THE ENLIGHTNEMENT

THE ENLIGHTENMENT MOVEMENT THAT STRESSED REASON, THOUGHT AND THE POWER OF INDIVIDUALS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS ALSO KNOWN AS THE AGE OF REASON REACHED ITS HEIGHT IN THE MID-1700’S

TWO VIEWS ON GOVERNMENT THOMAS HOBBES SOCIAL CONTRACT: IN ORDER TO GAIN LAW AND ORDER CITIZENS HAD TO GIVE UP SOME RIGHTS. THE BEST GOVERNMENT WAS AN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY RULER NEEDED TOTAL POWER TO KEEP CITIZENS UNDER CONTROL JOHN LOCKE NATURAL RIGHTS: ALL PEOPLE BORN FREE AND EQUAL WITH THREE BASIC RIGHTS: LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PROPERTY PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT WAS TO PROTECT THESE RIGHTS IF THE GOVERNMENT FAILS, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT

PHILOSOPHES: MAJOR SOCIAL CRITICS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT IN FRANCE FIVE MAJOR CONCEPTS: REASON : TRUTH COULD BE DISCOVERED THROUGH REASON NATURE: WHAT WAS NATURAL WAS GOOD HAPPINESS: SEEK HAPPINESS ON EARTH PROGRESS: SOCIETY AND HUMANKIND COULD IMPROVE LIBERTY: WANTED THE LIBERTIES THAT THE ENGLISH HAD WON IN THEIR GLORIOUS REVOLUTION

LEGACY OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT BELIEF IN PROGRESS: SCIENCE AND SOCIETY MORE SECULAR OUTLOOK: QUESTION THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH AND KING IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL