THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Time of Great Change in Thought

1

OBJECTIVES

Students will examine ideas of natural law in the Age of Reason

Students will describe how the Enlightenment affected the arts and literature

Students will analyze the events that led to the American Revolution

2

VOCABULARY I

natural laws: rules of conduct discoverable by reason

natural rights: rights that belong to all humans from birth, such as life, liberty and property

social contract: an agreement by which people gave up their freedom to a powerful government in order to avoid chaos

laissez-faire: policy allowing business to operate with little or no government interference

3

VOCABULARY IIphilosophe: French for “philosopher”; French thinkers who desired reform in society during the Enlightenment

salons: informal social gathering at which writers, artists, philosophes and others exchanged ideas

federal republic: government in which power is divided between the national, or federal, government and the states

popular sovereignty: basic principle of the American system of government which asserts that the people are the source of any and all governmental power, and the government can exist only with the consent of the people

4

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION SPARKS THE ENLIGHTENMENT

Scientific laws that became cemented by Newton and other scientists brought about a greater understanding of natural law

Modern philosophy is born from the discussion of what is natural when discussing human behavior

Enter the Age of Reason, a time to discuss the natural state of humanity, and the Enlightenment

5

HOBBES VS. LOCKE

Thomas Hobbes wrote in 1651 Leviathan

People are naturally greedy, cruel, selfish

To avoid a life that is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” we enter into a social contract to maintain an orderly society (absolute monarchy)

John Locke would counter Hobbes in 1690 Two Treatises of Government

People formed a government to protect their natural rights

Government has an obligation to the people; people have an obligation to monitor that government

6

THE PHILOSOPHIES1700s saw a flourishing of Enlightenment thinkers from France - the philosophies

Separation of powers advocated by Montesquieu: executive, legislative, judicial; checks and balances

Voltaire advocating freedom of speech

Diderot - Encyclopedia; banned for ideas

Jean-Jacques Rousseau - people are basically good; corrupted by the unequal distribution of wealth

Meeting place to discuss ideas and theories - the French salons

7

ECONOMIC THINKING

Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, describes an understanding of market economy

Rather than have absolute control of markets by government, businesses and consumers will act in their best interests

Policies of laissez-faire emerge

Little to no government regulation

8

ENLIGHTENMENT INFLUENCE IN ART

Intellectuals influence major events; influence spreads to artistic expression

Challenge to societies ideas of ‘proper’ or ‘normal’

Sees a revolution in music, art, architecture and literature

Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

9

10

BAROQUE VS. ROCOCO

Art and architecture of the time reflected changes

Louis XIV’s court featured ornate and lavish paintings that glorified battles or the lives of saints

Examples of baroque art

Louis XV was much less formal and reflected rococo styles

Lighter, elegant and charming

Meant to encourage imagination

11

BAROQUE

12

ROCOCO

13

“ENLIGHTENED” DESPOTS

Many absolute monarchs of the time embraced ideas of the Enlightenment

Maintained strict control over their country’s, but attempted to minimize it, to some degree

Idea was to become more ‘modern’

Frederick the Great - liked Voltaire’s ideas

Government policy of tortured continued, but not as much

14

ENGLISH COLONIESBritain rises as pre-eminent power - 2nd major global power (Spain: 1500s & early 1600s)

England had colonies all over the world: West Indies, India, Africa, America

Colonists in the New World build several colonies modeled after English government

Loyal to King George III from 1760 and considered themselves English subjects

Expected same rights as British subjects living in Britain

15

13 COLONIES IN REVOLTGreat Britain sees all colonies as opportunity to gain financial growth

French and Indian War - drain on resources

Stamp Acts in 1765 - ability to reclaim losses

Colonists upset about ‘taxation without representation’

Issue declarations to get change

At first, England responds, but eventually grows weary of colonists complaints

Continued protests lead to growing frustration

1775 - Battle of Lexington; 1776 - Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson)

Justification found in Locke’s ideas - seek to gain popular sovereignty

16

FRAMERS OF CONSTITUTION

With support of French, American’s defeat British in 1781

American’s struggle with how best to form a new government

13 independent nations or 1? Articles of Confederation

1787 - Gather in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention - drafted our Constitution

James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington

Create a government modeled as a federal republic

Power divided between federal and states; three branches - checks & balances (Montesquieu)

Defined Bill of Rights - of individuals

17

18