1. The Enlightenment (aka The Age of Reason)
SSWH13b – Identify the major ideas of the Enlightenment from the writings of Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau and their relationship to politics and society.

2. New Ways of Thinking…
Scientific Revolution spurs reassessment of many prevailing ideas
Leads to the Enlightenment – a movement stressing reason and thought

3. Enlightenment Ideas… Universe is rational & is understood by reason
Truth through reason and observation
Experience is foundation of truth
History as progress
Human beings improved by education
Religion has no place in understanding the world

4. Enlightenment Philosophy
Emphasis on reason
Goal: To improve the world by learning how it operated and making it more efficient
Major Figures:
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
Voltaire
Montesquieu
Rousseau
Diderot
Wollstonecraft
Beccaria

5. Enlightenment Thinkers: Thomas Hobbes, England (1600s)
Wrote: Leviathan
Distrusts man, favors strong, authoritarian government (ABSOLUTISM) to keep order
Promotes SOCIAL CONTRACT – getting order by giving power to absolute monarch

6. Thomas Hobbes ( )

7. John Locke, England (1600s) 2nd Treatise of Government (1688)
(Written to justify the Glorious Revolution)
State of nature requires a government
People are naturally good, can govern their own affairs
Purpose of gov’t is protection of life, liberty, property – man’s natural rights
God made man. Man is property of God; therefore, no man can take away the rights of another, because those rights were given by God.
People have right to overthrow unjust gov’t - power of gov’t comes from the people

8. John Locke ( )

9. Cesare Bonesana Beccaria, Italy (1700s)
Believed laws existed to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes
Worked to reform Justice System
Calls for speedy trials, greater rights for criminal defendants

10. Mary Wollstonecraft, England (1700s)
Wrote: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Argues women need quality education to be virtuous and useful
Urges women to go into traditionally male professions like politics

11. Philosophes Mainly French thinkers
Believed people could apply reason to all aspects of life
Main ideas: Reason, Nature, Happiness, Progress, Liberty
Progress
3 main themes of human progress: development of new knowledge, overcoming ignorance, overcoming cruelty
Deism
Religion should be reasonable & moral; the human world has nothing to do w/ religion
Tolerance
Religious tolerance

12. Deism Religious movement Many of the philosophes followed Deism
Universe is rational, God is rational
Therefore, God can be understood through reason alone
Supreme being as “master watchmaker”

13. Philosophes Important Philosophes Montesquieu Voltaire Rousseau
Diderot
David Hume
Adam Smith

14. Voltaire - Francois Marie Arouet, France (1700s)
Philosopher, targeted the powerful (church, govt.) – challenged preexisting ideas
Fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religion and speech
Wrote Candide – a satire of society at the time

15. Montesquieu, France (1750s)
Wrote: On the Spirit of Laws
Studied govts. & favored England’s monarchy
Favored separation of powers to keep 1 from controlling govt. (checks & balances, influence U.S. govt.)

16. Jean Jacques Rousseau, Switzerland (1760s)
Wrote: The Social Contract
Committed to individual freedoms
People agreed to give up some freedom in favor of the common good - man good, but society corrupts
Only good govt. is freely formed by the people – direct democracy

17. Denis Diderot (1713-1784) Encyclopédie (1751)
“great manifesto” of the philosophe movement
Collection of writings from over 100 writers
Meant to secularize learning/education

18. Legacy of the Enlightenment
Examined principles: divine right monarchs, union of church & state, & unequal social classes – inspired revolutions!!!
Belief in Progress: Human reason can solve problems
Secular Outlook: Knowledge leads people to question the church
Importance of Individual: Emphasis on individual rights

19. Your task now…
Complete the “Who’s Who of the Enlightenment” chart using your notes and sections 2 and 3 from chapter 22 in your textbook.
On the back, in one paragraph, define the term “Enlightened Despot”, and then explain why King Frederick II of Prussia, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II of Austria, and Catherine the Great of Russia were considered to be Enlightened Despots. The subsection titled “The Enlightenment and Monarchy” on p should give you all the information you need to complete this.
Both the “Who’s Who” and the paragraph about the Enlightened Despots will be part of your test day packet.