Enlightenment History: The Age of Reason PDF

From 1650 to 1800, European philosophers began rethinking old ideas about gov’t, religion, economics which led to an era known as the Enlightenment (also called the Age of Reason)  The intellectuals of the Enlightenment The were Enlightenment called philosophes &...

From 1650 to 1800, European philosophers began rethinking old ideas about gov’t, religion, economics which led to an era known as the Enlightenment (also called the Age of Reason)  The intellectuals of the Enlightenment The were Enlightenment called philosophes & they shared some basic New truths could beliefs could be Everything be discovered by explained by observing using logic & universal truths known reason A belief in progress, as natural laws People are born that with natural the world can be rights (personal improved, & that life freedoms that should be enjoyed protect liberty)  Why did the Enlightenment begin? During the Renaissance, During the people began to Age of question medieval Exploration, ideas, emphasize the discovery of individual potential new lands & trade (humanism), & routes led encourage Europeans to education During the Duringsearch the“new” Age of Protestant for other Absolute Reformation, things Monarchs, people began to powerful kings question church spent lavishly, teachings, freely fought expensive explore new ideas, wars, &  …During theEnlightenment This gave Scientific Revolution, philosophers scholars a model toapplied followlogic, perfected to make the new theories scientific method, & made new about society discoveries that shattered old ideas… The most important Enlightenment ideas were those that challenged rule by absolute monarchs & presented new theories about government Political Ideas of the Enlightenment One of the first political thinkers of the Enlightenment was Thomas Hobbes Hobbes was bothered by the English Civil War & chaos that plagued England after the beheading of King Hobbes believed Charles I that humans are naturally What kind of cruel, selfish, & hungry government for power; Hobbes do you think argued that people need Hobbes to be protected from Political Ideas of the Enlightenment Hobbes supported rule by absolute monarchs; He used scientific reasoning to argue that only kings with absolute power could Hobbes believed in maintain order in an idea called the social society contract: people give up power & rights to a king who provides law & order  Political Ideas of the Enlightenment English philosophe John Locke disagreed with the ideas of Thomas Hobbes He was influenced by the Glorious Revolution when the Bill of Rights was created to protect citizens’ rights Locke believed that people are born with natural rights, What kind of including life, liberty, government property; Locke argued do you think that kings could be Locke Political Ideas of the Enlightenment Locke supported The English Bill limited or of Rights (1689) constitutional The king cannot Locke believed that monarchies tax or overturn gov’t power came Parliament’s from the consent of laws the governed Protected (approval of the freedom of people) & that kings speech The army should protect the cannot be used rights of the people as a police force No excessive Political Ideas of the Enlightenment The French philosophe Voltaire was one of the most famous writers of the Enlightenment Voltaire argued for the rights of freedom of speech & religion; He criticized intolerance, prejudice, & oppression Voltaire was jailed twice in France for criticizing the gov’t but his letters to European monarchs helped introduce new reforms & freedoms  Political Ideas of the Enlightenment Baron de Montesquieu agreed with John Locke that government should protect individual liberties & that too much powerbelieved Montesquieu led to tyranny of in separation powers: divide power among 3 branches of government Montesquieu’s model of gov’t also included a system of checks & balances in which each branch of gov’t could limit the power of the other branches Political Ideas of the Enlightenment The Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed in individual freedom Rousseau believed that people are naturally good, but power corrupts them; Free people form a social contract & gov’t based on the common good What kind of Rousseau argued for a gov’t do you direct democracy that think is guided by the general Rousseau will of the majority of  Political Ideas of the Enlightenment Italian philosopher Cesare Beccaria criticized abuses in the justice system Beccaria was upset with the use of torture, corrupt judges, secret trials, & severe punishments for crimes Beccaria argued that people accused of crimes should be given a fair & speedy trial and that capital punishment & torture should be abolished Impact of the Enlightenment Enlightenment Salons (discussion thinkers challenged parties), high literacy the divine right of rates & cheap kings & argued for printing helped liberty & rights spread new ideas These theories inspired a acrossvariety Europeof new ideas in art, music, gender, economics, & government  Impact of the Enlightenment: Culture Enlightenment ideals Art in the of perfection & Enlightenment was reason gave rise to simple, elegant, & neoclassical art focused on Greek styles Jacques Louis Jean-Baptiste-Simeon David Impact of the Enlightenment: Culture Music composers Music became a created new, popular art that elegant styles of people went to music known as concerts to hear classical Wolfgang Beethoven used Franz Joseph Franz Joseph Wolfgang emotion & Haydn created Amadeus Beethoven Haydn Amadeus Mozart set a range to move the first music beyond newMozart standard Impact of the Enlightenment: Economics One of the most important Enlightenment ideas was the theory of capitalism & laissez-faire economics by Scottish professor Capitalism is an Adam Smith economic model based on private ownership of property & desire to make profits Laissez-faire is the idea that the economy thrives when the gov’t According to Adam does not interfere Smith, price is with businesses & determined by Impact of the Enlightenment: NewDuring Ideasthe Enlightenment, people throughout Europe & America began to study, read, & philosophize about To collect thesenewnewideas ideas & make them accessible, Denis Diderot created the first encyclopedia Encyclopedia included essays & sketches on a wide variety of political, scientific, Encyclopedia& cultural spread ideas the ideas of the Enlightenment & Impact of the Enlightenment: Women Most Europeans had a traditional view of women as housewives, mothers, But, new & not equals to men Enlightenment ideas inspired efforts to improve Madame women’s Geoffrin status hosted salons & spoke her mind Some women, like Mary Wollstonecraft, argued for more opportunities for Impact of the Enlightenment: Kings Enlightenment philosophes attacked Some powerful absolute kings like monarchs known Louis XIV & Peter the as enlightened Most philosophes Great despots listened believed that the best to new ideas & form of gov’t tried to improve was a limited monarchy the lives that respected citizens’ of their citizens rights  Enlightenment despots favored religious tolerance, tax reform, reduced gov’t spending, & legal rights Frederick the Catherine the Joseph II of Great of Prussia Great frequently Austria granted granted religious wrote to Voltairefreedom of freedom, & consideredspeech, press, abolished torture, protecting the religion & required & improved rights of her peasants to be Impact of the Enlightenment: Revolutions As the Enlightenment spread, citizens began questioning the authority of their kings… …as a result, revolutionary wars broke out in America, France, & Latin America for