The Enlightenment The Age of Reason

Essential Questions What were the lasting ideas of Hobbes, John Locke and “philosophes” of the Enlightenment? How did the Enlightenment affect arts and literature? What social class had the most exposure to Enlightenment ideas and why? What were characteristics of enlightened despots? What historical leaders exemplify these characteristics?

I. What is (the) Enlightenment? Develops out of the ideas of the Scientific Revolution - an expansion of the worldliness and secularism of the Renaissance B. Immanuel Kant – “What is Enlightenment?” Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Sapere aude![Dare to know!] "Have courage to use your own reason!"- that is the motto of enlightenment.

II. Central Concepts of the Enlightenment A. The methods of natural science should be used to understand all aspects of life - through the use of REASON B. Discover the natural laws of human society as well as the natural world (“social science”) C. The idea of progress - The confidence in human power, human reason to improve society

II. Central concepts of the Enlightenment [cont] Reason D. Rejection of superstition and tradition E. Tolerance and equality F. Deism - God does not intervene in the world through miracles; he created the world, and then removed himself from it

What is “Enlightenment?” Reason & Logic Traditions and Superstitions rationalism empiricism tolerance skepticism Deism nostalgia for the past organized religions irrationalism emotionalism Immanuel Kant –-- DARE TO KNOW!

Centers of the Enlightenment

English Philosophers Thomas Hobbes John Locke

Thomas Hobbes -1588-1679 -Most original political philosopher of the 17th Century -English, but well traveled -Sided with kings during English Civil Wars

Leviathan Title Page Illustration of book Ruler is pictured as absolute lord of his lands, but note that the ruler incorporates the mass of individuals whose self-interests are best served by their willing consent to accept him and cooperate with him.

Thomas Hobbes Human Nature = people have a desire for power and are in constant conflict because of it. People are self-centered, cruel, greedy, and selfish

Thomas Hobbes SOCIAL CONTRACT In order to escape this terrible state of nature, humans entered into an agreement or “contract” (philosophically) Every person, for sake of peace and self-defense, agrees to set aside personal rights to all things and to be content with equal liberty. Believed only an absolute central authority could achieve this Without laws and government, peoples’ lives would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

Ideal Government: Thomas Hobbes 1. Tyranny always better than anarchy 2. Absolute and unlimited power 3. No individual protest or dissent 4. Could be in the form of individual or parliament 5. Once governing force granted authority – no arguments or appeal

John Locke Born August 29,1632 Wrington, Somerset, England Died October 28,1704 Essex England

Education In 1647 began to attend the prestigious School at Westminster School in London He was accepted at the Christ Church Oxford in 1652 Became part of the English Royal Society He received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees Locke mainly focused on medical study Bachelors of Medicine 1674 Started focusing on writing and less on medicine

Interests John Locke’s had three main interests Political Epistemological Scientific

Political Interests John Locke was against Absolute Monarchies. Opposed the divine rights of kings. Believed that humans should protect their natural rights. Had a goal to prove the government was unjust.

Epistemological The concept of epistemological is basically how your mind works and how to improve it. John Locke mentions and describes in-depth and how people should live. “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” is a good example of this by Locke

Scientific Locke was influenced by Robert Boyle Locke argued the theory of matter in the “Essay” Locke states that every physical thing is composed of sub-microscopic properties which are classified in two categories Primary shape and size Secondary color and taste

John Locke’s Philosophy The individual must become a rational creature Human beings possess freewill They should be prepared for freedom Obedience should be out of conviction not out of fear Legislators owe their power to a contract with the people Neither kings nor wealth are divinely ordained

Cont. There are certain rights natural rights that are endowed by God to all human beings: Life, Liberty, and Property Doctrine of Divine Right, he believed was false. He favored a republic as the best form of government.

Rights Natural Rights- (inalienable Rights) rights that are not contingent on laws. Legal Rights (civil rights) Statue laws.

Life, Liberty, and Property Life-Everyone is entitle to live once they are created Liberty-Everyone is entitle to do anything they want so long as it does not conflict with the 1st Right. Property-Everyone is entitle to own all they created or gain through gift, trade, so long as it does not conflict with the 1st and 2nd.

John Locke’s Major Works (1689) “A Letter Concerning Toleration” (1690) “A Second Letter Concerning Toleration” (1692) “A Third Letter for Toleration” (1689) “Two Treaties on Government” (1690) “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1693) “Some Thoughts Concerning Education”

Locke’s Most Influential Works “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” “The Second Two Treaties of Civil Government” “A Letter Concerning Toleration”

“An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” The essay is a close examination of human mind. When man is born, his mind is blank and is filled in throughout time like a new notebook, where observations of the world are recorded for future reference. His theory was the mind should be completely filled with information through the use of the five senses/ The information is take for future reference that can be applied to every day decisions.

“The Second Two Treaties of Civil Government” The first Treaty argues Robert Filmer’s view about how man is born a slave to the natural born king. The second is Locke’s opinion on the political upheaval. Foundation for modern day governments Democracies Constitutions Locke also states that humans know what is right and what is wrong.

Power of government is trust given to a ruler by the people Power of government is trust given to a ruler by the people. “Consent of the Governed.” If the ruler does not work for the good of the people-People have the right and duty to change that government to protect the rights of the governed.

A Letter Concerning Human Toleration” It argues the new understand of the relationship between government and religion. John Locke states that in order to have a civilized society there must be a unity of religion and people. Despite his strong belief in tolerance, he despised Catholics and Atheists His hatred for Catholics came from fear that the Catholics might take over England, hence the tolerance for all religions came from this.

John Locke’s Contributions to Society John Locke played a key role in shaping our world today. He contributed to: Modern day thought Democracy The Constitution

Philosophes Philosophes believed that science and reason could work together to improve the lives of the people. Believed strongly in progress through education.

III. The Philosophes men of letters who wrote for public consumption, using humor, wit, satire A. Denis Diderot - The Encyclopedia - a compilation of all knowledge!

The Encyclopedia “[Our aim] is to collect all the knowledge scattered over the face of the earth, … and to transmit this to those who will come after us.... It could only belong to a philosophical age to attempt an encyclopedia; … All things must be examined, debated, and investigated without exception and without regard for anyone’s feelings…. We have for quite some time needed a reasoning age.” “It is impious to want to impose laws upon man’s conscience; this is a universal rule of conduct. People must be enlightened and not constrained.” “War is the fruit of man’s depravity; it is a convulsive and violent sickness of the body politic … If reason governed men and had the influence over the heads of nations that it deserves, we would never see them inconsiderately surrender themselves to the fury of war; they would not show that ferocity that characterizes wild beasts.”

The Encyclopedia “No man has received from nature the right to command others.... The government, although hereditary in a family…, is not private property, but public property that consequently can never be taken from the people, to whom it belongs exclusively…. It is not the state that belongs to the prince, it is the prince who belongs to the state.” “It is of the greatest importance to conserve this practice [the free press] in all states founded on liberty.” “The buying of Negroes, to reduce them to slavery, is one business that violates religion, morality, natural laws, and all the rights of human nature.”

Sample Pages of the Encyclopedia Shoes Button-making

Sample Pages of the Encyclopedia

Sample Pages of the Encyclopedia

Sample Pages of the Encyclopedia

Subscriptions to Diderot’s Encyclopedia

III. The Philosophes (cont) B. Montesquieu - separation and balance of powers; admired the British model of government

III. The Philosophes (cont) C. Voltaire 1. freedom of thought and religion ~ toleration~freespeech 2. ridiculed the clergy for their bigotry, intolerance, and superstition 3. Admired Louis XIV and Frederick the Great - thought people unable to govern themselves

The Wit and Wisdom of Voltaire “I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: ‘Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.’ And God granted it.” “Almost everything that goes beyond the adoration of a Supreme Being and submission of the heart to his orders is superstition. One of the most dangerous is to believe that certain ceremonies entail the forgiveness of crimes. Do you believe that God will forget a murder you have committed if you bathe in a certain river, sacrifice a black sheep…? … Do better miserable humans, have neither murders nor sacrifices of black sheep.” God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

III. The Philosophes (cont) D. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (later Enlightenment) 1. Society is artificial and corrupt - state of nature is better - education 2. Valued impulse and emotion more than reason 3. Believed in contract government and individual freedom 4. “General Will” - republic as ideal government

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Society sets people against each other and it makes them unequal and unhappy. “Man is born free and everywhere he turns he in chains” What does this mean? Society takes away mans freedoms. He loses what nature has provided. The Social Contract: protects those rights. New Heloise- In his work, he sets the ground work on how to live a simple way of life. The Social Contract- It speaks out against society and government. similar idea to Locke’s. Agreement between government and the governed.

Jean Jacques Rousseau The Social Contract: Rulers have no part in the contract. They only secure by “general will” of the people. Right of the people to bring the ruler down.

Discussion Question Historians often refer to the “Enlightenment project.” What was the “project” of the Enlightenment? What reforms were the philosophes seeking? What kind of society were they trying to create?

IV. The “Republic of Letters” URBAN –-- gathering of elites in the cities (salons) B. URBANE --– cosmopolitan, worldly - music, art, literature, politics - read newspapers & the latest books C. POLITENESS –-- proper behavior - self-governed

Reading During the Enlightenment Literacy: - 80 % for men, 60 % women Books were expensive (one day’s wages) Many readers for each book - novels, plays & other literature - journals, memoirs, “private lives” - philosophy, history, theology - newspapers, political pamphlets - often censored by governments

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Questions for Review What types of literature were featured in the illegal book trade in France? What were the important trends of Enlightenment thought? What was the primary purpose of Fontenelle’s writings? Why does the Enlightenment develop best in France? What does Locke put forth in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding? What was the “reading revolution?” What does Montesquieu argue in his Spirit of Laws? What does D’Holbach present in System of Nature? What was the fundamental goal of the Encyclopedia? What was Rousseau’s “general will?” Who wrote the Historical and Critical Dictionary? Which social classes intermingled in Parisian Salons? Who wrote Progress of the Human Mind? What was put forth in this work? What did Emmanuel Kant advocate? Who was Mendelssohn and what did he argue?