• 9/4 Focus:
– The Scientific Revolution inspired intellectuals
to apply reason to the study not only of
science but also of human society
• Do Now:
– Identify one European absolute monarch?
The Enlightenment
The Scientific Revolution
• Period in the 1500’s
and 1600’s
• Scientific thinkers
began using
observation and
experimentation to
explain the natural
world
– Use of the Scientific
Method
• Sir Francis Bacon
•
The Scientific Revolution
Before the Scientific
Revolution
After the Scientific
Revolution
• Religious
teachings and
traditional beliefs
explained the
universe and how
the world worked
• Observation and
experimentation used to
explain natural world
and solve problems
• Scientific Method
• Examination of natural
laws governing the
universe
– Ex. The Laws of Gravity
The Enlightenment
• The use of reason to
guide people’s thoughts
about mankind and its
relationship to
government and society
– Known as the Age of
Reason
– Challenged traditional
authority
• Introduced new ways of
viewing:
–
–
–
–
Government
Authority
Power
Law
Natural Law
• Writers and
philosophers tried to
use reason to discover
laws that govern
human behavior
• 9/8 Focus:
– Enlightenment philosophers created new
assumptions about the proper use of power,
who had authority, and what made up a
good government
• Do Now:
– Identify one Enlightenment thinker that was
discussed in Global I.
• 9/9 Focus:
– Enlightenment thinkers used the scientific
revolutions emphasis on reason to suggest
reforms in government and society.
• Important Terms:
– Reason, Natural Law, Social Contract
• Do Now:
– What was the theory of Divine Right ?
Philosophes
• Enlightenment
ideas spread
from Europe to
the Americas
– Paris, France
became a meeting
place for
enlightenment
philosophers
• Met in salons
• Discussed politics
and ideas about
human nature
•
Philosophes
• Five core beliefs:
– Reason
– Nature/Natural laws
– Happiness
• Living by nature’s law
– Progress
• Trying to improve
society
– Liberty
• Reason could set
society free
Social Contract
• Agreement between
people and leaders
that resulted in
organized society
– People gave up certain
rights to a leader
– Leader was obligated
to protect people
Thomas
Hobbes
John Locke
Voltaire
Enlightenment
Philosophers
Rousseau
Montesquieu
Thomas Hobbes
• English philosopher;
author of the Leviathan
• People are naturally
greedy and selfish
• Absolute monarchs
were needed to create
a peaceful society
– People gave up freedom
to the monarch in return
for order in society
People are
naturally
greedy and
selfish
Thomas
Hobbes
Powerful
governments were
needed to create
peaceful and orderly
society
Supported
absolute
monarchy
John Locke
• English philosopher; Two
Treatises on Government
• Believed all men were born
with certain natural rights
– Life, liberty, and property
• People form governments
to protect those rights
– Government can be
overthrown if those rights
are not protected
Life
Liberty
People born with
natural rights
Governments
formed to protect
natural rights
People can
overthrow govt’s
that don’t protect
these rights
Property
John Locke
Rousseau
• French philosopher; wrote The
Social Contract
• Believed people were naturally
good but became corrupted by
evils of society
– Unequal distribution of
property
– Scarcity of resources
• Thought all people were equal
– Titles of nobility should be
abolished
Rousseau
• The social contract was
an agreement between
free individuals to
create a society, make
laws and a government
• People gave up
certain
freedoms/self
interests to this
government for the
common good
Rousseau
• Government should be
based on the will of the
people
– “The general will”
• democracy
– Citizens and rulers
must follow the will of
the people
– Majority should always
work for the common good
People both
make and obey
laws in
perfect
society
Rousseau
The common
good is more
important than
what is good
for the
individual
Baron de Montesquieu
• French philosopher; On the
Spirit of Laws
• wrote that powers of
government should be
separated between 3
branches
– Legislative
– Judicial
– Executive
• Checks and balances prevent
tyranny and abuse of power
Executive
Separate
government
powers into 3
branches
Legislative
Judicial
Montesquieu
Each branch
checks the
power of the
others
Would prevent
tyranny
Voltaire
• French philosopher
who wrote about the
importance of
freedom of speech,
religious freedom, and
tolerance
– Criticized the French
government and the
Catholic Church
French
Monarchy
Catholic
Church
Criticized social
injustice
Voltaire
Pushed for
freedom of speech,
the press, and
religious toleration
Points for Discussion
• Contrast Locke’s theory of natural
rights with Hobbes support for the
divine right of absolute monarchs
• 9/11 Focus:
– Many Europeans, including some monarchs,
were influenced by enlightenment ideas and
sought to change the old order.
• Important Terms:
– Separation of Powers, Enlightened Despot,
Nationalism
• Do Now:
– What three natural rights did Locke believe all
people were born with ?
Impact of the Enlightenment
Government and
church censorship to
suppress
Enlightenment ideas
Impact of
the
Enlightenment
Impact of the Enlightenment
• Governments and the Church
to try to suppress
Enlightenment ideas
– Censorship
• Removing politically
dangerous ideas and
info from books,
newspapers, etc.
– Books bans & book
burnings
– Arrest of some
enlightenment
philosophers
Impact of the Enlightenment
Government and
church censorship to
suppress
Enlightenment ideas
Impact of
the
Enlightenment
Some monarchs
accepted
enlightenment ideas
and tried to reform
their countries
Maria
Theresa
(Austria)
Enlightened
Despots
Joseph II
(Austria)
Catherine
the Great
(Russia)
Maria Theresa of
Austria
 Forced nobles and
clergy to pay
taxes
 Reduced taxes on
the peasants
 Made primary
education
available to
children
Joseph II of Austria
 reforms and
freedom of the
press
 Supported religious
toleration
 Abolished serfdom
Catherine the Great
 Reforms to the legal
system
 Religious toleration
 Land Reforms
Impact of the Enlightenment
Government and
church censorship to
suppress
Enlightenment ideas
Impact of
the
Enlightenment
Some monarchs
accepted
enlightenment ideas
and tried to reform
their countries
Inspired sense of
individualism & belief
in basic equal rights
People demand more
democracy in gov’t
Maria
Theresa
(Austria)
Enlightened
Despots
American
Revolution
French
Revolution
Revolutions in
Latin America
Joseph II
(Austria)
Catherine
the Great
(Russia)
Growth of
nationalism
Points for Discussion
• According to Montesquieu, what was the
best way to prevent tyranny and abuse
of power in government?
• How did the enlightenment contribute
to the outbreak of revolutions in
America and France?