SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE 1300’s-1500’s REFORMATION 1500’s SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION 1500’s-1600’s ENLIGHTENMENT 1700’s WHAT DO THESE TIME PERIODS HAVE IN COMMON?
CHANGE!!!
THOMAS HOBBES
Absolute government Men are greedy and selfish and need an absolute – all powerful ruler to keep them safe Wrote the book Leviathan
JOHN LOCKE
All men are born with natural rights – life, liberty, and property If government does not protect those natural rights, the people have a right to overthrow it and replace it with one that will Promoted a limited monarchy/democracy
VOLTAIRE
Freedom of speech and religion Believed in natural rights Promoted a limited monarchy
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU
3 branches of government Executive Legislative Judicial System of checks and balances so no one branch gets too powerful Promotes a limited monarchy/democracy
JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU
Promoted a limited monarchy/democracy Wrote the book the Social Contract – believed that people were corrupted by society so they needed to form a pact with government to protect the interests of the people (general will of the people)
ADAM SMITH
Believed in laissez-faire economics – the government should not interfere with the running of the economy People should have a say in the economy and it should be based on supply and demand (capitalism)
SALONS
SALONS Social gatherings where writers and philosophers exchanged and spread ideas and discussed arts, science, literature and philosophy Only the most well-read and intelligent people were involved Wealthy noblewomen hosted these salons
MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT Wrote Vindication of Rights of Women calling for equal education for girls and boys to be able to participate equally in politics
DENIS DIDEROT
DENIS DIDEROT Wrote The Encyclopedia with writings of Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau Helped spread Enlightenment ideas out of France to other parts of Europe and to the Americas
IMPACT OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT Influenced Paine to write Common Sense calling on the U.S. colonists to revolt from British rule Influenced the American and French Revolutions and Latin American independent movements Influenced the creation of the U.S. Bill of Rights and constitution and French constitution Influenced the abolition of the slave trade in the early 1800’s
ENLIGHTENED DESPOTS (absolute monarchs who ruled by enlightened principles) FREDERICK THE GREAT OF PRUSSIA - practiced religious tolerance, outlawed torture, and created a fair law code CATHERINE THE GREAT OF RUSSIA – created a more just legal system, prohibited torture and religious persecution MARIA THERESA and JOSEPH II OF HAPSBURG AUSTRIA – abolished serfdom, reformed the tax system, gave middle class citizens more say in government, ended censorship, practiced religious tolerance