The Enlightenment The Age of Reason
Enlightenment Reaches peak in mid-1700s sparked by Scientific Revolution apply reason and scientific method to areas outside science (politics, religion, economics, etc.)
Views on Government
Thomas Hobbes Leviathan Believed people are selfish and evil Social Contract - people give up rights to be ruled by strong leader in exchange for law and order Absolute rulers exist to keep order
John Locke People have ability to govern themselves all people are born with 3 natural rights life liberty property
Locke Government’s purpose is to protect those rights Citizens have right to overthrow government if they don’t do their job (James II) Foundation of modern democracy - gov. comes from people
Philosophes French Philosophers
Concepts that form core beliefs 1. Reason 2. Nature 3. Happiness 4. Progress 5. Liberty
Voltaire Used satire to fight church, government, aristocracy fought for freedom of speech, religion, tolerance, reason Deism
Baron de Montesquieu Separation of powers - legislative (Parliament), judicial (courts), and executive (monarch) Checks and balances “power should be a check to power”
Jean Jacques Rousseau Disagreed with other philosophers Civilization corrupts people’s natural goodness Only good government is guided by people - direct democracy
Rousseau Social contract - people create government in order to be a free society Believed there should be no aristocracy (used in French Revolution)
Cesare Baccaria Focused on judicial system Against torture of witnesses and suspects No arbitrary or cruel punishment Speedy trial Punishment fits crime No capital punishment
Women in the Enlightenment
Mary Wollstonecraft Encouraged education for women Women should be involved in politics
Impact of Enlightenment 1. Belief in progress 2. More secular (worldly) outlook on life 3. Importance of the individual (individualism) Leads to: American and French Revolutions
Things to know While items in red are important to know, we’re stepping it up a bit and you need to be responsible for the other info as well. All items on power points are fair game for quizzes. You do need to turn in by quiz day a compiled list of definitions of all the items in red. (Include Denis Diderot, Adam Smith)