1. The Enlightenment

2. The Age of Reason
18th century intellectual movement based on reason caused by the scientific revolution
Questioned the physical universe
Centered in Paris -the modern Athens
Believed in natural laws - very secular
Criticized: a) Absolutism b) Established Church
Very important to American Revolution

3. Enlightened Thought
1) Natural science should be used to understand all aspects of life a) Nothing was to be accepted on faith b) Caused conflict with the church
2) Scientific laws were capable of discovering human and natural laws
3) Humans could create better societies and people

4. Enlightenment
Philosophe (Fr. Philosopher) but not only a French movement
Critics of absolutism did not face death for their beliefs like in other countries
Had to influence the elites
French was the lingua franca -international language of educated

5. All believed in the supremacy of human reason
Developed new ideas about God, human nature, good and evil, and cause and effect relationships
Humans were basically good, but corrupted by society - people needed guidance
Ideas were established by Marquis de Condercet in Progress of the Human Mind. Human history had 9 eras, but the 10th would be perfect
Salon - people of all classes met Madame Geoffrin and du Deffand

6. Bernard de Fontenelle popularized science and made it easy to understand Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds
Fontenelle brought science and religion into conflict (Catholics and Protestants scientists believed their work exhalted God)

7. John Locke English thinker, rejected Descartes
Defended the Glorious Revolution
Essay Concerning Human Understanding - Tabula Rasa theory all ideas were from experience

8. Humans do not want to submit to authority
Second Treatise of Government Govt. social contract theory
Life, liberty, property
People are the power
Supported a constitutional monarchy
Jefferson

9. Baron de Montesquieu French attorney
Different political theories for different times
Established separation of powers

10. Wrote The Persian Letters which criticized European customs
Wrote The Spirit of the Laws (1748) showed that governments were shaped by history.
A strong upper class was necessary to prevent abuses: despotism could be avoided if power was shared: but he was not a democrat
Admired the English system
Greatly influenced Franklin

11. Voltaire French, François Marie Arouet.
Imprisoned in the Bastille for being critical of the king
Moved to England
Madame du Châtelet who believed women were unequal because of their lack of education

12. Had an affair with his niece
Candide
Enlightened Despotism - best government was a good monarch
He continually challenged the Church
Deism - God was a clockmaker who built the universe and then let it work. rejected fundamental doctrines of Christianity
Most philosophes hated religious toleration
Died a millionaire because of shrewd business investments
He was a reformer not a revolutionary

13. The Encyclopedia
Edited by d’Alembert and Diderot to teach people to think critically
Collection of enlightened knowledge
Initially banned by the government
Not every article was original but the overall effect was revolutionary

14. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Swiss, brilliant but neurotic
People are good
Natural education Emile
Social Contract (1762) based on two concepts: the general will and popular sovereignty
“All men are born free . . .”
Sovereignty resides in the people

15. Law and Order Critics of the old legal system
Denounced torture and capital punishment
Rehabilitation of criminal

16. Economic Thought Critical of mercantilism
Govt. has three duties: a) defense against invasion b) maintain civil order c) sponsor public works
Did not call for harsher laws and more police to protect economic interests
Believed in the “invisible hand” of free competition

17. François Quesnay
In France the Physiocrats advocated laissez-faire economics.
Quesnay, advisor to Louis XV denounced mercantilism and stressed the importance of gold and silver
Insisted that land was the only source of wealth
Should be one tax on wealth derived from the land

18. Adam Smith
Scottish
Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776)
Production comes from the workers
Laissez-faire economics

19. Conclusion
According to Peter Gay there were 3 periods of the Enlightenment roughly : a) dominated by Montesquieu and Voltaire before set the tone of the movement b) Franklin, Hume, Rousseau mid-century fused anticlericalism and scientific speculation into a modern world view c) Holbach and Beccaria politics, social reform, legal reform, metaphysics
Criticism progressed by criticizing itself

20. Enlightenment centered on about twenty big names - but many more followers
Roughly 1689 (Montesquieu born) to 1789 (Holbach died)
First half were deists who focused on natural law; second half were atheist focused on utility
Timid political ideas were forced aside by more radical ideas
Although mostly Parisian the thinkers were characterized by anglomania