1. The Enlightenment (1500’s - 1700’s Europe) “A belief that human reason could be used to combat ignorance, superstition, and tyranny…”

2. Scientific Revolution Before 1500 world view (basic outlook on life) based on Church teachings & classical world Scientific Revolution - new way of thinking about the world based on observation and questioning accepted beliefs –First modern scientist begin to change understanding of the world –Scientific method - using logical procedure, observation and test to reach conclusions.

3. Aim: Why did the Enlightenment happen where and when it did?

4. 1) Muslims Preserve Information Information lost in Europe during Dark Ages Muslims keep extensive libraries and access to ancient knowledge –Crusaders / Traders bring info. Back from Muslim lands –Muslims scrolls translated into Latin Scientific courses added to universities –Physics –Geometry –Astronomy –Calculus etc.

5. 2) Reexamining the Ancient Greeks Revelation that even some ancient sources didn’t agree –Must evaluate the classics to try to determine why they are different –Promotes further intellectual exploration –Encourages speculation

6. 3) Age of Exploration Brings Europe into greater contact with the rest of the world Forced to question what else is out there. Need for more accuracy exploration instruments (remember the T-O map?) Raises the idea that morals may be relative

7. 4) New Social Classes Development of the middle class (bourgeoisie) New group of people become rich from exploration and trade –Power shifts to those with money, not land –Earnings are from hard work and merit, not tradition –Question why pay taxes for an aristocracy that doesn’t share power Big Change In European Thinking

8. “What do I know?” Eyes of Europeans are forced open People begin to feel they don’t know it all - Raises many questions Need New Ways To Answer These Questions

9. The Scientific Method Finding answers to questions using logical and rational procedures (Not using untested abstract, unobserved theory) Steps in the scientific method 1.State a problem that you have observed 2.Make a hypothesis - a guess at the answer 3.Test the hypothesis in some type of experiment 4.Collect information based on the experiment 5.Come to a conclusion Note: the closest any experiment can get to prove something is 99.9% correct Scientific Revolution- a major change in European thought, when accepted beliefs about the natural world changed as a result of careful study and observation

10. Galileo Creates a “slippery slope” - the idea that once one thought or action happens it leads to other undesirable thoughts or actions Debunks many ideas of Aristotle –Law of the pendulum –Fixed rate of a fall Defends Copernicus’s idea of a heliocentric universe Called before church officials –Forced to recant Too late though - ideas are already out!!

11. “Enlightenment is man’s leaving his self-caused immaturity. Immaturity is the incapacity to use one’s intelligence without the guidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if it is not caused by lack of intelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use one’s intelligence without being guided by another…Have the courage to use your own intelligence! is therefore the motto of the enlightenment.” -Emanuel Kant According to Kant, what makes a person “immature”? Why might it take “courage” to use your own intelligence? In your own words explain what Enlightenment is according to Kant.

12. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment All people are equal (equally rotten!) People are self- interested Difficult for to live together peacefully People are naturally free State of war with everyone vs. everyone else Gov’t is formed to control natural law People obey the law for fear of consequences Gov’t must be strong and unquestioned Absolute Monarchy All people are equal according to natural law People are reasonable and rational Can live together peacefully People are naturally free Right to life, liberty and property People will naturally live in harmony Gov’t is formed to protect natural law People obey the law for common good Gov’t must be limited and open to the people Democracy HOBBES LOCKE Human NatureNatural Law Purpose of Gov’t Best Gov’t

13. Ideas of the Philosophes Reason is able to solve any problem –Assumes the world must be rational –Optimistic point of view Nature is something that is good and reasonable –God and nature are one (pantheism) Happiness can be found living according to nature’s laws –No need to suffer –Don’t need to wait for the afterlife for happiness Progress in society can be accomplished using rationalism –Society can be perfected Liberty is given to humans by nature

14. Spreading Enlightenment Ideas Wealthy women of Paris hold social gatherings where ideas are exchanged - salons Diderot and the French Encyclopédistes –Plan to catalogue all the knowledge of the Enlightenment –Dozens of people contribute thousands of articles Denis Diderot - 5,394 Chevalier Louis de Jaucourt -17,288 Unknown -37,870 Why would the French Gov’t and Catholic Church Be opposed to this? Knowledge Is Power