HH World StudiesHH World Studies

Many educated people began to study the world around them in the 1600s and 1700s

Great thinkers of the Enlightenment are known as philosophes

New views of the world led philosophes to believe in basic equality and rights, and that human life could constantly be improved by applying natural law

Background

Philosophes challenged the superstitions and

strict traditions of the Catholic Church Enlightened ideas were spread through

salons and publications such as the Encyclopedia

Background

REASON NATURE HAPPINES

S PROGRESS LIBERTY

Five Themes of the Enlightenment

Philosophe

Origin

Works

Ideas about Human Nature

Ideas about Government

Hobbes

Locke

Voltaire

RousseauMontesquieu

Adam Smith

DiderotWollstonecraft

Take Notes and Create a Chart

English The Leviathan (1651)

Ideas about Human Nature

human nature is bad, warlike, greedy and brutish

Thomas Hobbes

Ideas about Government Pro-AbsolutismMen do not know good vs. evil People give up their rights to the state in the form of a social contractPeople have NO right to rebel

Thomas Hobbes

English, writing during the

time of the English Civil War and Glorious Revolution

Two Treatises of Civil Government (1688)

Ideas about Government Anti-absolutism Legitimacy comes from the

consent of the governed (people)

If government does not protect the natural rights of the people, they have the right to rebel

John Locke

Ideas about Human NatureTabula Rosa – belief that human beings were born without pre-existing ideas or principles but are shaped by their environment and can be changedRejected the idea of original sin – each person is responsible for their own religious salvationPeople have certain natural rights that they must never surrender (life, liberty, property)

John Locke

French Candide – satire attacking

war, the Church, and optimism

Exiled from France, came to admire English society and criticized French abuses

Ideas About Human Nature Man has an inborn desire

to pursue happiness

Voltaire

Voltaire was a Deist Ideas about

Government Advocated religious

tolerance and freedom Recognized the

necessity of religion but attacked the authority of the organized Church

Voltaire

French Social Contract (1762)

Ideas about Government Citizens form a government

(contract) for the common good

The general will of the people would become law

Popular Sovereignty – government created by and subject to the will of the people

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Other Thoughts on Human NatureSociety ruins natural goodness People must reform society so that conscience and emotion guide their actionImproving intellect at the expense of emotion corrupts people

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

French The Spirit of Laws

(1748) – the perfect government is one where laws are created with the people in mind

Baron de Montesquieu

Ideas about Government Government should be suited to the needs and circumstances of the people (no one system works for all)Separation of Powers – government should be divided so that no one branch dominates the others

Baron de Montesquieu

Scottish Economist Wealth of Nations

(1776)

Ideas About Government

Laissez Faire: the world economy should be self-regulating with out government interferences

Anti-mercantilism

Adam Smith

All business and

economic activity should be regulated by the laws of supply and demand, and competition

Free Enterprise/ Trade – every person should be free to go into any business and operate for maximum profit

Adam Smith

French Editor of the

Encyclopedia Praised

freedom of expression and education for all

Diderot

English author who

supported the extension of Enlightenment ideas to women

A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Believed women and men were created equal

Criticized the conditions in which women lived, particularly the poor

Mary Wollstonecraft

Philosophe

Origin

Works Human Nature Government

Thomas Hobbes

English

Leviathan Humans are selfish, warlike and brutish

People sacrifice their rights to a Gov’t that has absolute authority to make laws and create society

John Locke

English

Two Treatises

Humans are born as a blank slate (tabula rosa), and have natural rights

Gov’ts rule by the consent of the governed and the people have right to revolt if it denies their rights

Voltaire French Candide Man has an inborn desire to pursue happiness

Religious tolerance (attacked the power of the organized Church)

Rousseau French Social Contract

Society corrupts man’s natural goodness; people should act according to conscience and emotion

Citizens form a gov’t (popular sovereignty) to determine the common good (determined by the general will)

Montesquieu

French Spirit of Laws

Gov’t should suit the needs of people –separation of powers and checks and balances

Adam Smith

Scottish

Wealth of Nations

The economy should be guided by the forces of supply and demand

Gov’t should take a laissez-faire or “hands off” approach to the economy

Diderot French Encyclopedia

Mary Wollstonecraft

English

A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Man and women are created equal