the west on the eve of a new world order : toward a new heaven and a new earth: an intellectual...
TRANSCRIPT
The West on the Eve of a New World Order :
Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth: An Intellectual Revolution in the west
Focus Questions/ID’s
• Who were the leading figures of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, and what were their main contributions – Montesquieu Voltaire Rousseau– Diderot Rene Descartes– Philosophes– Mary Wollstonecraft – Adam Smith
Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth:
• 17th C scientists fomented a Scientific Revolution: • Changed the way people viewed the universe
their place in it• Challenged conceptions and beliefs about the
nature of the external world• Affected only a small number of European
elite
18th C Intellectuals• Intellectuals popularized the ideas of the
scientific revolution• Used ideas to re examine all aspects of life
and existence• Challenged conceptions and beliefs about the
world that were dominant in the Late Middle Ages
Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth:
The Scientific RevolutionToward a New Earth
• French Philosopher Rene Descartes
• (1596 – 1650) • Father of Modern
Rationalism
• Discourse in Method, 1637– would accept only things
that his reason said were true.
Descartes
Cartesian Dualism: Argued the separation of mind and matter
• since the mind cannot be doubted but the body and material world can the two must be radically different
Scientific Revolution
• John Locks, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1690, – Theory of knowledge
• denied the existence of innate ideas
• Tabula Rasa– people molded by environment– changing the environment and
subjecting people to proper influences they could be changed and a new society created?
Enlightenment
• a movement of intellectuals who were greatly impressed with the accomplishments of the scientific revolution.
• Advocated the use of Reason, or the application of the scientific method to the understanding of all life. – Hoped that they could make progress towards
a better society than the one they inherited
Enlightenment
• Intellectuals or Philosophes of the Enlightenment– literary people, professors, journalists,
economists, political scientists, social reformers.• Nobility, middle class, a few from lower middle class
origins
• Center of the enlightenment, Paris, France – They affected intellectuals elsewhere and
created a movement that touched the entire western world
The Philosophes• Montesquieu (1689-1755) • French nobility• The Spirit of Laws, 1748
– Comparative study of government– Attempted to apply scientific method to
the social and political arena to ascertain the “natural laws” governing the social and political relationships of human beings
The Philosophes
• Voltaire (1694-1778) – prosperous middle class family from Paris– Studied law, Play write, Prolific author– Criticized traditional religions– Advocated religious toleration
• He was famous for his declaration “Crush he infamous thing” being religious fanaticism, intolerance and superstition
Voltaire and Deism
• Championed Deism– religious outlook shared
by most other philosophes
– built on the Newtonian World Machine,
– implied the existence of a mechanic or god who created the universe.
The Philisophes
• Diderot (1713-1784) – Son of a skilled
craftsman from eastern France
– Writer– He condemned
Christianity as fanatical and unreasonable
Diderot
• Encyclopedia, or Classified Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Trades (28 Volumes)– Purpose to change
peoples general way of thinking
New “Science of Man”
• The enlightenment belief that Newton’s scientific methods could be used to discover the natural laws underlying all areas of human life led to the emergence in the 18th C of social sciences
• Economics, Education, Politics or political science
Adam Smith• Adam Smith (1723 – 1790)
father of economics– Believed that individuals
should be free to pursue their won economic self interest
– Through the actions of these individuals all society would ultimately benefit
– Advocated laissez-faire Economic policy of government
Adam Smith
• He allotted government 3 basic functions– Protect society from invasion– Defend its citizens from injustice by means of
police force– Keep certain public works such as roads and
canals that private individuals cannot afford
Later Enlightenment• Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778)
– Political beliefs presented in two major works
• Discourse on the Origins of the Inequality of Mankind
– He argued that people had adopted laws and governors in order to preserve their private property
– In the process they became enslaved by government
» What should people do to regain their freedom?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• The social contract, 1762– He found the answer in the
concept of the social contract– An entire society agreed to be
governed by its general will • which was in theory in the best
interest of society by representing what was ethical
The “Woman’s Question”
• Maria Winkelmann, Germany– Practiced astronomer
• She applied for a position as assistant astronomer at Berlin Academy– Though highly qualified, denied
the position• Members feared setting a
precedent by hiring a woman
A London Coffeehouse•Associated with anti-government activity, means of spreading enlightenment ideas © British Museum/The Bridgeman Art Library
The “Women’s Question”
• Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797) – viewed by many as the founder of modern
European feminism
• Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792– The enlightenment was based on an ideal of
reason innate in all human beings,• if women have reason they too are entitled to the
same rights that men have in education and in economic and political life
Roots of Feminism
• Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792)– (The Feminist Bible)
– First Serious political & social manifesto to address women’s servitude
• Linked demands to fundamental principles of American democracy
• Helped make women’s movement part of mainstream reform
• Sociological approach to ideas of feminine & masculine challenged argument of female limitation
Mary’s Criticism of Political status
– Rights of Man should be extended to women
– “Natural Rights” – White Men and slave
justified in rebellion against monarchy & Patriarchy
– Women also
Mary’s Criticism of Education
• Unequal education created women’s dependency on men
• Women taught virtues that boys were punished for
• If women exhibited true virtues they were punished– Curiosity– Independence– High spirits
Mary’s Criticism of Marriage
• Legitimized prostitution– Women trading bodies & Procreation for economic
security– Not good for men either long term
• Demanded replacing dependency with equality• Marriage of friendship, respect & love
• Institution that subordinated women– Economically– Socially– Psychologically– Physically
Economic Changes & Social Order
• Focus Question: – What changes occurred in the European
Economy in the 18th C, and to what degree were theses changes reflected in social patterns?
– Population growth– Cottage industry– Putting out system– High and popular culture
Economic Changes and the Social Order
• New Economic Patterns– Population growth
• 1700 120 million – 1790 190 million
– Factors in population growth• Falling death rate• Disappearance of bubonic plague• Relief of famines• Improvement in diet• Better transformation of food supplies
Improvement in Diet
• Improvement in agricultural practices– More land farmed– Yields per acre increased
• Little ice age of the 17th Century waned– Better growing conditions
• Potato and Maize of Americas– More plentiful and nutritious
Global Economy: Commercial Capitalism
• Cottage Industry/Putting-out system
• 18th C oversea trade boomed– Gold from the Americas to Spain– Gold and silver to Britain, France,
Netherlands in return for manufactured goods– British, French and Dutch bought spices, tea
and silk, cotton goods from China and Indian to sell in Europe
– Slave trade between Europe, Americas and Africa
18th C European Society • Traditional hierarchy and disparity of wealth based
on heredity• Nobles 2-3%
– exempt from all taxation,
– Administrative and military offices
• Patrician Oligarchies (in urban centers)– Dominated & controlled through city & town councils
• Middle class – Non noble office holders, financiers, bankers, merchants
– Rentiers-lived off investments
• Lower middle class – artisans, shopkeepers, small traders
• Working and unskilled class• Peasantry (85%) Free and serf
Toward a New Political Order and Global Conflict
What do historians mean by the term enlightened absolutism?
To what degree did 18th C Prussia, Austria and Russia exhibit characteristics
Prussia
• Fredrick II “The Great”– Maintained rigid social structure and Serfdom– Enlarged the military– High posts – hereditary elite
• Reforms: – Abolished torture with exception of treason
and murder cases– Limited freedom of speech and press– Religious toleration
Austria - Hapsburgs
• Empress Maria Theresa– Growth & modernization of military
• Joseph II reforms:– Abolished serfdom– Abrogated the death penalty– Established principle of equality of all before the
law– Religious reform & toleration– (alienated nobility & the church – many reversals)