1. The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment is one of the few movements in history to name itself
Comes from the idea that its followers were more enlightened than other people

2. Also known as the Age of Reason
Gets its birth in scientific advances
Many scientists trying to understand the nature of the world
Copernicus
Kepler
Galileo
Newton

3. A Mechanical Universe
Enlightenment thinkers in science put forth the idea of a mechanical universe
The universe was like a clock, a precise machine that functioned perfectly
God built the machine, and when it was finished He set it in motion, and then sat back and let people run things

4. From Science to Other Areas
The Enlightenment found thinkers concentrating in a variety of areas
Science – How Does the World Work?
Philosophy – How Do We Know What We Know?
Sociology – How Do Men Interact With One Another?
Politics – What is the role of government? Which system is best?

5. In Philosophy
Skepticism, the idea that everything should be questioned and investigated, begins to lead the search for truth
Philosophers begin to doubt what they know is true; this then leads them on a search for truth itself
Rene Descartes
Blaise Pascal
David Hume

6. In Sociology
A number of writers study how societies form and how people interact
A prevalent theory is the Social Contract; there are unwritten rules for conduct (the contract) to which we all agree
Hobbes and Locke are the biggest names regarding Social Contracts and they have different ideas of what that entails

7. Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes wrote “The Leviathan” in 1651 after seeing the horrors of the English Civil War.
He argued that Humans are naturally selfish and wicked and that governments were needed to maintain law and order.
He preferred absolute monarchs as they were strong leaders who imposed rules.
Social Contract was between the people and the government

8. John Locke
Wrote “Two Treatises on Government” after the Glorious Revolution
Locke believed that people learned from experience & were reasonable
He criticized absolutism and felt that self-gov’t was best
Governments only existed by the consent of the people
3 Natural Rights – life, liberty and property.

9. In Politics Hobbes’ and Locke’s political theories
are seen in their ideas of the
Social Contract
Rousseau and Montesquieu also enter
the argument regarding politics and the
nature of government
Voltaire used satire to comment on pretty much everything, government, society, religion and even the enlightenment movement itself

10. Rousseau Big Idea = Personal Freedom
He believed that people were naturally free…
but that society and civilization takes away that freedom and enslaves man’s original nature
He believes society and governments destroy freedom and equality

11. King=executive, Parliament=legislative, Judges=Judicial
Montesquieu
Believed that a loss of political liberties leads to collapse of society
Big Idea=Separation of Powers (he invented the term)
England was his ideal government with 3 branches
King=executive, Parliament=legislative, Judges=Judicial
(His understanding of the British system was not completely accurate but he was the first to put forth this idea of branches of government)

12. Voltaire Wrote satire and was not afraid to stir things up
Made fun of the clergy, the nobles and the government
After being exiled to England- he even mocked French customs/laws
Championed tolerance, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech

13. The Enlightenment in France
Although thinkers in any number of countries are considered Enlightenment thinkers, the movement centers in France

14. The Paris Salons
Paris becomes the cultural center of the Enlightenment
Salons, like this one, become meeting places for philosophes to discuss politics and ideas

15. The Philosophes Philosophe is simply the French word for “Philosopher”
However, it has come to refer to a separate branch of Enlightenment philosophy

16. The Importance of Reason
Copernicus, Newton, and others had applied reason to the study of science
Philosophes believed reason (or logic) could be applied to all areas of life
They had five important core concepts to their philosophy

17. Core Concept #1: Reason
Truth could be discovered through logical thinking, or reason
Reason included the idea of no intolerance, bigotry, or prejudice in one’s thinking

18. Core Concept #2: Nature
They believed Nature, created by God, was good and reasonable
Strong emphasis on Natural Laws, not only in science but in other areas

19. Core Concept #3: Happiness
People who lived by nature’s laws would be happy
Did not accept Christian notion of misery here for Paradise hereafter
Thought well-being on earth was possible right now

20. Core Concept #4: Progress
Philosophes were the first to believe in progress for society
If people used a scientific approach, they believed that humankind could be perfected

21. Core Concept #5: Liberty
Philosophes thought that reason would allow societies to be free
Believed that people, if free to choose their own way, would choose the right one in accordance with natural laws

22. Far-Reaching Effects
The Enlightenment, though centered in France, had followers throughout Europe and overseas
Perhaps the most lasting impact it has had has been in America
Its ideas were gaining power at the same time that colonists were thinking about splitting from England

23. We Are the Enlightenment’s Legacy
The Enlightenment defined what the Founding Fathers and Mothers wanted this nation to become
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are considered Enlightenment writings
We are, or are supposed to be, a nation built on reason