The Age of Enlightenment

Can you make reason out of this video? I can’t!!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

Europe in 1700

The Enlightenment

• philosophers• Rejection of

Old Regime of Europe

The Enlightenment

• Enlightenment =Awakening of Europe

• 1600—1750.• Challenged people to question

their existence.• France and England were the

only two countries that were not ruled by enlightened rulers in the1700’s.

Frederick II of Prussia

• Created state sponsored education

• A poet, musician and composer.

• Encouraged studies at universities.

Joseph II of Austria• Created a state

educational system and encouraged industry.

• Abolished serfdom (peasantry).

• Promoted religious tolerance and justice for all.

Catherine the Great of Russia

• She was intelligent, wrote plays, edited journals.

• She saw public relations as very important.

• She codified (wrote down) laws.

• The philosophers provided these despots ideas to work with to try and make their countries the greatest in Europe.

• All were educated and got their ideas from antiquity (ancient Greek culture).

Rene Descartes (1595—1650)

• Descartes believed that the world was created by God, but nature takes it course. (Realism)

John Locke (1632—1704)

• Locke believed that people are NOT born with ideas, but they survive only through the basic intuition to seek pleasure and avoid pain.

Thomas Hobbes (1588—1679)

• Leviathon.• He talks about

man-kind having a social contract with government in which they cede their rights for protection by government.

Sir Isaac Newton (1642—1727)

• Newton believed in pure science, particularly the laws of motion and optics.

Voltaire (1694—1778)

• “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

• “Liberty, Equality, and the Pursuit of Happiness”

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712—

1778)• “Man is born

free, yet everywhere he is in chains.”

Denis Diderot (1713—1784)

Failure of the Enlightenment

• Enlightened European monarchs used “reason” only when it suited their own aims.

• In France, the King was still absolute and he failed to adopt enlightened reforms.

• “Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.”

Versailles

King Louis XIV(1638—1715)

• Louis XIV was an absolute ruler.

• “Le roi, soleil”• He was wary of

his ministers so he had them all housed at his royal palace in Versailles.

• It cost the country millions!

King Louis XV (1715—1774)

• Louis XV became king at age 5 when his grandfather died. (His father had died before him.)

• He was married at age 15 and was involved in many “affairs.”

King Louis XV (1715—1774)

• Seven Years War (1757—1763).

• The country was driven into severe debt.

• Unfortunately, Louis showed no signs to stop his exuberant spending.

King Louis XV

• 200 000 livres often were spent a day to entertain him.

• He kept 3000 horses.

• 10 000 servants watched over him.

• 30 physicians attended to his health.

King Louis XV• Louis XV spent 68 million livres, ¼ of

the government revenue, was spent on himself. People suffered poverty and crushing taxes.

• When confronted with the facts that France was heading towards bankruptcy by his ministers, he replied: “Things as they are will last through my time (Apres moi, le deluge.)”

Louis XVI (1754—1793)