The Enlightenment
-A movement in the 1700s that
stressed a scientific approach to
life.
-A revolution in thinking.
Brought on by the Scientific
Revolution (1500s-1600s)
Copernicus- heliocentric theory
Jenner- smallpox vaccine
Many advancements in physics,
chemistry, anatomy, etc…
Famous Figures from the Enlightenment
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
Montesquieu
Voltaire
Rousseau
Diderot
Mary Wollstonecraft
Thomas Hobbes
Leviathan
“people are naturally cruel and
greedy”
“solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and
short” – Hobbes on life without strict
laws.
Absolute monarchy is best b/c it
imposes order and obedience.
John Locke
“people are basically reasonable and
moral”
“natural rights” – life, liberty, property
Best government- democracy
People have the right to overthrow a
govt if it is unjust or inept.
Montesquieu
Montesquieu
Best known for the idea of “separation of
powers” and “checks and balances”
“Power should be a check to power”
His book The Spirit of the Laws had a
profound impact on the framers of the U.S.
Constitution.
Legislative, executive, and judicial
branches
Voltaire
Voltaire
 Francois-Marie Arouet
 Probably the most influential philosophe
Used wit, sarcasm, satire
 Best known for defending free speech
 Also argued against slavery, religious
intolerance, superstition
 Targeted corrupt govt officials in his writings
 His books were banned and outlawed; he
was imprisoned twice and exiled to England.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Rousseau
The Social Contract
Believed society corrupted people
Believed titles of nobility should be
abolished
Disapproved of traditional education
of his time – favored more vocational
and physical education.
Denis Diderot
Diderot
Published the Encyclopedia.
Articles criticized slavery, encouraged
free expression and education for all
Banned by the Catholic Church
Seen as very controversial for the
time
Helped spread Enlightenment ideas
Mary Wollstonecraft
Wollstonecraft
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Accepted traditional women’s roles,
but…
Called for equal education for boys
and girls
Believed women should be allowed to
participate in politics
Spread of Ideas
Paris was the center of the Enlightenment,
and ideas spread from there.
How?
The Encyclopedia
Salons – informal social gatherings
(usually at the homes of wealthy or
middle-class women) where ideas were
exchanged.
Wrap-Up
So…what was the Enlightenment?
An intellectual movement of the 1700s
where philosophers held old ways of
thinking up to the light of reason to
examine them.
• Divine Right
• Unequal social classes
• Women’s lack of rights
Periods of Art History
Baroque: A style in art and
architecture developed in Europe
from about 1550 to 1700; a grand,
complex style; paintings were
huge, colorful, and exciting; this
style was made to match the
grandness of the lives of absolute
monarchs.
Periods of Art History
Rococo: A style in art and
architecture developed in Europe
in the mid 1700s; more personal,
elegant, and charming; paintings
more often showed families and
relationships between people.
Periods of Art History
Neoclassical: A style in art and
architecture developed in Europe
in the late 1700s and 1800s; a
revival of the style from classical
Greece and Rome; reflected
simplicity, order, balance, and
symmetry.
This stained glass
window is the highly
dramatic focal point
of The Throne of
Saint Peter, 165766, marble, white
and gilt stucco, and
stained glass,
overall height about
100 feet, Saint
Peter's Basilica,
Vatican, Rome.
Vaux-le-Vicomte,
France
Jean Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) - arguably the
greatist French painter of his time. This is entitled
"The Embarkation for Cythera"
Francois Boucher
(1703-70)
This is entitled
"Venus Consoling
Love" (1751)
Long Term Effects
Belief in progress
A more secular outlook
Importance of the individual
Views toward Children
View of nature (sinful to good)
Discipline (strict to relaxed)
Increased demand for toys
and children’s goods
Jigsaw puzzles, rocking
horses, games, baby clothes