1. The Enlightenment: Why did it occur?
*For centuries, Kings and Emperors had ruled most settled societies
*They defended their rule by force, by referring to “Divine Right,” or by citing philosophy
*Mysticism and superstition dominated human thought

2. Long-standing notions of sovereignty:
Aristotle and Greek philosophers argued that “some are born to rule, others to be ruled”
Authors like Robert Filmer (Patriarcha) and Thomas Hobbes provided support for absolute monarchy

3. Inspiration for the Enlightenment:
John Locke ( ) argued that:
Government arose when people decided to work together, form civil society, and appoint rulers to protect property and interest
His Second Treatise on Government suggested that rulers who violated “social contracts” deserved to be removed through rebellion

4. Legacy of the Enlightenment and Locke:
*The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence is the climactic expression of Enlightenment—and John Locke’s—thought
*The sovereignty of reason, and the belief that science could demystify and explain nature—and improve the world

5. Anticipating unit two:
We will study a French-led, mainstream Enlightenment, led by Rousseau, Voltaire, the Encyclopedie, and Benjamin Franklin, but also address what some scholars now refer to as the Scottish Enlightenment, driven by David Hume and Adam Smith

6. (see http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume/ for more)
David Hume ( )
A Scottish philosopher known for his “skepticism”: he argued that what cannot be proved by reason shouldn’t be believed. But he did modify the dominant Enlightenment vision of rationality . . .
(see for more)

7. Adam Smith ( )
A Scottish scholar whose ideas about economics—made clear in his landmark The Wealth of Nations—led to the growth of modern capitalism (a system characterized by open competition in a free market conducted by, for the most part, private investors).