The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment
Essential Question
How much power should
governments have?
Review- Renaissance and
Scientific Revolution
• Before the Enlightenment took
hold of Europe, the
Renaissance had occurred. The
Renaissance led to the
Scientific Revolution. All of
these time periods are defined
by a sense of inquiry, or
questioning the established
order to find better ways of
doing things.
What was the Renaissance?
 Golden Age of arts and
literature in Western Europe
 Rebirth of classical learning
What was the Scientific
Revolution?
 Scientists begin to question
traditional beliefs
 Use of logic and reason,
observation and
experimentation
What was the
Enlightenment?
• A time period also known as the Age of
Reason
• It took place in Europe during the 18th
century (1700s)
The Enlightenment
• Also known as the Age of
Reason, the Enlightenment
grew out of the Scientific
Revolution of the 1500s &
1600s
• If scientists could understand the
physical world using reason,
then reason could also be
used to discover natural laws
which shape the human
experience.
Natural Laws- unchanged
moral principles, discovered
through reason, that govern all
human conduct
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE
LIGHTBULB REPRESENTS?
 THE ENLIGHTENMENT
OCCURRED B/W 1650 -1789
 Thinkers believed reason could be
used to uncover the laws that
govern human life
 Once the laws were known people
could make society better
 Believed that reason was a much
better guide than faith or tradition
Reason is the “light” that
reveals human error and
showed the way to truth
The Enlightenment…
• Using methods of modern science,
reformers set out to study human behavior
and solve the political, social and economic
problems of society using reason
• Enlightened thinkers, called philosophes,
were concerned with the relationship
between government and the people, and
their ideas were used by many modern
nations in the creation of government
• Resulted in the move away from
absolutism and divine right (religion) and
toward democracy and individual rights
(secularism)
 encouraged revolutionary leaders
throughout Europe and the Americas
What did the Philosophers Despise?
• Absolute Monarchs
• Land-Owning Nobles
• The Catholic Church’s Abusesf power
Absolutism
Knowledge is Power!
• The Catholic Church
and Absolute
Monarchs saw new
ideas and education
as threats to be
suppressed.
WHY?
• How does this tie in
the Enlightenment?
Age of Reason
l
(18th century Enlightenment)
Natural laws apply
to government as
well as science!
l
Rights to Life,
Liberty, and
Property
l
A FAIR society is based on
REASON, not “Divine Right”
l
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What society worked best?
Why were laws unjust?
How did the universe operate?
Was there a God?
Was the Earth really 4,000 years old?
Were there natural laws that governed people?
Who had the power to rule?
How did the human mind work?
Review
• In what way was the Enlightenment similar
to the Scientific Revolution?
A. BOTH focused on government and society
B. BOTH highly valued reason and
observation.
C. BOTH denied the existence of God.
D. BOTH were unimportant.
Review
• In what way was the Enlightenment similar
to the Scientific Revolution?
B. BOTH highly valued reason and
observation.
Review
• What is another name for Enlightenment?
• The Enlightenment took the reason of the Scientific
Revolution and used it for_________
Review
• What is another name for Enlightenment?
• Age of Reason
• The Enlightenment took the reason of the Scientific
Revolution and used it for_________
• Government
Central Concepts of the
Enlightenment
A. The methods of ______________ should
be used to understand all aspects of life through the use of ___________.
B. Discover the ____________ of human
society as well as the natural world (“social
science”)
C. The idea of ____________ - The
confidence in human power, human reason
to improve society
Central Concepts of the
Enlightenment
A. The methods of natural science should be
used to understand all aspects of life through the use of REASON
B. Discover the natural laws of human
society as well as the natural world (“social
science”)
C. The idea of progress - The confidence in
human power, human reason to improve
society
Central concepts of the
Enlightenment [cont]
D. Rejection of ___________ and ___________.
E. Tolerance and _________
F. ___________ - God does not intervene in the
world through miracles; he created the
world, and then removed himself from it
Central concepts of the
Enlightenment [cont]
D. Rejection of superstition and tradition
E. Tolerance and equality
F. Deism - God does not intervene in the
world through miracles; he created the
world, and then removed himself from it
Pair Share Activity
A period of intellectual growth that led to the
development of new ideas on society,
government, philosophy, economics, and
religion.
Marks the beginning of the modern world.
Can be captured in the words of Immanuel Kant
“Dare to know! Have the courage to
use your own understanding is
therefore the motto of the
Enlightenment.”
“Dare to know! Have the courage to use
your own understanding is therefore the
motto of the Enlightenment.”
~Immanuel Kant
Turn to your partner and discuss:
• What do you think this motto means?
• Does this motto relate to our world today?
• Why or why not?
Defining The Enlightenment
• Principal targets:
Religion and the
domination of
society by hereditary
aristocracy.
• In other words, the
church and the
state, who often
worked hand-inhand.
Major Enlightenment Ideas
• Every social, political and economic
problem could be solved through the
use of reason
• Governments are created to secure an
orderly society
• Separation of powers is the best way to
protect human liberties
• All men are created “free and equal”
• A free market should be allowed to
regulate trade
Enlightenment
Philosophes
Each had a different view
about :
HUMANS
Locke
Voltaire
Hobbes
Rousseau
AND
HOW GOVERNMENT
SHOULD CONTROL THEM
Enlightenment Song
Thomas Hobbes
• Argued that people are cruel,
greedy, and selfish- as a result
government (law) protects
people from each other
• Without government, people would
fight, rob, and oppress one another
• Social Contract- an arrangement
where people give up their rights
to be protected by the
government
• Supported absolute monarchs
• Wrote about his ideas in The
Leviathan
Leviathan-(1651)
A Leviathan (Sea Monster)
Taken from
Biblical book
Of Job
John Locke
• Believed that people are basically moral
and reasonable. They want to do the right
thing.
• All people are born free & equal with three
natural rights- life, liberty, and property
• Government exists at the consent of the
governed to protect their rights. If the
government fails to protect these rights,
the contract is broken and the people
may change or replace the government.
• Wrote Two Treatises of Government
stressing the best governments had limited
power—not an absolute monarchy
John Locke
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence
drew from ideas of Locke and others
Montesquieu
• Criticized absolute monarchies—admired
Britain's limited monarchy and said it
protected people’s rights.
• Believed having 3 branches in government
would prevent tyranny
– Having a separation of powers would
prevent any one branch from gaining
too much power over the other two
“In order to have…liberty, it is necessary
that government be set up so that one
man need not be afraid of another.”
Tyranny:
absolute ruler
abuses power;
unfair and harsh
rule
Montesquieu
Believed gov’t should be split into
these three branches, and that each
branch should be able to serve as a
check on the other two:
-Executive (enforces
laws)
-Legislative (makes the
laws)
-Judicial (applies laws)
Name one country that
adopted Montesquieu’s
idea of separation of
powers
Believed in separation of
powers in government-
Voltaire
• Believed in the freedom of press and used it to
expose the abuses of corrupt political and
church leaders.
• Fought for civil liberties- rights/freedoms of
citizens
– Freedom of Speech
– Freedom of Religion
– Separation of Church and State
• Believed that humanity’s worst enemies
were intolerance, prejudice & superstition
• His writings angered government and church
officials. He was imprisoned and forced into
exile. To stop his ideas from spreading his
books and writings were outlawed and burned.
“I do not agree
with a word
you say, but I
will defend to
the death your
right to say it.”
• Voltaire
• One of his most
famous sayings
“ I disagree with
what you say, but
will defend to the
death your right
to say it”
Jean Jacques Rousseau
• Believed that people were naturally good,
but were corrupted by society
• Unequal distribution of property was an
especially great evil of society
• Stressed the importance of the general
will- the will of the people as a whole
• Believed the good of the community
should be placed above individual
interests- common good
• Hated all forms of political and economic
oppression
Jean Jacques Rousseau
• Social Contract-1762
Humans were better off in primitive
stage, not civilization
Rousseau’s Social Contract
• Rousseau wrote The Social ContractRemember— a social
contract is an arrangement
where he lays out his ideas of
where people give up their
government and society
rights to be protected by the
• Society places too many limits on
government
peoples’ behavior- some controls are
necessary but should be minimal
• Only governments that had been
freely elected should impose law
• Sovereignty (the power to make laws)
should be in the hands of the people,
and therefore the only good
government is a direct democracy
Enlightenment for Women
• Natural Rights were for men only.
Though enlightened thinkers said
that
women had natural rights, they
were
limited to the areas of home and
family.
• Some women were exposed to
enlightened philosophy through
salons. Prominent and wealthy
women would host informal
parties where enlightened
thinkers could gather and
discuss literature, the arts,
science, philosophy and politics.
• Salons allowed Enlightenment
ideas to spread- because they
were hosted by women, guests
Vernacularcommon
language
Enlightened Women
• Mary Astell
– Wrote A Serious Proposal to the Ladies
(1694)
– Questioned the lack of educational
opportunities for women
– Criticized the unequal relationship
between men & women in a marriage
• Mary Wollstonecraft
– Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of
Women (1792)
– Women need education to participate
equally in public life
The Spread of Enlightenment
In addition to salons, the theories of enlightened thinkers spread
rapidly through the distribution of pamphlets and books. People
began to question the “traditional way” of doing things.
Before
After
-Absolute monarchs rule by
divine right
-Government should work to
protect the people
-Church has authority
-Flexible social classes- all
people have rights
-Strict separation between nobles
and peasants
-Suffer in life and be rewarded in
heaven
-Happiness on earth
Review
Writers of the Enlightenment were primarily
interested in
1.changing the relationship between people
and their government
2.supporting the divine right theory
3.debating the role of the church in society
4.promoting increased power for European
monarchs
Review
John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau
would be most likely to support
1.a return to feudalism in Europe
2.a government ruled by a divine right
monarchy
3.a society ruled by the Catholic Church
4.a society in which the people chose the
ruler
Review
Which statement best describes a change that
occurred during both the Renaissance and the
Enlightenment?
1.feudalism became the dominant political
system
2.a new questioning spirit and attitude emerged
3.technology and science were considered
unimportant
4.the use of reason and logic were discouraged
Review
Which statement reflects an argument of
Enlightenment philosophers against the
belief in the divine right of kings?
1.god has chosen all government rulers
2.independence is built by military might
3.the power of the government is derived
from the governed
4.a capitalist economic system is necessary
for democracy
Five Key Ideas of the
Enlightenment
The five important philosophical concepts
are
1. Reason
2. Nature
3. Happiness
4. Progress
5. Liberty
Five Key Ideas of the Enlightenment
• Urged the use of:
– Reason: absence of intolerance, bigotry or prejudice in one’s
thinking; beliefs should be rational and free of biases
– Nature: natural laws exist w/out man’s creation; what was natural
was good and reasonable; God is found in nature
– Happiness: a person who lives by nature’s law finds happiness;
argued against medieval notion that people should accept misery
as part of life’s circle; Philosophes believed in well-being on earth
– Progress: Philosophes believed individuals could seek perfection
and in return, society seek perfection; looked at human being as
capable of progress, making something better
– Liberty: freedoms should not be merely granted, but expected;
beliefs that we are born with liberties in nature
Reason
• Truth can be discovered
through reason (logical
thinking).
• Reason= unbiased
thinking – open to new
ideas
Denis Diderot “
Encyclopédie
1766
All things must be examined, debated,
investigated without exception and
without regard for anyone’s feelings…”
- Summarize & promote knowledge
Nature
• What is natural is good
and reasonable
• Natural laws affect
economics and politics
just as natural laws guide
science (ex: motion).
The Social Contract, 1762
How could this fraudulent contract of
government be made legitimate?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
1712-1778
“Man is born free; and everywhere he is
in chains. One thinks himself master of
others, and still remains a greater slave
than they. How did this change come
about? I do not know. What can make it
legitimate? That question I think I can
answer.”
“The General Will”
“I have never made but one
prayer to God, a very short one:
‘Oh Lord, make my enemies
ridiculous.’ And God granted
it.”
“Almost everything that goes beyond
the adoration of a Supreme Being
and submission of the heart to his
orders is superstition. One of the
most dangerous is to believe that
certain ceremonies entail the
forgiveness of crimes. Do you believe
that God will forget a murder you
have committed if you bathe in a
certain river, sacrifice a black
sheep…? … Do better miserable
humans, have neither murders nor
sacrifices of black sheep.”
God is a comedian playing
to an audience too afraid
to laugh.
It is dangerous to be
right when the
government is wrong.
I may not agree with what
you have to say, but I will
defend to the death your
right to say it.
Example of Deism
Happiness
*This was a time period of optimism.
*Believed every man had the right to
develop his full potential.
*Focus on secular issues to make life
better on earth.
Happiness
• Living by Nature’s
Laws brings
happiness.
• Happiness for all is
possible.
Liberty
*Guaranteed freedoms/rights that everyone should have
like press, speech, religion.
*Exploring the issues of equality amongst races and
gender.
*Exploring what is the best form of government and why.
*Create a government that will help overcome human
cruelty and violence by using its power to further social
improvements.
Liberty
• Envied liberties of
English (Glorious
Revolution; Bill of Rights)
• Society could be set free
through reason.
Progress
• A SCIENTIFIC
approach can lead to
perfect humanity and
science.
Influences or Effects of Enlightenment
F.A.S.T
1. (F)uel revolutions such as French and
American
Singing of Decl. of
Independence
• Storming of the Bastille
2. (A)pplied Reason to the human
world (government and law
3. (S)timulated religious tolerance
• (T)aught that our rights come from
natural law NOT the government
• Natural Rights
Centers of the Enlightenment
Legacy of the Enlightenment
Summarize using a mind map
Absolutists in the
18th century
attempted to apply
the principles of the
Enlightenment in
their kingdoms.
“Enlightened Despots”
• Most of Europe was
ruled by absolute
monarchs
Enlightened Monarchs
• Frederick II, Prussia
• Catherine the Great, Russia
• Maria Theresa, Austria
• Joseph II, Holy Roman Empire
• Gustav III, Sweden
• Napoleon I, France
Impact of the Philosophes
• Believed the best form
of government was a
monarchy in which the
ruler respected the
people’s rights
• Tried to convince
monarchs to rule justly
• Some thinkers ended
up corresponding with
or advising European
monarchs
Voltaire advised Fredrick the Great
Enlightened Despots
• Some monarch’s embraced the new ideas
and made reforms that reflected the
enlightenment ideals
• However, they had no intention of giving
up any power
• The changes they made were motivated
by two desires:
– to make their countries stronger
– to make their own rule more effective
“Let us admit the truth: the arts and
philosophy extend to only the few; the vast
mass, the common people and the bulk of
the nobility, remain what nature has made
them, that is to say savage beasts.”
-- Frederick the Great to Voltaire
TOLERANCE of religious minorities
REFORM of institutions
ABSOLUTISM (DUH!)
PATRONAGE of the philosophes
The Enlightened Absolutists
Catherine II
(Russia)
Frederick II
(Prussia)
Joseph II
(Austria)
Frederick the Great
of Prussia (1740–1786)
• Enlightened Reforms
• Granted religious freedoms
• Reduced censorship
• Improved education
• Reformed the justice system
• Abolished the use of torture
Frederick the Great
• Fredrick believed that serfdom was wrong
but did nothing to end it since he needed
the support of the wealthy landowners
• As a result, he never tried to changed the
existing social order
• This demonstrates the limitations of his
devotion to Enlightenment ideals
Fredrick the Great
• Most important
contribution was his
attitude toward being
king
• Called himself “the first
servant of the state”
• His goal was to serve
and strengthen his
country
• Wanted to transform
Prussia into a modern
state
PATRONAGE
Frederick corresponded with
Voltaire, who was a regular guest at
his court before their relationship
soured.
Catherine the Great
Russia (1762–1796)
• Took over the government
after she had her husband
arrested and confined
• Determined to “westernize”
Russia
• Introduced Enlightened
ideals to the Russian elite
• Backed efforts to modernize
industry and agriculture
PATRONAGE
Frederick corresponded with
Voltaire, who was a regular guest at
his court before their relationship
soured.
Frederick inspects a
potato harvest.
Potatoes were introduced as a
new crop in Prussia during
Frederick’s reign.
I like science... and
progress... and
food.
Religious
Toleration
Frederick expanded religious
toleration in Prussia, but still
favored Protestants for key
government posts.
Some rights reserved by disavian
MILITARISM
Frederick continued to support a
highly militarized state, contrary
to the principles of the
Enlightenment.
Catherine
“the Great”
Russia
Assassination?
Catherine’s husband,
Peter III, died less than a
year after taking the throne
– likely by assassination.
And I
helped!
PATRONAGE
Catherine purchased
Diderot’s library...
Then paid him a salary
to be her “librarian.”
Some rights reserved by geishaboy5
Queens
Dig Me!
Catherine corresponded
with Voltaire, who
appreciated her flattery.
Catherine the Great
• In 1767, she formed a commission to
review Russia’s laws
• Proposed reforms to the legal code
based on the ideas of Montesquieu
• She recommended allowing religious
toleration and abolishing torture and
capital punishment
• The commission accomplished none of
her goals
Catherine the Great
• She did little to improve the lives of the
Russian peasants
• Her views about enlightened ideas changed
after a massive uprising by serfs in 1773
• After the revolt, she was convinced she
needed the support of the nobles to maintain
her throne
– She gave the nobles absolute power over
the serfs, who lost all freedom
Catherine the Great
• Greatest contribution
was land expansion
• Controlled the northern
shore of the Black Sea
• Gained access to the
Mediterranean sea
through the Ottoman
controlled straights
• Expanded westward in
to Poland
Joseph II
Austria
MOST
Radical
LEAST
Effective
Co-Ruler with Maria Theresa
1765-1780
Joseph II
Austria (1765–1790)
• Most radical royal
reformer
• Reforms
• Legal reforms
• Freedom of the
press
• Freedom of
worship
Religious
Toleration
Joseph’s generous
religious toleration policy
included private worship for
Jews.
Some rights reserved by disavian
Map of the
Austria
n
Empire
Multi-Ethnic Empire
Centralization
of Administration
REFORM
REFORM
Joseph abolished “serfdom”
and granted more rights to
peasants (although landlords
retained some control).
Joseph II
• Most radical reform was the abolition of
serfdom
• He ordered all peasants be paid for
their labor in cash
• The nobles firmly resisted the change
• After his death, many of his reforms
were undone
Changing Relationship Between
Ruler and State
Old Idea
• As Louis XIV
reportedly said “I am
the state.”
• The state and its
citizens exist to serve
the monarch.
New Idea
• As Fredrick the Great
said, a ruler is only
“the first servant of
the state.”
• The monarch exists to
serve the state and
support citizen’s
welfare.
Task:
• Create a 3 column character chart for
Catherine, Joseph II, and Frederick II
• Using your books, write examples of
Enlightenment ideas adopted by these
individuals.
• Include examples of anti-Enlightenment
ideas.