The Philosophy of the Enlightenment: The shift from exploring nature in the scientific revolution to

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The Philosophy of the EnlightenmentThe shift
from exploring nature in the scientific
revolution to the exploration of the nature of
man in the Enlightenment
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The 17th CenturyThe expansion of humanist logic

• Early use of humanist logic centered on nature
  and the use of scientific method
• When the authority of the Church was challenged
  in the 16th century and the individual was freed
  to explore systems of truth and values, man began
  to establish a system of inquiry that is the
  foundation of modern science. This period is also
  sometimes known as the Scientific Revolution.
• Note there were many, too, who used this freedom
  to more fundamentally view their religion and use
  the Bible as a source of truth.

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Modern Philosophy

• The father of modern thinking is Rene Descartes,
  who worked back to the most basic level of
  understanding to establish that perception and
  therefore knowledge begins from the individual.
  Cogito ergo sum, I think therefore I am.

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Descartes started out full of skepticism but
really wanted some certainty in life. This led
him to reject everything hed been taught and to
look for a basis of certainty in his own rational
powers. God, the Church, Aristotle, all previous
philosophers and even ancient literature were
ditched in the search for rational principles
from which to construct a secure system of
knowledge.
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Descartes principles

• Descartes broke down knowledge and followed this
  basic logic
• Mans perceptions are false
• It is possible to confuse dreams and reality
• It is possible for an omnipotent God to change
  reality
• If reality is so elusive, how do I know anything?
  I think, therefore I am.

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While contemplating what was real, how man knows
what is real, Descartes happened to be warming
his hands in front of a stove. From this point,
he began to work backwards, after which he
established his theory for how man comes to know
anything.
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Descartes government

• Descartes felt that reason was important, but he
  was confident if one person had control and could
  construct the laws and the system of government
  by himself, it would be superior to the rule of
  the community. He was in favor of a monarchy over
  a democracy.

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• Early 17th century
• Galileo At about the same time as Descartes was
  working on his philosophical ideas, Galileo was
  working with his own senses and coming to a
  conclusion that would get him into trouble with
  the Church. He lived in Italy and therefore fell
  under the Popes power. He was forced to recant,
  or take back, what he knew to be true, that the
  sun was the center of our solar system.

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Spinoza
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Spinozas government

• As the individual had distinct abilities to
  reason, the individual must be protected to allow
  for his reason to flourish. Governments role was
  to protect the citizen, though reasonable
  expectations of citizenship were allowed.
  Democracy was the best form of government,
  therefore.

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Late 17th century John Locke The next important
individual to consider. He believed that man was
born without previous knowledge, like a blank
slate, or tabula rasa.
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Lockes model
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Lockes government

• Locke, as a supporter of the blank slate model,
  claims we are all equal in knowledge and
  perspectives at birth and that each individual
  therefore must have protection. This protection
  is best afforded through democracy. His democracy
  will guarantee life, liberty and property in his
  model society.

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Knowledge comes from logical, rational
deduction Innate ideas form the only secure basis
for knowledge
All knowledge come from experience There are no
innate ideas
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Hobbes felt that man, in his bestial state,
needed to be controlled by a supreme authority.
He spoke for a monarchical system as the best to
control man.
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Rousseaus government

• The entering into a social contract, which
  defined the general will, was the goal of
  Rousseaus government. For him, democracy was the
  best model.

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