Lesson 3.2

Knight’s Charge  What is the difference between an Absolute Monarchy and a Limited Monarchy?  What were the two sides of the English civil war called?  Did people like King James I? Why or why not?  If Mr. Sliwa’s life were a movie…what actor would play him?

Weird Disney Fact of the Day! The first person to say “I’m going to Disney Land” after winning a Superbowl was Phill Simms of the NY Giants in He said it because his family could never afford to take him there as a child. Now that he had won a Superbowl, he had the money to take his family. After he said this, Disney began “paying” the Superbowl MVP to say it and to go to Disney Land or World in order to gain even more advertising.

Enlightenment  Enlightenment – An age of new ideas and thought.

The Age of “Reason”  Scientific Revolution – The scientific method and reason led to discoveries about the physical world.  People wondered if reason could be used to study human nature and society.  These people would become some of the main thinkers of the Enlightenment.

The Age of “Reason”  Enlightenment thinkers used reason, logic, and experience, to solve problems and understand the world.  Like the Renaissance, there was an emphasis on “looking away” from religion.  The goal was to study both individual behavior and how that behavior would then impact entire societies (kind of the beginning of psychology and sociology).

New Views on Government  Thomas Hobbes – (England) believed that people were inherently evil.  Because of this, he believed that all governments must be extremely strict towards their citizens.  Said that all people lived under a Social Contract – people give up freedoms in order to live with peace and order.

New Views on Government  John Locke – (England) Fought for Limited Government!  Believed that people were inherently good.  Believed that people had certain “natural rights” that were considered to be inalienable and could not be denied. (including life, liberty, and property) Where have we heard those before?

New Views on Government  Locke believed that it was the governments job to protect those rights, and if they did not, citizens had the right to OVERTHROW the government!  He believed that at times, Revolutions were necessary for society.

French Thinkers  Montesquieu - believed that all things were made up of rules or laws that never changed.  He set out to study these laws scientifically with the hope that knowledge of the laws of government would reduce the problems of society and improve human life.  He declared that the best way to protect liberty was to divide a government amongst 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial).  He also proposed a system of checks and balances…again, sound familiar?

French Thinkers  Voltaire – A French philosophical revolutionary.  He promoted religious freedom and social reform for all of France.  Very critical of the French government.  “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”  “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can also make you commit atrocities.”

Uh Oh…  With all of these new ideas and beliefs floating around, the world became a very stressful and confusing place.  Making things ripe for… REVOLUTIONS!