Leaders of the Enlightenment A Baroque Music Sampler - over two hours of music!

Thomas Hobbes Wrote Leviathan after experiencing the horrors of the English Civil War. He concluded that people were basically bad. Society needs rulers with absolute power to prevent chaos THAT WOULD EXIST IN A STATE OF NATURE (PEOPLE ARE TOTALLY FREE). To live in an orderly society, citizens must give up some of their rights to total freedom. This idea is called the social contract.

John Locke Wrote Two Treatises of Government Lived through the Glorious Revolution. He believed that people were good and formed governments to protect their natural rights of life, liberty and property. People have a right to overthrow a government when it doesn’t do so.

Baron de Montesquieu Wrote The Spirit of the Laws Felt that separation of power was the best way to protect liberty. Stated that power of government should be distributed between legislative, executive and judicial branches.

Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet) Exposed abuses by corrupt officials, idle aristocrats. Attacked inequality, injustice, superstition, the slave trade and religious prejudice. Advocated freedom of speech. “I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Imprisoned and exiled for his attacks on the French government and Catholic clergy.

Denis Diderot Editor of a 28 volume encyclopedia which contained articles on human knowledge and the new ideas on government, philosophy and religion proposed by leading thinkers of the day. Encyclopedia Britannica was created shortly after the publication of his encyclopedia.

Jean Jacques Rousseau Wrote The Social Contract Believed that people were basically good, but experienced problems due to unequal, unfair conditions in society. Stressed limited control by the government. People should have a voice in government (popular sovereignty). Individuals should be subordinate to the community.

Women and the Enlightenment Women were not as free nor equal as men They had natural rights, but women were restricted to taking care of family and home. By the mid 1700s, a number of women protested that view, questioned the concept of “male superiority” and men’s domination of women. Their ideas were generally ridiculed.

Leading Women of the Enlightenment Germaine de Stael of France Catherine Macaulay of Britain Mary Wollenstonecraft of Britain –Women should be able to make decisions on her own and not be totally dependent on there husbands –Advocated equal education for boys and girls so that girls could effectively participate in public life

Adam Smith Wrote The Wealth of Nations Economist-physiocrat “Discovered” three natural laws governing economics Felt that manufacturing, trade, wages, profits and economic growth were all linked to supply and demand. Advocated laissez faire.

Benjamin Franklin Spent time in France where he gained first hand knowledge of Enlightened thought. Carried this new knowledge back to the colonies where he helped to create a country based on those ideas---the United States. Scientist interested in electricity who discovered some of its natural laws.

Vocabulary Philosophe Physiocrat Laissez faire Censorship Salon Enlightened Despotism Rococo Baroque A Baroque Music Sampler - over two hours of music!A Baroque Music Sampler - over two hours of music!

Baroque Art and Music Work by Flemish artist - Reubens

Enlightened Despots Absolute rulers who believed that they could use their power to bring about social and political change. Frederick the Great (Prussia)-made the government more efficient. He reorganized the civil service and simplified laws which strengthened his power. Catherine the Great (Russia)-made limited reforms in law and government. Condemned serfdom, gave nobles a few more rights and greatly expanded Russia’s territory. Joseph II (Austria)-tried to improve peasants lives, abolished serfdom, granted religious toleration to Protestants and Jews, ended censorship, unsuccessful in efforts to control the Catholic Church.

Britain in 1700s A global power with territory worldwide “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” A naval power Had a monarch whose powers were limited by a constitution Political parties (Whigs and Tories) pushed the desires of the wealthy A cabinet headed by a prime minister ran the country