract “People are born good, but environment,

education, and laws corrupt them” “Free and good people will only remain if

governed by popular sovereignty” People can choose what government to live

under MAJOR influence on American and French

Revolutions

Page 24: Enlightenment Philosophers

Rousseau Supports a

democratic government

Government derives its authority from the consent of the people

Governed through a contract

Government represents the people

Page 25: Enlightenment Philosophers

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT

Page 26: Enlightenment Philosophers

Famous Rousseau Quotes

“Every man has a right to risk his own life for the preservation of it.”

“Free people, remember this maxim: we may acquire liberty, but it is never recovered if it is once lost.”

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

“People who know little are usually great talkers, while men who know much say little.”

Page 27: Enlightenment Philosophers

FEMALE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT

In Paris and other places in France, wealthy women held salons {informal gatherings} where writers, musicians, painters, and, philosophes presented their works and exchange ideas.

Salons originated in the 1600s when women started inviting a few friends to poetry readings.

People who were considered witty, intelligent, and well-read were invited to the Enlightenment.

The middle-class women such as Madame de Geoffrin start to have salons.

Voltaire and leading philosophes gathered at Madame de Geoffrin’s salon at least once a week.

Through their salons women helped shape the Enlightenment.

Emilie du Chatelet became a noted physicist and mathematician and translated Newton’s work from Latin into French.

Page 28: Enlightenment Philosophers

POLITICAL CRITICISM

Political and Social Institutions should be changed to benefit everyone instead of just certain groups

Popular Sovereignty – laws and government created by and subject to the will of the people

Enlightened Despots – some Monarchs began to adopt Enlightenment philosophies and ruled with the respect of subject’s rightsMaria Teresa and her son Joseph II of AustriaCatherine II of RussiaFrederick II of Prussia

Page 29: Enlightenment Philosophers

IMPACTS ON FUTURE The ideas proposed by the Enlightenment

thinkers had a great impact throughout Europe in the 1700s.

Greater numbers of people began to question established beliefs and customs.

This affected leaders and their development Philosophers promoted nationalism and

individual rights Revolutions were inspired by nationalistic

ideas growing out of the Enlightenment British Colonial America France Haiti