Enlightenment

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Centers of the Enlightenment

Characteristics of the Enlightenment Rationalism Reason is the master of all things Cosmology New concept of man’s existence and the place of the earth in the universe Secularism Using Science and Technology to explain religion/unknown questions Scientific Method Mathematics and Experimentation Tolerance No opinion is worth burning your neighbor for Freedom Of thought and expression

What was the enlightenment? The Enlightenment was a revolution in human thought. People began to use logic and reason to answer questions about life and tradition.

English Philosophers

John Locke John Locke was a political philosopher who published Two Treatises of Government in 1690. He argued that humans have the natural rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of property Also, governments have the responsibility to protect those rights. His writings inspired the United States founding forefathers to write the Declaration of Independence.

Adam Smith Adam Smith was an economist whose famous work was The Wealth of Nations (1776). Smith opposed government interference in economic affairs He argued that a market economy could regulate itself through supply and demand. He inspired Capitalism and the United States ‘market economy’ which we still have today.

French Philosophers

Baron de Montesquieu Baron de Montesquieu was an important 18th century political philosopher and writer. In 1748 he wrote The Spirit of Laws. He believed in a separation of powers to avoid tyranny. He inspired the three branches of government and system of checks and balances which we have in the US

Jean Jacques Rousseau Rousseau was a political philosopher who wrote The Social Contract in 1762. He believed in the idea of popular sovereignty, the idea of the people of a country creating and agreeing to abide by the general (popular) will. His ideas inspired the concept of democracy

What were the effects of the Enlightenment? Short Term Democratic Revolutions Arise American Revolution French Revolution Long Term Reform, democracy and republicanism are forever instilled in Western society.