Reforming Society Talk is cheap...

The Enlightenment in Full Swing The church was a major target of the philosophes and enlightenment thought Promoting tolerance was their main ‘crime’- most Kingdoms in this period had state religions (1555 and 1648)

The Clockmaker

A good clear attack: “The Christian religion not only was at first attended by miracles, but even now cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one”- David Hume that is verging on atheism...but it is not: Deism- belief in an impersonal, divine being created the universe but did not interfere with the world of human affairs...like a clockmaker Isaac Newton- discovered natural laws- obviously he was a deist- see handout

Political Thought What is the relationship between individual and society (Hobbes and Locke) 1688 Glorious Revolution in England Montesquieu 1748- political institutions should conform to the climate, customs, beliefs, and economy of a particular country- add a system of checks and balances of power (sound familiar?) And then there was Rousseau (the Man)- he took Hobbes and Locke and every other philosophe and added something different after studying the past and people

The Truth Voltaire, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Diderot, Montesquieu, Condorcet, etc...they couldn't care less for the masses Voltaire said of the lowers classes: “in accesible to the progress and reason and over whom fanaticism maintains its atrocities hold” gee...tell us what you really think

Economics If the universe and politics could be described by understandable, rational laws, why not economic activity as well… Mercantilism- regulated national economics Physiocrats (economic philosophes)- supply and demand- best operated under minimal regulation Laissez-faire

Economics Adam Smith- 1776 Wealth of Nations by natural law, individuals who were allowed to pursue rationally their own economic self interest would benefit themselves and the rest of society Invisible hand of supply and demand and competition- let people do their own business, it will benefit the consumer

Criminology Cesare Beccaria 1738- 1794- apply natural laws to human criminal behaviour Punishments and laws should incorporate reason Get rid of torture, make laws that benefit the majority of people, and rehabilitate to better society

And what about Women? Enlightenment sort of begins the quest for equality If all men are born free, how is it that all women are born slaves- Mary Astell 1694 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft- if you don’t educate women you are losing 50% of the potential to better society- the truth is common for all or else it will be ineffective in its influence on the majority… I hear you Mary...

The Salon

The Salon Paris Wealthy Parisian patrons, usually women of the upper classes or aristocracy Essentially parties where influential people would come (Rousseau, Voltaire) and talk and discuss their ideas, art, culture, economics, anything… Meetings like this were held across Europe- begins the spreading of ideas Common intellectual culture, crossed cultural, political and social lines- freedom of expression