The The EnlightenmentEnlightenment

1818thth century century (1700s)(1700s)Mr. Zywicki and Mr. ChmielMr. Zywicki and Mr. Chmiel

MHSMHS

WORLD STUDIESWORLD STUDIES

Scientific Revolution Sparks the Scientific Revolution Sparks the EnlightenmentEnlightenment

In the wake of the Scientific Revolution In the wake of the Scientific Revolution

came the Enlightenment.came the Enlightenment.

This was an era in which This was an era in which people used people used

reasonreason to try to understand more about to try to understand more about

human behavior and solve the problems of human behavior and solve the problems of

societysociety

Three key values: Three key values: Reason, liberty, and Reason, liberty, and

progressprogress

Reason, Liberty, and Reason, Liberty, and Progress – Key Progress – Key

Enlightenment ValuesEnlightenment Values ReasonReason – people should seek to find – people should seek to find

scientific/natural explanations for scientific/natural explanations for phenomenon; should not just accept events phenomenon; should not just accept events based on faith or superstitionbased on faith or superstition

LibertyLiberty – people should be free to think, – people should be free to think, read, write, and speak without fear of read, write, and speak without fear of government restriction (governments often government restriction (governments often try to hold back the spread of knowledge try to hold back the spread of knowledge when it feels threatened)when it feels threatened)

ProgressProgress – people can and should work to – people can and should work to improve the world around them; they should improve the world around them; they should not just accept problems and wait to go to not just accept problems and wait to go to heavenheaven

Enlightenment – Age of Enlightenment – Age of ReasonReason

The Enlightenment is also called the The Enlightenment is also called the “Age of Reason.”“Age of Reason.”

It began in France and spread to It began in France and spread to Britain, America, and beyond.Britain, America, and beyond.

Its motto: “AUDERE SAPERE,” Latin Its motto: “AUDERE SAPERE,” Latin for “DARE TO THINK”for “DARE TO THINK”

Europe in the 1600s-Europe in the 1600s-1700s1700s

““Old fashioned”Old fashioned” Absolute monarchiesAbsolute monarchies Dominance of the ChristianityDominance of the Christianity Church supported absolute monarchs Church supported absolute monarchs

(“divine right of kings”)(“divine right of kings”) People were supposed to not ask People were supposed to not ask

questions, accept things based on questions, accept things based on faith in God, and not challenge faith in God, and not challenge governmental authority.governmental authority.

PhilosophesPhilosophes A group of French philosophers who wrote about government, A group of French philosophers who wrote about government,

law, and society were known as the law, and society were known as the philosophesphilosophes. .

Diderot – put together first encyclopedia – spread knowledge to Diderot – put together first encyclopedia – spread knowledge to

more peoplemore people

Voltaire – key thinker, promoted freedom of people to think, Voltaire – key thinker, promoted freedom of people to think,

read, and speak without government restriction; challenged read, and speak without government restriction; challenged

the old system of the church and state working together; the old system of the church and state working together;

thought this restricted people’s freedoms to think differentlythought this restricted people’s freedoms to think differently

Montesquieu – key political thinker – separation of powers, Montesquieu – key political thinker – separation of powers,

checks and balances produces best governments (protect checks and balances produces best governments (protect

people’s rights)people’s rights)

Rousseau – promoted people participating in government moreRousseau – promoted people participating in government more

Denis Diderot

► All things must be All things must be examined, examined, debated, debated, investigated investigated without exception without exception and without and without regard for regard for anyone’s anyone’s feelings.feelings.

► We will speak We will speak against senseless against senseless laws until they laws until they are reformed; are reformed; and, while we and, while we wait, we will wait, we will abide by them.abide by them.

The Encyclopédie

► Complete cycle of Complete cycle of knowledge…………...…knowledge…………...…change the general way of change the general way of thinking.thinking.

► 28 volumes.28 volumes.

► Alphabetical, cross-Alphabetical, cross-referenced,referenced,illustrated.illustrated.

► First published in 1751.First published in 1751.

Pages from Diderot’s Encyclopedie

Subscriptions to Diderot’s Encyclopedie

An Increase in Reading

New Ideas Challenge New Ideas Challenge SocietySociety

While churches and monarchies While churches and monarchies tried to stoptried to stop the flow of the flow of Enlightenment ideas through Enlightenment ideas through CENSORSHIP (threw philosophes CENSORSHIP (threw philosophes in prison; banned certain essays in prison; banned certain essays and books)and books)

Enlightenment thinkers found new Enlightenment thinkers found new ways of spreading their ideas, ways of spreading their ideas, such as through novels and salons.such as through novels and salons.

A Parisian Salon •Salon – living room in a wealthy person’s home; the hostess (it was usually a woman) hosted gatherings of intellectuals, scientists, philosophes, and friends for Enlightened discussions, readings, and experiments

•Salons spread the Enlightenment ideas

Madame Geoffrin’s Salon

The Royal Academy of Sciences, Paris

Zoology & Biology

A dissection at the Royal A dissection at the Royal Academy, London.Academy, London.

Chemistry Labs & Botany Gardens

Natural History Collections

► Cocoa plant Cocoa plant drawing.drawing.

► Sir Hans Sir Hans SloaneSloane(1660-1753).(1660-1753).

► Collected from Collected from Jamaica.Jamaica.

Private Collections

The Origins of Modern The Origins of Modern Museums.Museums.

Voltaire

““It is dangerous It is dangerous to be right when to be right when the the government is government is wrong.”wrong.”

Look at how this Look at how this sculpture makes sculpture makes him look like a him look like a philosopher.philosopher.

VoltaireVoltaire Famous essayist, writer (books, letters), Famous essayist, writer (books, letters),

and satirist (he used comedies to poke and satirist (he used comedies to poke fun at the government and religion)fun at the government and religion)

Saw corruption and falseness of Saw corruption and falseness of government and organized religiongovernment and organized religion

Wrote letters to free people prison, Wrote letters to free people prison, challenged the French government for challenged the French government for not having enough evidencenot having enough evidence

Thrown in prison (the Bastille) more Thrown in prison (the Bastille) more than oncethan once

Powerful and influential man – very Powerful and influential man – very brave, willing to risk life to spread brave, willing to risk life to spread EnlightenmentEnlightenment

The Baron de Montesquieu

• A separation of A separation of political powers political powers ensured freedom ensured freedom and libertyand liberty

• Believed that Believed that government should government should have different have different branches – branches – executive, executive, legislative, judiciallegislative, judicial

• He saw the He saw the problems of problems of absolute absolute monarchies - all monarchies - all power in executivepower in executive

• Any examples?Any examples?

MontesquieuMontesquieu Separation of powersSeparation of powers into different branches into different branches Each branch can check the other’s powers Each branch can check the other’s powers

(checks and balances)(checks and balances) Presidential veto power over Congressional Presidential veto power over Congressional

legislationlegislation House votes on articles of impeachment, Senate votes House votes on articles of impeachment, Senate votes

to impeach President who commits high crimes while to impeach President who commits high crimes while in officein office

Supreme Court can declare acts to be Supreme Court can declare acts to be unconstitutionalunconstitutional

President nominates Supreme Court justices, who President nominates Supreme Court justices, who must then be approved by Senate votemust then be approved by Senate vote

Separation of powers would bring progress by Separation of powers would bring progress by preserving liberty of its citizenspreserving liberty of its citizens

What do you think? What do you think?

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Government Government must preserve must preserve “virtue” and “virtue” and ”liberty.””liberty.”

Man is born Man is born free, yet free, yet everywhere he is everywhere he is in chains.in chains.

The Social The Social ContractContract

RousseauRousseau Believed that people needed to Believed that people needed to

participate in their government moreparticipate in their government more Favored a Favored a republicrepublic – people vote for – people vote for

the representatives (similar to how the representatives (similar to how American citizens vote for their American citizens vote for their senators and representatives).senators and representatives).

Giving people greater say in their Giving people greater say in their government would protect their government would protect their natural rights more.natural rights more.

Major influence on American and Major influence on American and French Revolutions French Revolutions

Hobbes and Locke: Hobbes and Locke: Different ideas on Different ideas on

GovernmentGovernment Both men wanted to protect people’s Both men wanted to protect people’s

rights. Therefore, both had rights. Therefore, both had Enlightenment values – liberty, progress, Enlightenment values – liberty, progress, and reasonand reason

Hobbes believed government should be Hobbes believed government should be given absolute power and then could given absolute power and then could protect law-abiding citizens better.protect law-abiding citizens better.

Locke believed that government’s power Locke believed that government’s power should be limited by the consent of the should be limited by the consent of the governed.governed.

Thomas Hobbes:Thomas Hobbes: 1600’s A.D. 1600’s A.D. People give up (cede) their People give up (cede) their

own sovereignty (power) own sovereignty (power) to the state --- government to the state --- government then provides peace and then provides peace and orderorder

Government must exercise Government must exercise absolute power to enforce absolute power to enforce laws – like the biblical sea laws – like the biblical sea monster – the Leviathan, monster – the Leviathan, which was the name of his which was the name of his bookbook

Thomas Hobbes:Thomas Hobbes: 1600’s A.D. 1600’s A.D. People give up some freedoms People give up some freedoms

and rights to have lives and and rights to have lives and property protected.property protected.

Think of police searches and Think of police searches and seizures, interrogating seizures, interrogating terrorists terrorists

In contrast, our government In contrast, our government must respect the rights of the must respect the rights of the accused, which sometimes accused, which sometimes means that the guilty go free.means that the guilty go free.

What do you think? Are you What do you think? Are you willing to give up more willing to give up more freedoms in order to have freedoms in order to have more effective protection?more effective protection?

John Locke: John Locke: Government limited by consent of the Government limited by consent of the

governedgoverned Natural Rights: inherent to being a Natural Rights: inherent to being a

human – life, liberty, pursuit of happinesshuman – life, liberty, pursuit of happiness People should overthrow government People should overthrow government

when it does not protect their natural when it does not protect their natural rights rights Examples: American Revolution and Examples: American Revolution and French RevolutionFrench Revolution

New Economic ThinkingNew Economic Thinking Economists also applied reason to their Economists also applied reason to their

study of economics during the study of economics during the

Enlightenment. Enlightenment.

Adam Smith and a group of French Adam Smith and a group of French

thinkers called physiocrats urged thinkers called physiocrats urged

economies that operated with little economies that operated with little

government control.government control.

Adam SmithAdam Smith

The Wealth of Nations, 1776The Wealth of Nations, 1776 Self InterestSelf Interest Invisible HandInvisible Hand

Power of MarketPower of Market Wealth of Nations = GDPWealth of Nations = GDP

Destroys mercantilismDestroys mercantilism Laissez Fair Tax policiesLaissez Fair Tax policies

Adam SmithAdam Smith Governments should NOT get involved in the Governments should NOT get involved in the

economy. They should follow a laissez-faire economy. They should follow a laissez-faire (“leave it alone”) approach to the economy)(“leave it alone”) approach to the economy)

Governments should allow business to have Governments should allow business to have free trade – no restrictions. No tariffs. free trade – no restrictions. No tariffs.

Consumers will choose to buy the best Consumers will choose to buy the best products from the companies who have the products from the companies who have the best combination of quality and price. best combination of quality and price.

Weaker companies go out of business.Weaker companies go out of business. Supply and demand will naturally reach an Supply and demand will naturally reach an

equilibrium (supply and demand intersect at equilibrium (supply and demand intersect at an ideal price).an ideal price).

Adam Smith continuedAdam Smith continued The best companies survive and produce The best companies survive and produce

the best products to satisfy the consumers. the best products to satisfy the consumers. The market is naturally regulated by the The market is naturally regulated by the

laws of supply and demand – government laws of supply and demand – government does not need to and SHOULD NOT get does not need to and SHOULD NOT get involved in interfering with supply and involved in interfering with supply and demand!demand!

Allowing free trade (laissez-faire – “leave it Allowing free trade (laissez-faire – “leave it alone”) capitalism produces the greatest alone”) capitalism produces the greatest wealth.wealth.

Smith showed that Enlightenment ideals of Smith showed that Enlightenment ideals of reason, liberty and progress could be used reason, liberty and progress could be used to improve the economy. to improve the economy.

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The Enlightenment in The Enlightenment in AmericaAmerica

Franklin:Franklin: Friends with VoltaireFriends with Voltaire Lived in Paris and Lived in Paris and

frequented salonsfrequented salons PublisherPublisher ScientistScientist

LighteningLightening InventorInventor

StoveStove PoliticianPolitician ActivistActivist

HospitalsHospitals Anti-slaveryAnti-slavery

The American “Philosophes”

John AdamsJohn Adams(1745-(1745-1826)1826)

Ben FranklinBen Franklin(1706-1790)(1706-1790)

ThomasThomasJeffersonJefferson(1743-(1743-1826)1826)

……...…life, liberty, and the pursuit of ...…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…………...happiness…………...

Thomas Paine (1737-1809)

► Common Common SenseSense, 1776, 1776

► The Rights The Rights of Manof Man, , 17911791