Enlightenment Era Overview

The Enlightenment Era

• Characterized by individualism, humanism, and skepticism as foundational sources of knowledge.
• Initiated in the late 17th century and extended through the early 19th century.
• Influenced by the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Protestant Reformation, which shifted focus from religious to human understanding.
• Spread globally, prompting revolutions against tyranny and social injustices.

Key Philosophers and Ideas

• The Age of Enlightenment emphasized human reason over superstition and obedience to authority.
• John Locke theorized that power originates from the people, contrasting with monarchical divine right.
• Rationalism vs. Empiricism debate: Rationalists believed knowledge stems from reason; empiricists, like Locke and Hume, asserted knowledge comes from sensory experiences.
• Deism emerged, positing a non-interventionist creator who established universal laws.

Knowledge and Social Contracts

• Diderot and d'Alembert compiled knowledge in the Encyclopédie, covering natural sciences and industry.
• Montesquieu argued for governmental separation of powers to prevent corruption, forming the basis for checks and balances.
• Enlightenment ideals encouraged challenges to traditional authority in government and knowledge.

Key Terms Explained

• Rationalism: Knowledge is primarily discovered through human reason.
• Natural Law: Everything in the universe operates based on discernible principles tied to human behavior and government.
• Social Contract: Government arises from a mutual agreement, and citizens have the right to replace failing governments.

Influential Figures

• Francis Bacon: Father of experimental science; promoted empiricism and controlled experimentation.
• Thomas Hobbes: Advocated for absolute monarchy; viewed human life in the state of nature as "nasty, brutish, and short."
• John Locke: Emphasized natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the people's right to revoke governmental power.

Capitalism vs. Communism

• Capitalism emerged from the decline of feudalism, advocating for minimal government interference in economic activities.
• Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations promoted laissez-faire economics, emphasizing the market's invisible hand.
• Communism posits that economic prosperity requires total state control over businesses.

The Age of Discovery

• The Old World refers to Europe, Africa, and Asia; the New World pertains to the Americas.
• The Columbian Exchange facilitated the transfer of goods, crops, and diseases between the continents after Columbus's voyages.

Colonial Exploitation and Reform

• Encomienda System: Forced labor from indigenous people by Spanish colonists, aimed to encourage colonization but diminished due to abuse and depopulation.
• Bartolomé de las Casas advocated for indigenous peoples' rights, challenging the abuses of the encomienda system.

Columbian Exchange Details

• Introduced crops like tomatoes and potatoes to the Old World while bringing sugarcane and horses to the New World.
• Resulted in both beneficial exchanges and detrimental impacts, such as the spread of disease and slavery.