1. The Enlightenment for Geniuses
History 11
The Enlightenment for Geniuses

2. Enlightenment

3. Revolutions Begin With Ideas
What conditions must exist in a country for a revolution to occur?
Critical Mass of unhappy people
Some people must be educated and secure enough to realise that:
Things are not good
Things could be better
They have the power to change things
There must be people willing to lead and others willing to follow.

4. The Enlightenment A Revolution of Ideas 1660-1789
Phenomenon of the educated

5. Enlightenment Themes Reason Scientific method Progress Scepticism
Rene Descartes ( )
David Hume ( )

6. Scientific Method

7. Main Ideas Earth not the centre of the Universe
Divine Right of Kings was foolish
Scientific Revolution (gravity, etc.)
Industrial Revolution (Farm equipment…)
People began to question the existence of God

8. Main Ideas…
The Universe was understandable and governed by natural forces – not the supernatural
The Scientific Method could be used to answer all questions in all areas of life
Human beings can be educated so that they never stop learning. There is no limit to how much knowledge a person could have.

9. The Glorious Revolution of 1688
England
Executed King Charles I
Deposed King James II
Secured Parliamentary government, rights & freedoms

10. Some Terms…. Philosophy – the study of ideas
“liberal” – role of government is to protect the rights of the individual, wants to change things
“conservative” – wants to keep things as they are, job of government to maintain the status quo

11. John Locke ( )
Two Treatises on Government

12. John Locke: “Father of liberalism”
Championed the rights of the individual and condemned religious intolerance
Most famous for developing the idea of the Social Contract
Crown had a duty to defend the rights of ALL of their subjects equally
In return for protection and rights, subjects would agree to be ruled by the Crown and government
If the Crown broke the contract, the people had the right to revolt and get a new leader

13. Charles-Louis de Secondat (Montesquieu) (1689-1755)
Spirit of the Laws (1748)

14. Baron de Montesquieu –1689-1755
Claimed there was no ideal form of government
Government should be adapted based on the population and social maturity
Believed that England was the freest country because they divided power between the Crown, Parliament & Courts
He believed the French monarchy was too powerful and corrupt as a result
He feared democracy – he did not believe the masses could govern themselves

15. Voltaire (1694-1778) Francois-Marie Arouet
Regularly in trouble with the Law
Exiled to England where he learned to love Freedom of Speech
Most influential and popular of philosophers among elites – many traveled to England to meet with him
Regularly attacked government for corruption and tyranny
He feared democracy and the rule of the masses

16. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
The Social Contract (1762)

17. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
He came from a poor family but worked hard to become a government minister
When injured on the job – not allowed to sue
Justice was not possible for anyone
Became very critical of government and society and championed the rights of the common person

18. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Wrote is own version of the Social Contract
He felt that political power was man-made and rejected the Divine Right of Kings
Since nobody had any natural authority over any other person, the basis of the current government had to be wrong
Taxes and prisons were tools used by the strong to keep control the weak

19. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
People are naturally good, but society is evil and makes individuals evil
“Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains.”
Government should be the servant of the people – not their masters. He believed in government of the people, by the people, for the people
Rousseau’s ideas were chiefly responsible for inspiring the French Revolution

20. Thomas Hobbes
Believes in absolutism but also believed in rights and equality
Leviathian 1651
2 motivations: fear of death, greed

22. “Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withall. In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short”
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathian, Chapter XIII, “Of the Natural Condition of Mankind as concerning their Felicity, and Misery”, p186.

23. Hobbes: Main Point
Cooperation between people is impossible in the absence of trust, and that trust will be lacking where there is no superior power to enforce the law.
We need political authority because it gives us the security that allows us to trust other people, leading to cooperation.
Governments are created to protect us from our own selfishness.

24. Broadening Discussions
Transnational “Republic of Letters”
Academies
Salons
Increasing literacy
Cheap books
Academic journals
Bookstores
cafés

27. The Ferment of Ideas
Over the 18th Century (1700’s) the ideas of many of these philosophers took hold in the minds of educated people. Many kings and queens even read them and some made important changes in their countries as a result.
There is no evidence that King Louis XVI of France ever read them.

28. Sources World History p.536 Modern Western Civ. P.42 Impact p. 30
The Shaping of Western Society p. 218