1. The Enlightenment

2. Enlightenment 17 and 18th century philosophical movement
Intellectuals impressed with Scientific Revolution
Focused on reason
Application of scientific method to understanding of life
Hoped to make progress toward a better society

3. Hobbes vs. Locke

4. Thomas Hobbes Lived during English Civil War
Tutored English nobility
Fled England
How could this have influenced his political beliefs?

5. Beliefs of Thomas Hobbes
Humans naturally selfish
Guided by struggle for self-preservation
To get what they want, people would always be at war w/everyone else
“Every man for himself”

6. Social Contract Agreed to form government Absolute ruler (Leviathan)
Unlimited power in order to suppress rebellion
Purpose of government is to keep law and order
Absolute power necessary to preserve order
People cannot, and should not,
overthrow government

7. John Locke Against absolute rule Society is organized
Live in state of equality and freedom
No one is ruler over others

8. Tabula Rasa Man is born with a blank mind
People are molded by experiences
Came through senses from surrounding world

9. Positive view of human nature
People can learn from experience and improve themselves
Have ability to govern own affairs and look after welfare of society

10. Social Contract Natural rights Life, liberty, property
Difficult for people to protect

11. Agree to establish gov’t
Ensure protection of rights
Judge those that violate those rights
Purpose of government
to protect individual liberties and rights
People have right to revolt and change

12. Isaac Newton World-Machine Concept
Physical world and everything in it operated like a giant machine
Natural laws controlled everything
Could be uncovered through systematic investigation
Natural laws of physical world could lead to natural laws governing human society
Laws could lead to ideal society

13. Ideas of the Philosophes
Intellectuals of the Enlightenment
French word meaning “philosopher”
Mostly nobility and middle class
Mostly French

14. The Role of Philosophy Philosophes wanted to change the world
Study society with purpose of making it better
Rational criticism applied to everything
Life, religion, politics
Generations built on contributions before them
Became more radical over time

15. Montesquieu The Spirit of the Laws – 1748 Three Basic Gov’t Republics
suitable for small states
Despotism
appropriate for large states
Monarchies
Moderate sized states

16. Separation of Powers Three Branches of English Gov’t Executive
Monarch carries out laws
Legislative
Parliament makes laws
Judicial
Court system interprets laws
Power limited through checks and balances

20. Voltaire Francois-Marie Arouet Criticized Christianity through satire
Fought against religious intolerance in France
Fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religion and freedom of speech

21. Deist
Religious philosophy based on reason and natural law
God created world and set it in motion
Allowed world to run according to natural laws and without interference

22. Denis Diderot Encyclopedia 28-volume collection of knowledge
Articles written by greatest thinkers, philosophers and scientists of the day
Included:
Attacks on religious superstition
Supported tolerance
Social, legal, and political reforms

23. New Social Sciences
Philosophes used Newton’s methods to discover natural laws
Led to social sciences
Economics and Political Science

24. Economics Physiocrats and Adam Smith Founders of modern economics
French group
Interested in identifying natural economic laws governing human society

25. Individuals free to pursue own economic self-interest would benefit society
The state should not interrupt free economics
Gov’t should not impose regulations
State should leave the economy alone
Laissez-Faire
French for “let the people do what they want

26. Adam Smith 1776 – Wealth of the Nations
State should not interfere in economy
Gov’t has three basic roles
Protect society from invasion – army
Defend citizens from injustice – police
Keep up public works necessary for social interaction and trade

27. Adam Smith and Economics
Desire for personal gain drives economic activity
Leads to competition
Competition would benefit society
Prices kept lower
Production more efficient
Labor and capital are directed to profitable industries
Pursuit of self-interest benefits all society

28. Beccaria on Justice
By 18th Century, most European states had developed court system
Punishments were often cruel
Used to deter crime
Police force too weak to capture criminals
On Crimes and Punishments – 1764
Punishments should not be brutal
Opposed capital punishment

29. The Social Contract Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Discourse on the Origins of the Inequality of Mankind
People had adopted laws and gov’t to preserve property
Became enslaved to gov’t
The Social Contract – 1762
Society agrees to be governed by general will of the people
People that wish to follow own self-interest must be forced to abide by general will

31. Rousseau’s Other Beliefs
Emotion and reason were important to human development
Balance between heart and mind
Women naturally different from men
Educate women for roles as wives and mothers
Learn obedience
Skills necessary to provide loving care for husbands and children

32. Women’s Rights Mary Wollstonecraft Vindication of the Rights of Women
People argued women must obey man
Also said gov’t with arbitrary power over subjects was wrong
Enlightenment and rights based on reason
Women have reason
Women should have same rights as men

33. The Spread of Ideas 1760s introduced a new generation of philosophes
Growth of Reading
Parisian Salons
English Coffeehouses

34. The Growth of Reading
Spread of ideas to literate people extremely important
Printing press increases speed and accuracy
Publishing and literacy rates grew
# of books increased
Magazines
newspapers

35. The Salon Salons Elegant drawing rooms of wealthy upper class’s houses
People gathered there to have conversations about Enlightenment ideas
Writers, artists, aristocrats, gov’t officials, wealthy middle class
Gave women who hosted events a position of power
Marie-Therese de Geoffrin