1. Age of Enlightenment
18th Century Europe

2. Enlightenment
New Ideas that spread throughout the literate sectors of European society. That…
Economic change
Political reform
Were becoming common place
Because it was…
POSSIBLE!!!
What “old” invention becomes the center of attention once again?
printing press

3. The “Enlightened” Individual The Philosophe
Not really original thinkers as a whole, but were great publicists of the new thinking  CHANGE & PROGRESS!
They were students of society who analyzed its evils and advanced reforms.
Disagreements were encouraged – why?

4. Changes in Western thought
Forms of government (authority)
Economic prosperity
Spreading of knowledge

5. Newtonian view Universal gravitation Three laws of motion Questions??
God/Bible

6. The Encyclopedia Denis Diderot collection of ideas
17 volumes; 11 illustrations
100+ authors
Condemned by
the Church

7. Religion attacked Deism Voltaire
the belief that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of God
rational thought -questions divine right!
Voltaire
Well respected writer (20,000 writings, etc)
The execution of Jean Calas
Case showed the fruits of religious fanaticism and the need for RATIONAL REFORM of the JUDICIAL processes.
Secular values are more important than religious ones!

8. Religion: the greatest enemy!
Voltaire: Philosophical Dictionary
Uses humor to point out inaccuracies of bible
Hume: Of Miracles
“the greatest miracle was that people believed in miracles”
Kant: Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone
Transform religion to encourage virtuous living
Most philosophes =>not atheist
Explain Christianity in terms of natural causes over miracles and piety

9. Jewish thinkers
Some Enlightenment thinkers looked down upon Judaism; more primitive than Christianity
Spinoza: secularized version of Judaism
use reason to conceptualize traditional thought
Ethics- spiritual and material worlds; one in the same
Excommunicated at age 24
Mendelsohn: assimilationist
“Jewish Socrates”
Loyalty to Judaism AND STILL BE RATIONAL/LOGICAL

10. Women and the Enlightenment
Salons- useful/social environment for ideas
Women added “fashionable luster” [OPPORTUNITY]
Women were well connected to political figures
Their voices are being heard!
Montesquieu- women ARE NOT naturally inferior; women need a WIDER ROLE in society; PROGRESS
Diderot- Encyclopedia; better lives; no progress
Rousseau-women should be educated for SUBORDINATE to men; to bear and rear children

11. Mary Wollstonecraft Criticizes Rousseau “sensual slaves of men”-NOT
To deny opportunities and GOOD education for women “WOULD IMPEDE PROGRESS OF ALL HUMANITY”

12. Voltaire Francis-Marie Arouet
Versatile writer
Plays, poems, novels, essays, history, science
20,000 letters
2,000 books/pamphlets
Advocacy for civil liberties
Freedoms of:
Religion
Expression
Free trade
Separation of church & state
He was a major influence on the
American and French revolutions and constitutions!

13. Montesquieu Charles-Louis de Secondat
Political thinker
Philosopher
Studied the classics
Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, Byzatines
Separation of Powers
Three Branch government
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
FINGERPRINTS ARE ALL OVER THE U.S. CONSTITUTION !

14. Rousseau Jean-Jacques
Romanticism
French expression=open mindedness
Life, Liberty, Property (Locke)
Lead writer of modern day political and social thought
“Society is more important than the individual”

15. The Physiocrats
The “Government of Nature”

16. Adam Smith (1723-1790) University of Glasgow, Scotland.
On his travels to France, he was influenced by the writings of the physiocrats.
The Wealth of Nations
An attack on
mercantilist system.
Absolutism

17. Purpose of resources… Mercantilism Smith
RESOURCES are limited and scarce,
personal wealth only at the expense of others
RESOURCES water, air, soil, minerals are boundless -Use resources for the good of humankind; everyone gets a piece; no reason for people to be poor

18. Adam Smith’s Attack on Mercantilism
He argued that the basic unit for social analysis should be the nation, not the state.
State: refers to leaders
Nation: refers to the people
He WAS AGAINST the belief that trade was a zero-sum game
It was a positive-sum game.
Both nations (sides) gained.
Win-Win!

19. Basic Capitalist Principles: a working relationship
Goods and services are produced for profitable exchange.
Human labor power is a commodity for sale  LABOR IS THE SOURCE OF VALUE.
Goods & Service
Businesses
Households
Consumer Spending
Wages
Labor & Investments

20. Enlightened Absolutism
European rulers who embrace ideas of the Enlightenment
Frederick the Great (Prussia)
Focus AGRICULUTRE
new codification of laws: legal system more equal
reduced aristocratic influence helps monarch
Joseph II (Austria)
religious toleration (property, schools, institutions)
took church lands helps monarch
built roads; opened rivers; tax land of nobles
helps monarch
Catherine II (Russia)
allowed nobles to rule locally
rid Russia of trade barriers (regional)
successful war with Ottomans
Crimea gained; access to Black Sea

21. Write a R.A.F.T. Role Audience Format Topic 1. Montesquieu
Wollstonecraft
letter
“Rousseau is an idiot”
2. Spinoza
Enlightened thinkers
Song
“Am I in the Club yet?”
3. Smith
Urban poor
Speech
“Colbert had it wrong!”
4. Hume the philosophe
Clergymen
News editorial
“Miracles, Smiracles!!”