The Enlightenment & the
American Revolution
Chapter 17
Philosophe
Natural Law
Natural Right
Enlightenment
Natural right
Rule of Law
Philosophe
* Member of a group of Enlightenment thinkers who tried to
apply the methods of science to the improvement of
society
Natural Law
* Rule or law that governs human nature
Natural Right
* Right that belongs to all humans from birth
Enlightenment
* Revolution in thinking. Through the use of reason, people
and governments could solve every social, political and
economic problem.
Natural right
* Right that belongs to all humans from birth
Rule of Law
* government by Law.
The rule of law implies that government authority may
only be exercised in accordance with written laws, which
were adopted through an established procedure.
Linkage of the Scientific Revolution to the
Enlightenment
• Belief in Progress
–The successes of the Scientific Revolution gave philosophes the
confidence that human reason could solve social problems.
• More secular Perspective
–Scientists made discoveries that contradicted & challenged
religious teachings.
• Importance of the Individual
–People turned away from the Church & royalty for guidance -
looked to themselves.
–Encouraged to use their own abilities & reason to problem solve
*Core Values of the
Philosophes
1.
Reason – truth could be discovered through reason
2.
Happiness – rejected medieval belief that people should
concentrate on finding happiness in the hereafter rather
than finding contentment & joy in this world
3.
Progress – Humankind could improve
4.
Liberty – called for liberties achieve from the Glorious
Revolution in the English Bill of Rights
Hobbes
* Influenced by the English
Civil War
* Human nature was wicked &
life was like state of war
* Social Contract req’d people
to give up liberties to an
absolute monarch.
* In return they gain order & security.
* Powerful gov't. = absolute
monarchy
* Wrote the Leviathan – he
argued people were naturally cruel,
greedy and selfish. If unchecked they
would fight, rob, and oppress.
Locke
* Locke believed that human
nature was essentially good.
* Humans were born with
natural rights of life, liberty,
property
* Purpose of gov't. was to
protect those rights
* If gov't. abused it’s
authority, as Britain had
done, people had a right to
overthrow the gov't.
• Principles include:
–Natural rights
–Purpose of gov't.
– Limited power/accepted by all
(rejected absolute monarchy)
–Justification to overthrow
gov't.
–Author of the Two Treatise
on government
Locke’s Chief
Influence
Voltaire
* poet, historian, essayist, and
philosopher who wrote with cutting
sarcasm and sharp wit.
* Prolific writer who used satire
against his enemies.
•
•
Attacked clergy, aristocrats & gov't.
Fought for religious freedom &
speech.
* Was jailed & exiled for his beliefs.
* sent to the Bastille prison twice due
to his criticism of French authorities
• Fought superstition, intolerance and
•
prejudice.
He corresponded directly with many
rulers
• Believed the best
organization of gov't.
included:
• Separation of powers (SOP) &
• Checks and balances (C/B)
• SOP was by itself a C/B
• Both ideas are part of the US
Constitution.
• Wrote Spirit of the Laws
Montesquieu
Rousseau
• Civilization corrupted man
• Wrote The Social Contract
• Only good gov't. had to be freely
formed (elected) & guided by the
“general will” of society.
• Favored “direct democracy” in
which individuals agree to give up
some freedoms in favor of the
common good.
• Consent of government
• Titles of nobility should be
abolished
• Influenced French Revolution/
• Consent of the governed in US
Constitution
Beccaria
* Interested in the justice
system
* Condemned torture &
irregular proceedings.
* Favored:
* Speedy trial
* Fair treatment
* Punishment proportionate
with the crime
* Abolishing capital
punishment
Wollstonecraft
* Women were not treated
fairly by most philosophes.
* Wollstonecraft believed that
women were entitled to an
equal education.
* Wrote A Vindication of the
Rights of Women
* Commercial Revolution (1500-1700)
* Rise in capitalism (laissez-faire):
* Mercantilism: economic self-sufficiency; business operate with little or no gov't.
* Overseas colonization:
* esp. Atlantic economy
* Scientific revolution:
* new inventions and experimentation in better agricultural practices
* Rise in population:
* between 1750 & 1850 pop. nearly doubled to 266 million .
* Adam Smith (1727-90): Wealth of Nations (1776)
* a.
* b.
* c.
* d.
Considered the “Bible” of capitalism.
Refined and expanded laissez-faire philosophy
Believed the economy is governed by the natural laws of supply and demand.
In a free market economy, competition will encourage producers to manufacture
most efficiently in order to sell higher quality, lower cost goods than competitors.
* e. gov't regulation only interferes with this natural self-governing style.
*
*
• government regulated
economic policy based on
the following beliefs:
• Wealth was measured by the
amount of gold/silver in
treasury which req’d that
nations maintain favorable
balance of trade.
• Colonies were desired
because they (1) provided
raw materials and (2)
markets for finished
products.
• Restrictive trade policies
which was reflected in the
Navigation Laws
* Adam Smith
* Leading physiocrat who
opposed mercantilism.
* Wrote Wealth of Nations
which argued that natural
forces of supply & demand
should operate the
economy.
* Strong supporter of laissezfaire.
* Encouraged individual
initiative
* government regulated
* Regulated by the
* Restricted trade
* Liberal free trade
market
* Tariffs
* Navigation Acts
* Mercantilism vs. LaissezFaire
*
*
* Published the Encyclopedia.
* Censorship used to prevent
the spread of ideas.
* Enlightened despots,
absolute rulers, were those
willing to consider some
reforms
Restricting access
Undaunted writers
* Gov’ts and Churches –
* Disguised
wanted to defend the
old order.
* Banned and burned
ideas in
works of fiction
* Montesquieu –Persian
Letters mocked French
society
books
* Imprisoned writers
* Voltaire – Candide
exposed the corruption
and hypocrisy of Eurp
society
*
*
• Originated in 1600s
• Noblewomen began
inviting enlightenment
philosophes in all fields
to their homes
• By the 1700s middle class
women began holding
salons.
• Another way in which
ideas were disseminated
• Experimented with
Enlightenment ideas
• Communicated with
Voltaire & Diderot.
• Gave some rights to
nobles
• However she allied
herself with nobles
who opposed change.
• Suppressed serf revolt
*
*
* King of Prussia
* Religious tolerance
* Hired Voltaire to set up
Prussian Academy
* Instituted reforms to
help commoners
* However reforms were
largely to make Prussian
gov't more efficient
• Dedicated reformer
• Disguised himself so he
•
•
•
•
could learn about their
problems and improve
them.
Hired qualified civil
servants rather than
nobles
Religious toleration
Ended censorship
Sold some church property
to build hospitals
*
Constitutional government
• government whose power is defined and limited by
law.
British Constitution = Magna Carta, English Bill of
Rights, all Acts of Parliament and unwritten traditions
that protect citizens’ rights. British government not
totally democratic.
Oligarchy
• government in which the ruling power belongs to a
few people.
• SEVEN YEARS WAR
(French and Indian War)
• Conflict between the British and the French in
their North American colonies
• Fought over Ohio River Valley and Gulf of St.
Lawrence.
• Native Americans fought on the French side.
• American colonists fought on the British side.
• British win. War EXPENSIVE!
• All French territory in Canada transferred to the
British.
The American
Revolution
The War Begins
Foreign Support
and British Defeat.
*British taxed colonies to pay for
French and Indian War.
*Stamp Act (1765) – required that
certain printed materials such as
legal documents, newspapers and
playing cards, carry a stamp saying
that a tax had been paid to Britain.
*Tea Act – Tea could be purchased
only from British merchants and
was also taxed.
*Boston Tea Party
*Intolerable Acts – closed Boston
Harbor, rescinded Massachusetts
charter, quartered troops in private
homes.
*Declaration of Independence
*
In January of 1776 an Englishman
named Thomas Paine published a
small book called Common Sense.
The book said all kings in general,
especially George III of England,
were bad. The book also stated
that America must be free. This
book became a best-seller. It
made Americans believe that
America should be a free and
independent nation.
*Drafted by Thomas Jefferson
*People had the right to “alter or
abolish unjust governments.”
*(Locke)
*Popular sovereignty All
government power comes from
the people.
*King had trampled the peoples’
natural rights.
*Colonists now had the right to
rebel
*
*
* Characteristics –
*
*
*
*
Ornate
Huge
Colorful
Glorified battles, lives of
saintes
* The Night Watch, Rembrandt
The Syndics of the Amsterdam Drapers' Guild, Rembrandt
* Moved away from
religious themes
* Lighter
* Elegant
* Charming
Happy Accidents of the Swing, Fragonard
*
*
The Composers
* Johann Sebastian Bach
* George Frederick
Handel
* Joesph Hayden
* Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart
* Ludwig von Beethoven
The Flute Concert of Frederick
the Great by Adolph Menzel. It
depicts the Prussian monarch
standing and playing the flute,
surrounded by adoring subjects
and musicians in the glow of
candle-lit chandeliers. This was
when a warrior king could also be
a Renaissance man, composer,
consummate artist and patron of
the humanities.
*
* Johann Sebastian Bach
* George Friedrich
Handel
* Dramatic Organ &
choral music
I’ll be
Bach!
*
* Composers
* Joseph Haydn
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
* Ludwig van Beethoven
* Lighter, more elegant music
* Novels which had
plots, suspense &
character
development.
* Entertaining stories
enjoyed by middle
classes.
* Written in language
that was understood
*