The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment A new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems. The movement reached its height in the mid 1700s and brought change to all parts of Western Civilization.

The Social Contract One of the primary issues of the Enlightenment was the relationship between government and its people. This relationship became known as a Social Contract. Some still favored a strong ruler to maintain order where other new thinkers felt that the government needed the approval of the people to govern.

Idea of Government Old Idea New Idea A monarch’s rule is justified by divine right. A government’s power comes from the consent of the governed.

Core Beliefs of the Philosophers 1.Reason: Enlightened thinkers believed truth could be discovered through reason and logical thinking. 2. Nature: The philosophers believed that what was natural was also good and reasonable. 3. Happiness: The philosophers rejected the medieval notion that people should find joy in the afterlife and urged people to seek well being on earth. 4. Progress: The philosophes stressed that society and humankind could improve. 5. Liberty: The philosophers called for the liberties that the English people had won in their Civil War and Bill of Rights.

Enlightenment Legacy #1 The belief in progress was embraced and Europe experienced a Scientific Revolution. People began to rely on human reason more to solve problems and this scientific idea spread to society and politics.

Enlightenment Legacy #2 More and more people began to view the world in a secular, non-religious way. The diversity of religion increased as tolerance of new ideas increased.

Enlightenment Legacy #3 Individualism was promoted. People began to look to themselves for guidance instead of the Church of a King.

John Locke

Voltaire

Montesquieu

Rousseau

Beccaria

Mary Wollstonecraft