The Age of Reason The Enlightenment-1650

The Enlightenment: A new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems  - Foundation was the Scientific Revolution.  - People questioning prior knowledge.  - Philosophers tried to solve problems with Reason.  - They focused on the Natural Laws –use of reason to analyze human nature(as opposed to positive law-given by gov’t and society)  - The Goal was to apply Natural Laws to change society.

Thomas Hobbes - Human nature and its effects…  1651  England  “Leviathan”  People are naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish.  If people are not strictly controlled they would fight, rob, and depress one another.  Social Contract-people hand over their rights to a powerful ruler.  W/O laws to control peoples lives would be poor, nasty, and brutish.

Thomas Hobbes (cont.)  In order to escape misery people entered a SOCIAL CONTRACT.  In it they allowed a powerful government to rule in order to insure an orderly society. Solution: Absolute Monarchy

John Locke - Human nature and its effects…  1690  England  “Two Treatises of Government”  People were reasonable and moral.  All humans should have NATURAL RIGHTS.  Did not believe in slavery

John Locke (cont.)  Believed in limited government  Against monarchy  If government fails, the people have the right to overthrow their government (Revolution)

Philosophes (French word for philosophers) Core beliefs: 1.Reason- use of logic 2.Nature-what’s natural is good and reasonable 3.Happiness-Well being on earth 4.Progress-improvement 5.Liberty-personal freedoms

Baron De Montesquieu  1748  France  “The Spirit of the Laws”  Limited Monarchy  King doesn’t have all power  Checks and Balances

Baron De Montesquieu (cont.)  Believed in dividing functions of gov’t: 1. Legislative 2. Executive 3. Judicial  Believed it was the best way to protect people’s liberties.  System of checks and balances.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau  1762  French  “The Social Contract”  People in their natural state are good  Natural goodness is corrupted by the evils of society  Biggest evil was the unequal distribution of society.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (cont.)  “Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains.”  Society controls how people behave.  Believed that in a gov’t that is freely formed.  Individual must give up self interests for the common good.  Individual should be subordinate to the community.

Voltaire  Late 1600’s  French  Philosophe  Freedom of speech  Against inequality, injustice, religious prejudice, slave trade, and superstition.

Denis Diderot  1751  French  “Encyclopedia”  Denounced slavery  Praised wisdom  Freedom of expression  Encouraged freedom for everyone (education)  Against divine right theory.  Against conventional religions

Cesare Bonesana Beccaria  Italian  Believed that laws existed to preserve social order not to avenge crimes  Criticized common abuses of justice (torture, irregular proceedings in trials, cruel punishments)  Believed that torture should never be used  Person accused should receive a speedy trial  Degree of punishment should be based on the seriousness of the crime

Mary Wollstonecraft  mid 1700’s  England  “A vindication of the Rights of Woman”  Only education could give women the tools they needed to participate equally with men in public life  A woman should be able to decide what is in her own interest  Should not be dependent on her husband

New Economic Thinking  Physiocrats:Focused on economic reforms. Looked for natural laws to define a rational economic system.  Physiocrats rejected mercantilism  Urged a policy of laisssez faire (allowing business to operate with little or no government interference  Real wealth came from making the land more productive.  Supported free trade and wanted to lift all tariffs.

Adam Smith  Early 1800’s  England  “The Wealth of Nations”  Free Market: natural forces of supply and demand should be allowed to operate and regulate business  Gov’t had a duty to protect society, administer justice, and provide public works.

Adam Smith (cont.)  Tried to show that economic growth, manufacturing, trade, wages, and profits were all linked to the forces of supply and demand.  Influenced the Industrial Revolution in 1800’s and 1900’s.