This booklet gives a description of the Age of Enlightenment and its various aspects. It also tells about the situations, conditions, and the role of different personalities influenced at that time.
1. The Age of Enlightenment 1700s-1800s
2. The Age of Enlightenment The Enlightenment, a philosophical movement beginning in France that advocated Reason and logic as the basis of authority and all decisions and using reason and logic to solve social problems
3. The Age of Enlightenment Many of the United States' Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by Enlightenment-era ideas:(1600s-1800s) – particularly in the religious sphere (separation of church and state) – And in the political sphere (a major influence on the U.S. Bill of Rights
4. The Age of Enlightenment Heavily influenced by the – Scientific Revolution: the time Scientific Revolution in Europe period where scientists in during the 1600s Europe began to observe, hypothesize, and experiment to reach conclusions about the natural world Challenged prevailing religious beliefs and the Catholic Church’s authority on all things relating to the natural Ex Galileo was excommunicated from the Church for arguing that the Earth revolved around the sun (Helio-centered universe) instead Developed the Scientific of other way around Method
5. Philosphes believed in using the Enlightenment philosophers scientific method to solve who met to discuss reason, social problems logic, rationale, and how to solve social problems were against Divine Right and believed the people are the source of government’s met in underground clubs called Salons
6. Who Were the Philosophes So Mad at? King Louis XIV of France (r. 1643- 1715 “The Sun King”
7. King Louis XIV (“The Sun King”) Ruled France as an absolute monarch in control of every aspect of every French citizen’s life Believed his entire kingdom revolved solely around him: called himself “The Sun King”
8. King Louis XIV (“The Sun King”) Lived a lavish life funded by heavy taxes on most of his subjects Most of his subjects lived in poverty with barely enough to eat
9. King Louis XIV (“The Sun King”) Believed in Divine Right: Believed God anointed him king so he was only responsible to answer to God, not to his
10. Palace of Versailles Became the French capital 12 miles outside of Paris Really angered the Philosophes Built 1671-1682 by King Louis XIV Shows how out of touch and insincere King Louis XIV was towards his subjects
11. Thomas Hobbes ● 1588-1679 ● British Philosopher ● Believed humans were naturally wicked
12. Thomas Hobbes Believed human beings Believed human could not be trusted to beings were make decisions to benefit naturally wicked all, only to benefit themselves Believed an absolute monarch was necessary to protect human beings from each other (Humans not capable of self rule)
13. Hobbes: Leviathan and Social Contract Wrote Leviathan 1651 Argued that the only way to avoid war, chaos, disarray was a strong central ruler Argued that the people Hobbes’ Social Contract: people give up their rights to an and the leader had a absolute ruler in exchange for Social Contract protection, law, and order. People do not have the right to rebel
14. Jean Jacque Rousseau ● Swiss Philosopher ● 1712-1778 ● Also had a “Social Contract” ● Wrote The Social Contract Book in 1762
15. Rousseau Believed humans were naturally good and corrupted by society, not the other way around (as Hobbes Believed society forces people to compete brining out the worst in people Believed government forces people to distrust each other and takes freedoms away
16. Rousseau Believed modern technology made people too dependent on one another Believed dependency created inequality, social classes,
17. Rousseau’s Social Contract The Social Contract: Believed that the people published 1762 are the source of government powers Believed government’s Believed if government did job was to help people be not do its job people had happy and needs cared the right to remove leaders, for rebel
18. Hobbes’ & Rousseau's Social Contracts Hobbes Rousseau People are naturally People start out good and wicked become corrupted by People need to surrender society their independence to an People are the source of absolute leader in government’s power exchange for law and Government needs to order help people People do not have the People can rebel if right to rebel leaders fail to do their job
19. Baron Montesquieu French Philosopher Believed government’s power needs to be checked
20. Baron Montesquieu Believed in 3 types of governments: ● Monarchies: ruled by a king/queen guided by honor ● Republics: ruled by elected officials guided by virtue ● Despotisms: ruled by absolute dictators guided by fear
21. Baron Montesquieu Separation of Powers Believed power in government had to be divided amongst different branches Believed checks and balances are necessary to keep one branch from becoming too Believed the people needed Heavily influenced America’s safeguards from government founding fathers 1770’s-1780’s becoming too powerful 3 Branches of Gov’t included in US Constitution
22. Separation of Powers (Checks and Balances)
23. John Locke 1632-1704 British Philosopher Believed all people were born with 3 natural rights (Life, Liberty, Property)
24. John Locke Believed people are born with minds as a blank slate to be filled up: not naturally good or bad Believed it was human nature to want to figure things out and to want to make sense of the world around you Disagreed with Hobbes that people are naturally wicked Believed humans were reasonable creatures capable of figuring out anything
25. Locke’s 3 Natural Rights Locke believed all people born with 3 Natural Rights: Life, Liberty, and Property Locke’s Natural Rights heavily influenced America’s Natural Rights included in US Declaration of Independence (Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of
26. Voltaire 1694-1778 French Philosopher Staunch supporter of individual
27. Voltaire Known for his wit and Believed that organized formal nonconformity religion was too constricting Was opposed to organized But did believe in freedom of religions criticizing other faiths religion and practitioners
28. Voltaire Staunch supporter of right to a fair trial Heavily influenced leaders of the French Revolution Was opposed to censorship: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it."
29. Mary Wollstonecraft British philosopher, author, and feminist
30. Mary Wollstonecraft 1792 wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Argued women are not naturally inferior to men; they just suffer from lack of educational
31. Mary Wollstonecraft Argued that men and women should be treated as equal beings Argued that social order should be determined by reason (usefulness) not by gender, race, wealth, etc.
32. Mary Wollstonecraft Argued that society Argued that women trains women to be should receive the same weak and more type and quality of concerned with their education as men superficial looks than contributions to society Argued it was a problem that men were so comfortable with treating women as inferiors
33. Mary Wollstonecraft Argued that proper Argued women must be education for women will given the opportunity to solve their problems participate in the public sphere as much as the private sphere Most Enlightenment Philosophes did not agree with her about the roles of women She was a feminist long before and education for women it was acceptable She inspired numerous later generations of feminists in numerous countries
34. Queen Elizabeth I (“The Virgin Queen”) 1533-1603 Was Queen of England Most powerful Queen in European History Believed in Divine Right
35. Queen Elizabeth I (“The Virgin Queen”) Believed in Divine Right but believed her subjects were like her children and she had to take care of them Never got married or had children: challenged the popular belief that women had to marry
36. Queen Elizabeth I (“The Virgin Queen”) Even though she believed in She settled decades-long religious Divine Right she still saw the tension in England (Catholics vs. need to rule with reason Protestants) The Philosophes saw her as an inspiration to other monarchs: be an Enlightened ruler
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