Enlightenment Notes
 Enlightenment- 18th century philosophical movement of
intellectuals who were greatly impressed with the
achievements of the scientific revolution.
Philosophes (philosopher) intellectuals of the enlightenment
 Isaac Newton- Natural laws that governed the physical
world
 Thomas Hobbes- humans were guided by a ruthless
struggle for self preservation
o Government was made so people did not destroy one
another
 Led by an absolute ruler with absolute power to
preserve order
 John Locke- people were molded by their experiences
around the world. If environments changed then people
could change
o People had natural rights- life, liberty, and property
o Born with natural rights
o Government was to protect peoples rights
 Montesquieu- Studied different governments and found
three basic types of governments
o Republics- good for small states
o Despotism- appropriate for larger states
o Monarchies- used in moderate-sized states
 Functioned through Separation of Powers
 Executive, Legislative, and Judicial
 Voltaire- “all men are brothers under God”
 Diderot- Created the Encyclopedia
o Meant to change the way people thought
 Adam Smith- believed that people should pursue their own
economic self-interest and that society would ultimately
benefit from this.
o Laissez-faire- government should not interfere with
economics
o Government should only have three basic roles
 Army- to protect from invasion
 Police- defend citizens from injustice
 Public works- roads, canals etc
 Jean-Jacques Rousseau- wrote The Social Contract people
agree to be governed by general will
 Mary Wollstonecraft- believed that women deserved the
same rights as men
Spread of Enlightenment ideas
 Print- many ideas were put in print through books,
magazines and newspapers
 Salons- elegant rooms of the wealthy upper class.
o Guest had to be invited and took part in conversations
about enlightenment ideas
Enlightenment Notes
 Enlightenment- 18th century philosophical movement of
intellectuals who were greatly impressed with the achievements of
the scientific revolution.
Philosophes (philosopher) ________________________________
 Isaac Newton- ______________ that governed the physical world
 ______________________- humans were guided by a ruthless
struggle for self preservation
o Government was made __________________________
_________________________________
 Led by an absolute ruler with absolute power to
preserve order
 __________________- people were molded by their experiences
around the world. If environments changed then people could
change
o People had natural rights- ______________________
o Born with natural rights
o Government was ______________________________
 Montesquieu- Studied different governments and found three basic
types of governments
o ___________________- good for small states
o ___________________- appropriate for larger states
o ___________________- used in moderate-sized states
 Functioned through ________________________
 ________________________________________
 Voltaire- “all men are brothers under God”
 Diderot- Created the Encyclopedia
o Meant to change the way people thought
 ___________________- believed that people should pursue their
own economic self-interest and that society would ultimately
benefit from this.
o ______________________- government should not interfere
with economics
o Government should only have three basic roles
 _____________- to protect from invasion
 Police- __________________________________
 Public works- roads, canals etc
 Jean-Jacques Rousseau- wrote The Social Contract, people agree
to be governed by general will
 Mary Wollstonecraft- believed that women deserved the same
rights as men
Spread of Enlightenment ideas
 Print- many ideas were put in print through ______________
__________________________________
 Salons- elegant rooms of the wealthy upper class.
o Guest had to be invited and took part in conversations about
enlightenment ideas
Name_____________________________
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. Immanuel Kant was a German
thinker of the Enlightenment.
Have courage to use your own intelligence! That is the motto of the Enlightenment….
All that it required for this enlightenment is freedom; and particularly the least harmful of all that
may be called freedom, namely the freedom fro man to make public use of his reason in all
matters. But I hear people clamor on all sides: “Don’t argue!” The officer says: “Don’t argue,
drill!” The tax collector; “Don’t argue, pay!” The pastor: “Don’t argue, believe!”….Here we
have restrictions on freedom everywhere. Which restriction is hampering Enlightenment, and
which does not or even promotes it? I answer; the public use of a man’s reason must be free at all
times, and this alone can bring Enlightenment among men.
Immanuel Kant, “What is Enlightenment?” 1784
1. What does Kant believe is necessary in order to spread the ideas of the Enlightenment?
2. Why does Kant mention the officer, the tax collector, and the pastor?
3. Why does Kant believe that the public use of reason is “the least harmful of all that may
be called freedom”?
4. Why do you think Kant tells people to have the courage to use their own intelligence?
5. Describe how Kant’s words embody the spirit of the Enlightenment?