The Enlightenment Part Two: Denis Diderot’s Encyclopedia of 1751

The Enlightenment and Its Impact

• Denis Diderot's Encyclopedia of 1751 was a collection of articles from various enlightenment writers that angered the government, aristocracy, and the Church.
• The Salon of Marie Therese Geoffrin was a significant intellectual gathering place that spread Enlightenment ideas, and many such salons were owned and run by wealthy women in France.

Artistic and Cultural Developments

• Neoclassicism emerged as a style of art in the late 1700s, characterized by elegance and simplicity, in contrast to the ornate Baroque style of the 1600s and 1700s.
• The Baroque style was exemplified in the Palace of Versailles.

Musical Evolution

• The Baroque style of music was prominent in the 1600s and 1700s, featuring composers like George Friedrich Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach.
• In the 1700s, music evolved into the Classical era, characterized by composers like Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Literary Developments

• Novels became more widely written and popular in the 1700s, appealing to the middle class with entertaining and relatable stories.

Enlightenment Thinkers and Monarchy

• Many philosophes believed that a monarchy was the best form of government, as long as the monarch respected the people's rights.
• Philosophers attempted to inspire monarchs to rule justly.

Enlightened Monarchs

• Frederick (the Great) II of Prussia (r. 1740-1786) granted religious freedom, improved education, reformed the justice system, and eliminated torture, earning the title "First Servant of the State."
• The Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II of Austria (1780-1790) implemented various reforms.