1. Enlightenment Influenced by Scientific Revolution
The Enlightenment was "Mankind's final coming of age, the emancipation of the human
consciousness from an immature state of ignorance and error."
Influenced by Scientific Revolution
Before superstition explained everything
Science to understand Natural World
Gravity, Chemistry, Medicine
Characteristics
1. Cause and effect for everything
2. Rationalism
Truth through reason
"Age of Reason"
3. Natural laws
Deism

2. If Science can help explain world( physical laws)
Why not use them to discover Natural Laws
laws that govern human nature
Every social, political, and economic problem could be solved through the use of Science and reason.
Who has a say in social, political, and economic?

3. First Enlightened thinkers
Thomas Hobbes wrote book called Leviathan
People lived in anarchy
Humans are naturally cruel, greedy and selfish.
To escape this “brutish” life people entered into a social contract.
Only a powerful government could ensure an orderly society.
Believed only an ABSOLUTE MONARCHY could keep a society completely orderly.
In turn people give up control to protect life

5. John Locke Humans are naturally reasonable, moral and good
Humans have natural rights: life liberty and property
People form governments to protect natural rights
LIFE LIBERTY and ESTATES
Best government was one with limited power
 If a government violates people’s natural rights, people have the right to overthrow government!!! 

7. Ideas explode in France (Absolute Monarchy) Philosophes
Critics of the world
Wrote ideas and thoughts down
Denis Diderot
“From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step.”
Encyclopedia
Reference on enlighten ideas
from slavery, torture, war ect.
Spread Ideas across the Europe
Salons
place to be critic of world powers
Determined in mid-1700s to try to compile great expansion of human knowledge into a single work

8. Perfect government through natural laws 3 branches of Government
Baron de Montesquieu
Anti Divine Right
Perfect government through natural
laws
3 branches of Government
1. Legislative
2. Executive
3. Judicial
Branches based on Checks and Balances
STAR02621

9. “It is dangerous to be right
Voltaire
“It is dangerous to be right
when the government is wrong.”
Prison time
fought against intolerance and
injustice
mostly religious and government
"Think for yourselves and
let others enjoy the privilege
to do so too."
”Judge a person by their questions
not their answers”

10. History repeats itself in societies Social Contract people born good
Jean Jacques Rousseau
History repeats itself in societies
Social Contract
people born good
Environment makes them bad (professions and
Private property)
“General Will” –traces of all citizens will
To maintain good = people must control
and choose government
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY
General Will - The law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to contribute personally, or through their representatives, to its formation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in its eyes, are equally admissible to all public dignities, positions, and employments, according to their capacities, and without any other distinction than that of their virtues and their talents.[1]

11. MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
She argued that women had not been included in the Enlightenment slogan “free and equal.” Women had been excluded from the social contract.
Her arguments were often met with scorn, even from some ‘enlightened’ men.

13. She wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792.
Wollstonecraft believed in equal education for girls and boys. Only education could give women the knowledge to participate equally with men in public life.
She did argue that a woman’s first duty was to be a good mother. But, a woman could also decide on her own what was in her interest without depending on her husband.

14. Impact of Enlightenment
Belief in Progress – Sciences and society
More Secular Society – understanding universe they lived in lead to man being focus. Lead to wanting of tolerance of all religions and ideas
Importance of the individual – turn away from King and Religion want to rely on SELF

15. Philosophes try to make world better
Hate absolutism and Religion as practice
in the day
Wanted Enlightened Despot
Countries that had absolute rule hated
Enlightenment
Prohibited publishing of books
Church preached against Philosphes
"Dare to know! Have courage to use your own reason!” Immaneul Kant

16. Take each Enlighten thinker we discussed.
Find a Quote from each. Must not be one we talked about in class.
Which one do you agree with the most and which one do you disagree with the most. WHY?