The Enlightenment

Late 17th century- most of 18th century (1600s-1700s)

The philosophes• Informal, unorganized group of critics, political

reformers and religious skeptics• Key goals:– FREEDOM! (speech, trade, movement, religion)– Motto (from Immanuel Kant): “Dare to know”– Worldview based on humanity’s claim to be adult,

responsible beings– Depend on neither church nor state– Moral sense in natural man• Humanity can be improved• Inductive and deductive reasoning• Historical research

Roots of the Enlightenment• Scientific Revolution– Natural world and humanity

• Newton– Nature through experimentation– Rational laws of nature

• Locke– Applied Newton’s ideas to humanity– Personalities develop through experience– Tabula rasa- blank page– Humans better their lives

• Glorious Revolution in Britain– Stable and tolerant system

• Impact of printing press– Printed work readily available

Beginning of the Enlightenment

• Publication of Newton’s Principia Mathematica (1687)- death of Louis XIV (1715)

• Philosophes’ strength- numbers, organization, dedication to reform

The Encyclopedia

• Begun by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert• 17-volume work• Questioned:

– Religious faith– Social institutions– Political institutions

• Praised:– Sciences– Industrial arts

• Censors tried to halt publication but it was widely read

Religious reform

• Criticized church (carefully)- superstitious, backward, barbarian

• Rejected stain of original sin and unable to create better life on earth

• Deism– Rational, orderly God

• Atheists• Enlightenment (not Renaissance or Reformation) took

control of cultural and intellectual life away from Church– Made modern culture possible

• “If you forbid me to speak on religion and government, I have nothing to say”- Diderot

Economic reform• Middle class objected mercantilism– Wanted free enterprise and political power

• High taxation– easier to tax middle class sales than property of

aristocracy• Physiocrats• Challenging mercantilism = challenging

absolute government– Money should circulate freely– Economy without gov’t interference (laissez-faire)

Political reform

• Natural rights theory– Liberty of person, security of property and

freedom of discussion• Man realizes full potential in society• Social function of knowledge• Defended enlightened absolutism

Beccaria

• On Crimes and Punishments• Argued against the death

penalty– State doesn’t possess right to

take lives– Punishment should be

prevention not revenge– Prompt = effective

• Called for reform of the criminal law system

• Education would lessen crime

Wollstonecraft• Advocate for women’s

rights– Women aren’t inferior to

men– They seem inferior to men

because they lack education

– Men and women should be treated as rational beings

– Social order founded on reason

• A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Diderot

– A 28-volume set of books called the Encyclopedia.

– Purpose was to change the general way of thinking

– Explaining ideas on government, philosophy, and religion.

Hobbes• Claimed that before organized

society, life was poor, nasty, and brutish

• Humans not guided by morals• People enter into a social

contract or agreement by which they gave up their freedom for an organized society.

• A government should be powerful to ensure an orderly society.

• Lived during English Civil War and saw need for powerful monarchy to protect the people

Montesquieu

• Spirit of the Laws, 1748– Hatred of despotism and

slavery– Fundamental laws to temper

monarchy

• Influenced aristocratic reactionaries (revive feudalism) and honest liberals

• Idealized English constitutionalism

• Separation of powers- basis for balancing power in gov’t (3 branches)

“Mon-tes-quieu” = “Three bran-ches”

• What were the three branches of government that Montesquieu proposed?1. Legislative- makes laws2. Executive- carries out

laws3. Judicial- interprets

laws.

Locke• Against absolute power• People have natural rights:

life liberty and property• Contract b/w ppl & gov’t:

gov’t protect rights and ppl will respect gov’t. Gov’ts are there to protect people’s natural rights.

• Gov’t should have limited power and accepted by all citizens.

• Gov’t has an obligation to the people it governs. If it fails, it should be overthrown.

Rousseau• Moral and legal equality of man

– Sovereignity of the people; authority of general will

• Social Contract1. Society placed too many

limitations on people’s behavior 2. Some controls were necessary,

but they should be minimal3. Only governments that had been

freely elected should impose these controls.

4. The good of the community as a whole should be placed above individual interests.

• People give up their rights to the sovereign and the people are the sovereign (general will)- submitting to the will of everybody- direct democracy– You are the author of the laws

you’re submitting to

Smith

• The Wealth of Nations• Individuals motivated by self-

interest drive the economy forward– Not mercantilist state

• Challenged finite resources- ‘pie’ metaphor

• Attack on mercantilism- absolutism

• Philosophy of capitalism– Eventually dominant economic

theory of Western world

Voltaire

• Voltaire’s main philosophy– He wanted to battle

inequality, injustice, and superstition by saying what he thought. In other words, he believed in freedom of speech.

Enlightenment PP Quiz

• Answer all 8 questions on a sheet of notebook paper. You have 10 minutes.– 1. What did Wollstonecraft advocate (support)?– 2. What did Montesquieu propose?– 3. How was Hobbes different from other enlightened

philosophes?– 4. Explain Rousseau’s social contract philosophy.– 5. What was Voltaire’s main philosophy?– 6. What did Beccaria argue against?– 7. Explain how the Scientific Revolution affected the

Enlightenment.– 8. What system did Adam Smith propose?

Enlightenment PP Quiz Answers• 1. Women’s rights• 2. Three branches of government• 3. He thought absolute monarchy was necessary for protection of the

people.• 4. Minimal control on people’s behavior; government had to be

freely elected; good of the community placed above the individual• 5. Freedom of speech• 6. Death penalty• 7. People found laws to govern the natural world so monarchs have

laws that should govern them as well (no power should be absolute)• 8. Capitalism