1. The Enlightenment
World History

2. Development
Enlightenment: movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems (17th and 18th century)
Reasons:
Scientific Revolution (rational thought)
Absolute Monarchs
Glorious Revolution in England
Major Focus: Change government to give people more power

3. Development (Cont.) Thomas Hobbes: Men needed laws
Social Contract: people gave rights to gov’t for law and order
John Locke:
Natural Rights: Life, Liberty and Property
People could rebel against unjust rulers

4. The Philosophes (French “Social” Philosophers)
Five Major Concepts:
Reason: truth through logic
Nature: “natural” laws are good
Happiness: joy in the physical world
Progress: improve society
Liberty: freedoms

5. Philosophes were educated men who studied history, philosophy, science, religion, etc…
It was illegal for them to meet in France. They meet in “salons” to discuss politics and hide from the authorities. What does this salon look like?

6. Philosophes (Cont.)
Voltaire: criticized church & gov’t/ fought for personal freedoms
Montesquieu: separation of power/ divide power in gov’t
Rousseau: gov’t should be formed by the people
Beccaria: stressed reforms to the justice system

7. – Jean Jacques Rousseau
“The end of law is, not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.” – Thomas Hobbes
"Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”
– Jean Jacques Rousseau
“God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.” – Voltaire
“In the infancy of societies, the chiefs of state shape its institutions; later the institutions shape the chiefs of state” – Charles de Montesquieu

8. The Enlightenment Spreads
Mary Wollstonecraft: pressed for women’s rights
Art, Music and Literature:
Neoclassical Art: influenced by Greco-Roman art
Classical Music: light & elegant (Ex: Mozart and Beethoven)
Novels: fictional stories became more popular
Individualism: stressed individual thought over church and state/ led to more scientific, political and social reforms
Enlightened Despots: Monarchs made reforms based on Enlightenment ideas (Ex: Austria, Russia)