1. Age of Enlightenment
How did the Enlightenment lead to the rejection and reform of absolute monarchies?

2. The Big Picture Late 1600s – 1700s Roots date back to Renaissance
Direct result of Scientific Rev.
Application of scientific methods could explain the laws of society and human nature
Believed they could solve all problems and create a better society

3. Major Ideas from the Enlightenment
•Social Contract-An agreement among the members of an organized society or between the governed and the government defining and limiting the rights and duties of each.
•Natural Rights-theory that individuals have basic rights given to them by nature or God that no individual or government can deny.
•Consent of the governed-the authority of a government should depend on the consent of the people, as expressed by votes in elections.
•Rule of Law-government by law : adherence to due process of law.
•Limited Government-a type of government in which its functions and powers are prescribed, limited, and restricted by law.
•Separation of Powers-allocation of the legislative, executive, and judicial powers among the three branches of government
•Freedom of Religion-to practice one's religion or exercise one's beliefs without intervention by the government and to be free of the exercise of authority by a church through the government
•Freedom of Speech-the right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of governmentrestrictionsbasedoncontentandsubjectonlytoreasonablelimitations

4. Key Ideas of Enlightenment
Reason
Nature and Natural laws
Humans should rely on reason to improve society.
Natural laws regulate both the universe and human society.
Can be discovered by human reason.

5. Key Ideas of Enlightenment
Progress
Believed in social progress
Discovery of laws of economics and government would improve society and make progress inevitable.

6. Key Ideas of Enlightenment
Wanted to remove limitations on human liberty.
Inalienable / natural rights
Advocated full religious tolerance
Key Ideas of Enlightenment
Liberty
Toleration

7. Enlightenment Forerunners
Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727)
Newton discoveries prove the power of the mind
Proved mechanical and mathematical patterns in the physical world.
Avoid metaphysics (abstract) and supernaturalism

8. Enlightenment Forerunners
State of nature = man corrupt, unhappy, selfish
Solution = absolute monarchy
Social Contract – people gave up freedoms for organized society
Enlightenment Forerunners
Thomas Hobbes

9. Enlightenment Forerunners
John Locke ( )
People reasonable and moral
Natural rights: life, liberty, and property
Gov’ts duty was to protect people’s natural rights
Best gov’t was a limited one
People could overthrow gov’ts that failed to protect rights
Inspired the philosophy behind the Declaration of Independence

10. Enlightenment Audience
Intellectual elite
Small fraction of society, (aristocracy and wealthy middle class)

11. Enlightenment Hotspot France
French international language of the educated class
Wealthiest and most populous country at the time
Cultural center

12. Who were the philosophes?
French term used to describe the thinkers of the age.
Often literary figures, economists, historians, etc.
Held the key beliefs of the Enlightenment

13. Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755)
Advocate for the separation of powers
Executive
legislative
Judicial
Promoted Checks and balances
Protects the rights and preserves freedoms
Ideas influenced the Constitution

14. Voltaire (1694-1778) Challenged R.C.C. Argued for religious tolerance
Criticized France’s government
Believed in freedom of speech - Legacy can be seen in our First Amendment
Voltaire ( )

15. Denis Diderot ( )
Compiled the Encyclopedia – writing / ideas of Enlightenment thinkers
Spread Enlightenment thinking
Secularized learning
Knowledge organized in systematic and scientific fashion

16. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
People are naturally good BUT corrupted by the evils of society
Believed that due to social inequalities people enter into a social contract and surrender their rights to the will of the majority (general will)
Promoted a limited and freely elected gov’t

17. Economic thinkers in 18th century France
Developed first complete system of economics
Looked to natural laws to define a rational economic system
Who were the physiocrats?

18. Adam Smith (1723-1790) Scottish
Advocate of laissez-faire economics (gov’t hands-off approach)
Wrote Wealth of Nations
Outlined capitalism
Invisible hand of supply, demand, and competition works in the best interest of everyone
Adam Smith ( )