The Enlightenment: The Age of Reason

What is “The Enlightenment?”

• Late 1600s- Early 1700s and beyond• A new educational movement that

stressed reason and thought and the power of the individual to solve problems.

• In response to the Scientific Revolution of the 1500-1600s.

• Became known as the “Age of Reason.”

Scientific Revolution/ Scientific Method

• Scientific Revolution is a new way of thinking about the natural world. It is based on careful observation and questioning accepted beliefs.

• Scientific method is a new approach to science in which logical procedures for gathering and testing ideas are used.

• Scientific successes convinced Europeans of the power of human reason.

Natural Law

• Natural Law —rules discovered by reason, governed scientific forces such as gravity.

• People started to ask: “Why not apply natural law to social, economic and political problems?”

Questioning the King’s Authority to Rule

• Divine Right of Kings —The belief that a monarch’s authority to rule comes from God.

• Absolute Monarch —Ruler with complete authority over the government and the lives of people he/she governs.

• Absolute Monarchies in Europe (1550-1800): France, Spain, England, Austria, Prussia, Russia• As people began to rely more on individual

thought, they began to question why the king had power over them.

Ab solu te Mo n archies in Eu rop eAb solu te Mo n archies in Eu rop e15501550 --18001800

From From W orld History: W orld History: Connections to Today Connections to Today Prent ice Hall , 2003Prentice Hall , 2003

The Philosophes

• Philosophe--the French word for philosopher. They believed they could apply reason to all aspects of life including government.

Thomas Hobbes• Wrote Leviathan (1660)• Discussed the perfect

government• People first live in anarchy

(chaos, absence of government)• Need a “social contract” in

which people give the government the right to rule

• An absolute monarch was needed to maintain order

• People retain rights only to maintain their lives.

John Locke (1632-1704)• Wrote Two Treatises of

Government• People live in anarchy• People need a “Social Contract”—

People give up some of their individual rights, in order to be protected by the government

• Natural Rights Philosophy—All people are born with natural rights: LIFE, LIBERTY, & PROPERTY

• Governments that violate these natural rights, or violate the social contract should be overthrown.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Supported idea of individual freedom

• Wrote The Social Contract• “Man is born free, and

everywhere he is in chains.”

• His idea of social contract was an agreement of free individuals to create a society and government.

Montesquieu

• Came up with idea of a separation of powers – different parts of the government have different powers.

• Limits the power of any one individual or group