Enlightenment

Hobbes, Locke, and natural law 1. What is natural law? (182) ◦ Rules discoverable by reason 2. Explain the beliefs of Thomas Hobbes regarding people’s natural state and the social contract. (183) ◦ He believes people are naturally greedy, cruel, selfish ◦ Life in the “state of nature” would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” ◦ He said people enter into social contract ◦ (giving up freedom for an organized society) ◦ Believes a strong government needed to impose order and compel obedience 3. Explain the beliefs of John Locke regarding people, natural rights, and government. (183) ◦ He believes people are basically reasonable and moral ◦ He believes people have natural rights ◦ (life, liberty, property) ◦ People form government to protect natural rights ◦ He says if government doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain, people have the right (responsibility!) to overthrow it

French Enlightenment thinkers 4. Explain the beliefs of Baron de Montesquieu regarding government. (184) ◦ Anti-monarchy… studied governments of history… says best government is three branches 5. Explain the beliefs of Voltaire. (184) ◦ Outspoken critic of government, church ◦ 20K letters, 2K books and pamphlets ◦ Big on free speech (“I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”) ◦ 40 cups of coffee a day

Diderot and Rousseau 6. Identify/explain: Denis Diderot’s Encyclopedia. ( ) ◦ He edited 28-volume set of books about Enlightenment thinkers ◦ They are on topics such as government, philosophy, religion… they denounce slavery, praise freedom of speech, urge education for all… they attack divine-right theory and traditional religion… Church and French government attack them ◦ Basically, these are big ways to spread Enlightenment 7. Explain Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s beliefs regarding people, government, and society. (185) ◦ He believes people are naturally good ◦ He said people are corrupted by society, including unequal distribution of property ◦ He said society places too many limitations on people’s behavior ◦ He also said governments should be freely elected (“general will”) ◦ A lot of his beliefs would inspire revolt

Women 8. How did women challenge the Philosophes? (185) ◦ They disagreed with their ideas that women’s natural rights were only in home and family ◦ Biggest one is Mary Wollstonecraft in Britain, who agreed that first duty of women was to be a good mother, but who said women shouldn’t have to depend on mother… she wrote about equal education, to allow women to participate equally

Capitalism! 9. Identify/explain: the laissez faire economic policy. (186) ◦ Government should not interfere with business (this is opposite of mercantilism idea, where government must regulate economy to achieve a favorable balance of trade) 10. Explain Adam Smith’s beliefs regarding economic practices. (186) ◦ He said free market should regulate business (Capitalism!) ◦ He did say government needs to protect society, administer justice, provide public works… but just not deal with economy

The spread (or not spread) of Enlightenment ideas 11. What did those opposed to Enlightenment ideas do to stop the spread of information? ( ) ◦ Censorship (banning books, burning books, imprisoning writers) ◦ This did lead to ways around it (disguising ideas as fictional books, for instance) 12. How did Enlightenment ideas spread? ( ) ◦ Educated people read things like Encyclopedia and smaller pamphlets ◦ Ideas spread in salons (informal social gatherings where educated people exchanged ideas… started as poetry readings for women… includes Madame Geoffrin’s, which were attended by Diderot and Mozart)

Styles 13. Explain baroque style. (189) ◦ Grand, ornate style ◦ Paintings were huge, colorful, full of excitement (glorifying historic battles, life of saints) 14. Explain rococo style. (189) ◦ Away from religion… more light, elegant, charming ◦ Furniture was more delicate, had pastels… a lot of it showed nobles in charming rural settings 15. How does the evolution of style during this time reflect the beliefs of the Enlightenment? ◦ (You tell me!)

Music and books 16. How and why did music change during the time of the Enlightenment? (190) ◦ What we call classical music became popular… ballets, operas, etc ◦ Middle class could now afford to pay for concerts ◦ Mozart, Handel, Bach, Haydn 17. How and why did novels become more popular during the Enlightenment? (191) ◦ Middle class started reading more, and they liked novels… stories about their own time told in straightforward prose

Enlightened Despots 18. Explain what enlightened despots were. (191) ◦ Absolute rulers who used power to bring about political and social change (“good” rulers) 19. Explain how the following rulers made changes that pleased Enlightenment thinkers: a. Frederick II ( ) ◦ Prussian king from 1740 to 1786 ◦ He praised Voltaire… reduced use of torture, allowed free press ◦ Reorganized civil service of government, simplified laws ◦ Tolerated religious differences, welcoming victims of religious persecution ◦ However, he did want a stronger monarchy

Enlightened Despots, cont. b. Catherine the Great (192) ◦ Empress of Russia 1762 ◦ Made some limited reforms in law and government ◦ Abolished torture, established religious toleration ◦ Criticized serfdom ◦ But didn’t want to give up power (biggest legacy is in expanding empire) c. Joseph II (193) ◦ Son of Hapsburg empress Maria Theresa in Austria ◦ He actually traveled in disguise among subjects to learn problems ◦ Religious equality for Protestants and Jews in Catholic empire ◦ Allowed free press ◦ Sold property of monasteries not involved in education or care of sick; used profits to support those that were ◦ Abolished serfdom ◦ But many of his reforms were canceled after he died

Ramifications 20. During this time, why did change occur slowly for most Europeans? (193) ◦ Not as educated, still peasants, rural villages 21. Unfortunately, your textbook doesn’t have a good, simple definition of the Enlightenment. After reading these sections, how would you define the Enlightenment? (you tell me) 22. How did the Enlightenment lead to the American Revolution? (you tell me)