Renaissance Review• Growth of nations and cities• Re-birth- a rediscovery of ancient Roman

knowledge/traditions, new inventions and learning• Humanism-mankind is the center, instead of a focus on

God, secularism= removal of religion from government• Focus on the individual over the community• New religion Protestantism- Catholic church no longer

had a monopoly• Beginning to challenge the order of society (religion and

ideas of the past)

Age of Enlightenment

Enlightenment 1700’s• As people became more educated during the Renaissance,

they become more aware of their lack of freedom and rights. At the same time the nobility and kings were gaining more power than ever (called absolute monarchy). To secure their power and extravagant lifestyles, they collected high taxes and placed greater restrictions on people.

• The church also became more repressive, controlling people’s speech and censoring books. The Catholic and Protestant churches were afraid of losing their power to each other.

• Great thinkers of the time wrote books questioning authority. They wanted freedoms and representative government.

• They wanted an enlightened world based on reason and free the world from the darkness of ignorance and superstition.

Enlightenment Thinker-John Locke• John Locke was against the idea of Divine Right

Monarchies. This was the belief the that royalty ruled because they were chosen by God. Locke felt that governments should exist only to protect and help people, not serve itself.

• He said people had natural rights they were born with. This includes liberty, that all people are equal, and have the right to own property. The government’s job was to protect people’s rights, not to take them away.

• Locke believed that government ruled by the consent (or approval) of the people.

• Locke’s ideas helped inspire revolutionaries to overthrow their monarchies and create republics.

Absolute Monarchy

Enlightenment-Other leaders• Montesquieu- a free society means everyone must be

free (no slaves), a government must have different branches (congress, president, supreme court) to check each other’s power. A republican society should be based on virtue and have a constitution of laws that all must follow (including the government).

• Voltaire- Believed that government should be reformed so it’s tolerant, have free trade with no tariffs (taxes on goods), freedom of religion, and freedom to express ideas. “I don’t agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it, to my death”.

• Adam Smith- a society is only as wealthy as its workers, everyone should have the freedom to do (a profession) what they do best, people are happy when wealth is shared in society, everyone should have freedom to improve their wealth.

Voltaire Locke Montesquieu

Some not so enlightened people…