The Enlightenment Into the Light

The Enlightenment John Keating: We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse." That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be? .

The Enlightenment Dead Poets Society

The Enlightenment While the Scientific Revolution focused on science and discovering the natural world it lead to a new understanding of mankind-The Enlightenment In the late 17th and early 18th Century the small but growing educated population began on an intellectual road towards human enlightenment in which new ideas about government and society were explored

The Enlightenment Enlightenment focused on a new study of philosophy How do we make society a better place? Why are we here? Should government serve the needs of the people?

The Enlightenment Divine Right Strong monarchies developed after the Reformation and Counter-Reformation The Catholic Church lost its power over monarchies and governments became more centralized Monarchs used Divine Right or that their power came from God to justify their Absolute rule “The King is from God and the law is from the king”-James I An illegal act was an ungodly act

The Enlightenment The Social Contract During the 17th Century this newly educated population of Europe and the Americas (Colonies) began to look hard at their government The philosophical idea that governments were based not divine right but the idea that they needed to serve the needs of the people was advanced The idea that there was a social contract (obligation) between ruler and the people

The Enlightenment The social contract was further based on the idea that people were around long before governments It was people who gave governments their power and rulers the right to rule The monarchs authority did not come from God but from the people There was a social contract between the people and the government

The Enlightenment So what did this social contract mean? Many philosophers had different ideas on their own forms of government In almost all cases it negated the idea of divine right In all cases it made the monarch responsible for the economic, social and political wellbeing of the people

Hobbes (1588-1679) Believes that people are greedy People cannot govern themselves Man is evil and will commit evil acts Hobbes idea of the social contract was between the king and the people Explained this in his book Leviathan

Hobbes Government needs to be strong. Only a strong government can create a peaceful society. The people need an absolute monarch to make the laws and decisions for the country. However that absolute ruler must be benevolent and just and if not the people may replace that ruler

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) Believes that in a perfect society everyone obeys the laws. The good of everyone in society more important than the good of one person. Rousseau believed that each person must subject themselves to the general will of society If the needs of society outweigh my needs then I must forego my needs for the betterment of society

Jean-Jacques Rousseau The majority or the General Will should always for the common good of society. This would make people free in society because everyone would obey the laws and their would be no greed or problems in society People make the laws, people abide by those laws, society is happy and people are free to live within society

Jean-Jacques Rousseau The Social Contract Man and government had a obligation to form a government to protect society. If government failed to protect the majority then the people could disband the government and create a new government.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Rousseau’s ideas had a major impact on the revolutionary movements in America and France Rousseau’s ideas also caused countries to look at slavery as an evil and inspired the anti-slavery movement While Rousseau called for a society of equals, Rousseau had a very low opinion of women

John Locke (1632-1704) People have natural rights. Life Liberty Property People form government to protect these rights. Government is formed through a contract between man and man. Book- Treaties on Government

John Locke Governments obligation is to protect peoples natural rights. If government fails to protect the rights then the people have the right to overthrow the government. Locke ideals of government influenced Thomas Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution An unproductive and unpopular government could and should be replaced

Baron de Montesquieu The powers of government needed to be separated to keep one branch from becoming too powerful. Three branches of government. Executive Legislative Judicial A system of checks and balances. Ideas were introduced into the Constitution.

Voltaire Believed in free speech. Believed in religious toleration. First French philosopher to use wit and criticism to speak out against the French government and the Catholic Church.

Spreading the Word The ideas of the Enlightenment began to spread all over Europe Places called Salons or literary circles began to appear all over Europe and Americas Philadelphia Boston London Moscow Paris

Women Women especially upper class women were able to gain education and in some cases proved to be intellectual equals to men Many women began writing Mary Wollstonecraft (Vindication of the Rights of Women) Other became great political leaders like Catherine the Great Women were very instrumental in organizing and hosting salons which helped the spread of the Enlightenment

Deism God created the universe and doesn't care or interact with creation. Thus God is in reality a watchmaker who set the world in motion but plays no part in its running. God also created natural laws, that could be proven by science, on how the world was to operate This idea of deism went against the ideas of organized religion

Conclusion The Enlightenment will take hold in the new world first Americas will use the ideas of Locke and break free of the British In 1789 the French will take up the ideals of the Enlightenment and strike down the French absolute monarch Louis XVI In 1791 the Enlightenment ideas will travel back to the Caribbean and the Latin America 1791 Haiti will rebel against the French Between 1810-1825 Bolivar will and San Martin will free most of South America

Conclusion Monarch now understood that remain in power they needed to be just, tolerant, and improve the lives of the people “I am the first servant of the state”-Frederick the Great