Age of Reason 1600s1800s

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Age of Reason1600s-1800s
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Scientific Method Will be used to discover
natural laws in human nature not just physical
science!
Observation
Formulating a Hypothesis
Prediction
Experimental Tests
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Revolution and Reason

• The Scientific Revolution convinced many
  Europeans of the power of human reason.
• Enlightenment philosophers admired scientists
  use of reason to understand the natural world.

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The Impact of this New Thinking

• Led to another revolution in thinking, which came
  to be known as the Enlightenment.
• These philosophers promoted the use of reason to
  understand government, religion, education, and
  economics.
• This revolution of intellectual activity changed
  Europeans view of government and society

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• Philosophers began ask, Why not use reason to
  discover the natural laws (laws that governed) of
  human nature?
• Many philosophers began to believe that if people
  used reason to find laws that governed the
  physical world (science) then answers to
  societys problems could also be found.

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Center of the MovementFrance

• By the mid-1700s-France was the headquarters
• Paris became the meeting place for some of the
  worlds greatest thinkers, philosophes the
  lovers of wisdom
• Salons started up all over Europe.
• -They were informal social gatherings here
  intellectual discussion was considered fun!
• Where would one find salon atmosphere today?

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• Writers also discussed slavery, intolerant
  churches, unjust governments and praised
  religious tolerance.

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Traditional Ideas Abandoned

• Many turned away from traditional beliefs
• Rejected the belief in an absolute monarchy and
  divine right rule
• Became agonistics, deists and atheists
• Rejected church rituals
• Challenged those in authority in the church and
  government

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• The Encyclopedie, first published in 1751, by
  Denis Diderot (dee DROH) expanded to 28 volumes
  by 1772, and included topics that covered the
  sciences, technology, and history
• Essays were also included that discussed slavery,
  intolerant churches, unjust governments and
  praised religious tolerance

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Hobbes Explores Government

• Thomas Hobbes used the idea of natural law to
  argue that absolute monarchy was the best form of
  government, why?

Thomas Hobbes
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Hobbes Explores Government

• People are naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish.
• Without it chaos would occur
• People formed a social contract, an agreement to
  give up their freedom and live obediently under a
  ruler who would protect them
• Key Focus Support for Monarchs and the social
  contract

Thomas Hobbes
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Enlightenment Philosophers
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John Locke Offers A Different View

• Locke believed people were inherently good and
  that government was based on a social contract
  too BUT
• Unlike Hobbes he believed that people were
  governed by consent based on natural rights or
  laws

John Locke
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John Locke Offers A Different View

• These natural rights (laws), included the rights
  to life, liberty, property
• Key Focus Natural rights and consent of the
  governed

John Locke
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Considered his most important political work, Two
Treatises of Government argues that the function
of the state is to protect the natural rights of
its citizens, primarily to protect the right to
property. What is property?
1690
Slide by Rocky Esposito
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Empiricism

• Empiricism is the belief that knowledge comes to
  us through experience.
• There is no such thing as innate ideas there is
  no such thing as moral precepts
• John Locke established the principals of modern
  empiricism in his book
• An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.

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• Locke believed people created government to
  protect natural rights, if a government failed in
  this duty, people had the right to overthrow the
  government!
• This idea influenced American colonists including
  Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of
  Independence
• Lockes writings helped to provided the fuel
  for the American Revolution

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Voltaire

• Francois-Marie Arouet took the name Voltaire
• Voltaire wrote poetry, plays, essays, and books
• Published over 70 books
• Used satire and humor

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Voltaire

• Criticized unjust legal systems, press
  censorship, and intolerance of the Catholic
  Church
• Most well-known for his outspoken belief in free
  speech
• Key focus Free speech

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Montesquieu

• Montesquieu promoted the idea of separating
  govern-mental powers into three branches
  legislative, executive, and judicial
• Advanced the idea of a check and balance system
  (define)
• WHY?
• Best Way to protect liberty!
• Key Focus Separation of powers and checks and
  balances

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Montesquieu

• Wrote the book Spirit of Laws
• Strongly believed in the rights of individuals
• His ideas influenced the writing of constitutions
  of many countries including the United States
• Taught that men were superior but that women
  would make would make good government
  officials... WHY?
• According to the philosophes, why were natural
  rights different for men and for women?
• Key Focus Separation of powers and checks and
  balances

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Women and the Enlightenment

• Enlightenment ideas about equality and freedom
  spread throughout Europe, but were not applied to
  women

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Women and the Enlightenment

• In A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Mary
  Wollstonecraft favored equal education for women
  and men so that both genders could contribute
  equally to society
• Key Focus Access to education for girls
  education for all

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• Argued that women should not be excluded from the
  ideals of the Enlightenment.
• She also wrote several books analyzing the works
  of Rousseau.
• According to the philosophes, why were natural
  rights different for men and for women?

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Controversial Philosopher

• Some Jean-Jacques Rousseau beliefs
• That people should rely more on instinct and
  emotion
• Community is more important than the individual
  opposite of most philosophers

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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Controversial Philosopher

• Government by general will (majority) the best
  conscience of the people
• Wrote The Social Contract
• Key Focus Government by general will a new
  social contract-direct democracy

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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The Role of Censorship
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• Government and church officials tried to protect
  the old order from the new ideas.
• To defend against the attacks of the
  Enlightenment, they used censorship banned and
  burned books and imprisoned writers.

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The Role of Censorship
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• To defend against the attacks of the
  Enlightenment, they used censorship banned and
  burned books and imprisoned writers.

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New Economic Thinking

• Thinkers called physiocrats focused on economic
  reforms.
• Like the philosophers, physiocrats looked for
  natural laws to define a rational economic
  system.

François Quesnay (1694-1774) 
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New Economic Thinking

• Physiocrats rejected mercantilism in favor of a
  policy called laissez faire or allowing
  businesses to run with little or no government
  interference.
• In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith (1776)
  argued that the laissez-faire or free market
  should be allowed to regulate business activity.

Adam Smith
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Smiths Invisible Hand

• Adam Smith referred to an invisible hand, which
  kept the economy in check
• In order for the invisible hand to work, there
  can be no external laws or rules interrupt the
  natural economic cycle of boom and bust.

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Smiths Invisible Hand

• Smith argued that a free, unregulated economic
  competition or laissez-faire brings
• Maximum profits
• Quality products
• Creative innovation
• Competitive prices

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Enlightenment Influences Classical Style Late
1700s

• Enlightenment artists sought a return to a calm,
  rational style
• Writing focused more on form than content
• Musical composers also stressed classical
  elements such as balance, contrast, and refined
  expression of emotion, baroque (define) became
  the style of music for the era.

Mozart
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Enlightenment Influences Classical Style Late
1700s

• New instruments such as the piano and violin
  allowed a greater range of sounds
• Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart were among the
  great musicians of the era

Haydn
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Many Changes in Society

• Religious movements in Germany, England, and
  France all rejected reason in favor of an
  enthusiastic faith
• Classicism in arts gave way to romanticism,
  celebrating emotion and the individual

Romanticism La Ghirlandaia by Rossetti
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Many Changes in Society

• World History moved in to a period of tumult and
  revolution

Romanticism Infant Joy from Songs of Innocence
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Some Enlightened Despots
Enlightened despots were absolute rulers who used
their power to bring about political and social
change.
Catherine the Great
Frederick the Great
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Enlightened Despots
CATHERINE II CATHERINE THE GREAT
FREDERICK THE GREAT
JOSEPH II

• Most radical of enlightened despots.
• Granted toleration to Protestants and Jews.
• Ended censorship and tried to control the
  Catholic Church.
• Sold church property to build hospitals.
• Abolished serfdom.

• Was interested in Enlightenment ideas but
  intended to give up no power.
• Made some limited reforms in law and government.
• Granted nobles a charter of rights.
• Criticized the institution of serfdom.

• Exerted tight control over subjects, but saw
  himself as a servant of the state.
• Tolerated religious differences.
• Distributed seeds and tools to peasants.

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Definitions to Know

• Agnosticthe existence of God or gods is unknown,
  unknowable, or incoherent.
• Deist--the existence of God or godsis unknown,
  unknowable, or incoherent
• Atheists--in its broadest sense, is an absence of
  belief in the existence of gods