1. The Age of Enlightenment
1700s-1800s

2. The Age of Enlightenment
The Enlightenment, a philosophical movement beginning in France that advocated Reason and logic as the basis of authority and all decisions and using reason and logic to solve social problems

3. The Age of Enlightenment
Many of the United States' Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by Enlightenment-era ideas:(1600s-1800s)
particularly in the religious sphere (separation of church and state)
And in the political sphere (a major influence on the U.S. Bill of Rights

4. The Age of Enlightenment
Heavily influenced by the Scientific Revolution in Europe during the 1600s
Scientific Revolution: the time period where scientists in Europe began to observe, hypothesize, and experiment to reach conclusions about the natural world
Challenged prevailing religious beliefs and the Catholic Church’s authority on all things relating to the natural world:
Ex Galileo was excommunicated from the Church for arguing that the Earth revolved around the sun (Helio-centered universe) instead of other way around
Developed the Scientific Method

5. Philosphes
believed in using the scientific method to solve social problems
Enlightenment philosophers who met to discuss reason, logic, rationale, and how to solve social problems
were against Divine Right and believed the people are the source of government’s power
met in underground clubs called Salons

6. Who Were the Philosophes So Mad at?
King Louis XIV of France (r
“The Sun King”

7. King Louis XIV (“The Sun King”)
Ruled France as an absolute monarch in control of every aspect of every French citizen’s life
Believed his entire kingdom revolved solely around him: called himself “The Sun King”

8. King Louis XIV (“The Sun King”)
Lived a lavish life funded by heavy taxes on most of his subjects
Most of his subjects lived in poverty with barely enough to eat

9. King Louis XIV (“The Sun King”)
Believed in Divine Right: Believed God anointed him king so he was only responsible to answer to God, not to his subjects

10. Palace of Versailles Became the French capital Built 1671-1682 by
12 miles outside of Paris
Really angered the Philosophes
Built by
King Louis XIV
Shows how out of touch and
insincere King Louis XIV was
towards his subjects

11. Jean Jacque Rousseau ● Swiss Philosopher ● 1712-1778
● Also had a “Social Contract”
● Wrote The Social Contract
Book in 1762

12. Rousseau
Believed humans were naturally good and corrupted by society, not the other way around (as Hobbes believed)
Believed society forces people to compete brining out the worst in people
Believed government forces people to distrust each other and takes freedoms away

13. Rousseau
Believed modern technology made people too dependent on one another
Believed dependency created inequality, social classes, division

14. Rousseau’s Social Contract
The Social Contract: published 1762
Believed that the people are the source of government powers
Believed government’s job was to help people be happy and needs cared for
Believed if government did not do its job people had the right to remove leaders, rebel

15. Hobbes’ & Rousseau's Social Contracts
People are naturally wicked
People need to surrender their independence to an absolute leader in exchange for law and order
People do not have the right to rebel
Rousseau
People start out good and become corrupted by society
People are the source of government’s power
Government needs to help people
People can rebel if leaders fail to do their job

16. Baron Montesquieu 1689-1755 French Philosopher Believed government’s
power needs to be checked

17. Baron Montesquieu Believed in 3 types of governments:
● Monarchies: ruled by a king/queen guided by honor
● Republics: ruled by elected officials guided by virtue
● Despotisms: ruled by absolute dictators guided by fear

18. Baron Montesquieu Separation of Powers
Believed power in government had to be divided amongst different branches
Believed checks and balances are necessary to keep one branch from becoming too powerful
Believed the people needed safeguards from government becoming too powerful
Heavily influenced America’s founding fathers 1770’s-1780’s
3 Branches of Gov’t included in US Constitution

19. Separation of Powers (Checks and Balances)

20. John Locke 1632-1704 British Philosopher Believed all people were
born with 3 natural rights
(Life, Liberty, Property)

21. John Locke
Believed people are born with minds as a blank slate to be filled up: not naturally good or bad
Believed it was human nature to want to figure things out and to want to make sense of the world around you
Disagreed with Hobbes that people are naturally wicked
Believed humans were reasonable creatures capable of figuring out anything

22. Locke’s 3 Natural Rights
Locke believed all people born with 3 Natural Rights: Life, Liberty, and Property
Locke’s Natural Rights heavily influenced America’s founders
Natural Rights included in US Declaration of Independence (Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness)

23. Voltaire 1694-1778 French Philosopher Staunch supporter of individual
liberties

24. Voltaire Known for his wit and nonconformity
Believed that organized formal religion was too constricting
Was opposed to organized religions criticizing other faiths and practitioners
But did believe in freedom of religion

25. Voltaire Staunch supporter of right to a fair trial Heavily influenced
leaders of the French
Revolution
Was opposed to censorship: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it."

26. Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797 British philosopher,
author, and feminist

27. Mary Wollstonecraft 1792 wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Argued women are not naturally
inferior to men; they just suffer
from lack of educational
opportunities

28. Mary Wollstonecraft
Argued that men and women should be treated as equal beings
Argued that social order should be determined by reason (usefulness) not by gender, race, wealth, etc.

29. Mary Wollstonecraft
Argued that society trains women to be weak and more concerned with their superficial looks than contributions to society
Argued that women should receive the same type and quality of education as men
Argued it was a problem that men were so comfortable with treating women as inferiors

30. Mary Wollstonecraft
Argued that proper education for women will solve their problems
Argued women must be given the opportunity to participate in the public sphere as much as the private sphere
Most Enlightenment Philosophes did not agree with her about the roles of women and education for women
She was a feminist long before it was acceptable
She inspired numerous later generations of feminists in numerous countries

31. Queen Elizabeth I (“The Virgin Queen”)
Was Queen of
England
Most powerful Queen in
European History
Believed in Divine Right

32. Queen Elizabeth I (“The Virgin Queen”)
Believed in Divine Right but believed her subjects were like her children and she had to take care of them
Never got married or had children: challenged the popular belief that women had to marry

33. Queen Elizabeth I (“The Virgin Queen”)
Even though she believed in Divine Right she still saw the need to rule with reason
She settled decades-long religious tension in England (Catholics vs. Protestants)
The Philosophes saw her as an inspiration to other monarchs: be an Enlightened ruler