The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment: 

The Enlightenment

The Scientific Revolution: 

The Scientific Revolution Science and the scientific method became so impressive and so influential that they set a new standard for evaluation knowledge in the Western world…. The process by which this new view of the universe and of scientific knowledge came to be established is called the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution is followed by the Enlightenment, the subject of our study today.

Effects of the Scientific Revolution: 

Effects of the Scientific Revolution Revolutionized how Europeans thought about physical nature and about themselves. It was also exported in one way or another to every other major world civilization.

Sir Isaac Newton: 

Sir Isaac Newton The question that plagued 17th century scientists was: how did the planets and other bodies move in an orderly fashion? Newton reasoned that the primary moving force in the universe that explained the motion of all things was gravity. Thus, every object in the universe moved through mutual attraction. With the work of Newton, the natural universe became a realm of law and regularity.

Slide5: 

Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.

The Connection: 

The Connection The Scientific Revolution showed that nature, that the universe could be explained through reason, using mathematical precision. It only followed, therefore, that people got it in their head to believe that they could explain the workings of society, the relationships of people in terms of scientific study.

The Enlightenment: 

The Enlightenment The movement which came to be known as the Enlightenment included a number of writers living at different times in various countries. Its early exponents were known as philosophes (the main language of scholarly pursuits at this time was French). UBD: They argued to their societies in Europe that social reforms were necessary and possible. They questioned everything, all institutions (the Church and the European monarchs), they even questioned their basic ability to possess knowledge about anything.

Francois Marie Arouet: Aka Voltaire: 

Francois Marie Arouet: Aka Voltaire Lived from 1694-1778. He was, arguably, the greatest of the philosophes. It was he who called the Holy Roman Empire of his day ‘neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire.’ His wit, sarcasm, and sardonic attitude made him a veritable celebrity of his day. He believed in the possibility of social change and reform, but was pessimistic throughout. Voltaire was a prolific writer, and produced works in almost every literary form, authoring plays, poetry, novels, essays, historical and scientific works, over 20,000 letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets.

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L'homme est libre au moment qu'il veut l'être. “Man is free at the instant he wants to be. “ Le secret d'ennuyer est celui de tout dire. “The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.”

The Principles of the Philosophes: 

The Principles of the Philosophes Deism—most philosophes were deists. They did not belong to any particular church but believed that God could be empirically deduced from observing nature. They believed that life existed after death, and people would be rewarded or punished for their deeds in life. Toleration—Voltaire took the lead in this case, arguing for religious toleration—spanning all denominations or churches.

Enlightenment and Society: 

Enlightenment and Society To the philosophes, “Man is the unique point to which we must refer everything.” Thus, man was the center of the Universe. The philosophes believed that the application of human reason to society would reveal laws in human relationships similar to those found in nature.

Adam Smith: 

Adam Smith Adam Smith was possibly the most influential exponent of the Enlightenment when it came to the study of Economics. To understand Smith, we have to ask, what is Economics?

The Work of Adam Smith: 

The Work of Adam Smith He was a sometime professor at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He urged the abandonment of the navigation acts, the bounties, most tariffs, special trading monopolies, and the domestic regulation of labor and manufacture—be abolished. He was the founder of the laissez-faire school of economics. (Laissez-faire means ‘hands off’) He believed the only thing the state should provide were things like schools, armies, navies and roads.

Slide14: 

All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.

Montesquieu: 

Montesquieu He was a French noble and magistrate who lived from 1689-1755. His famous book, the Spirit of the Laws (1748) argued that no single set of laws could apply to all peoples at all times and in all places (i.e. monarchy was not necessarily the appropriate government everywhere). Only a careful examination and evaluation of a country’s size, its population, social and religious customs, economic structure, traditions and climate could allow one to understand the best form of government.

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Les républiques finissent par le luxe; les monarchies, par la pauvreté. Republics end through luxury; monarchies through poverty. Do you think this is true? Can you think of any examples from history that show this? “Useless laws weaken the necessary laws. “ Do you agree with that? What are ‘useless’ laws today?

The Separation of Powers: 

The Separation of Powers One of Montesquieu’s most important observations was what he called the separation of powers. He found his example in the kingdom of England where judicial power rested in the courts, legislative power was in the hands of Parliament, and executive power resided with the King. In his (Montesquieu’s) estimation, any two branches of this government could check the third hand should it grow too powerful. Does this ‘separation of powers’ structure exist in our own government? Who holds judicial power in America? Legislative? Executive?

Jean Jacques Rousseau: 

Jean Jacques Rousseau He was born in Geneva, Switzerland but was banned from his homeland. Above all, he was a political philosopher. He disputed the radical individualism of his time, the individualism of those like John Locke and Adam Smith. He believed that the deciding factor in political decisions should be the general will of the people. That is to say, a vote would be taken and the majority vote would be taken to indicate the will of the people. Radically, he believed that those who opposed the general will could be compelled by society to adapt.

Slide19: 

“Most nations, as well as people are impossible only in their youth; they become incorrigible as they grow older.”

Enlightenment Thinkers of the American Revolution: 

Enlightenment Thinkers of the American Revolution Thomas Paine Thomas Jefferson Benjamin Franklin

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I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion. -Thomas Jefferson He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. -Thomas Paine Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Ben Franklin

The American Enlightenment: 

The American Enlightenment The American Enlightenment was categorized not only by knowledge of classical writings but also an atmosphere where people craved new knowledge and wisdom. It was that craving that inspired people to make new developments in science, religion, and politics. The American Enlightenment led to America's independence and the principles of the Government America has today. Through enlightenment ideals people began to think that a ruler had to be held to higher laws .