Triumph of Reason

Chapter #20:iii

Denis Diderot published a 35 volume

encyclopedia summarizing

all human knowledge up to that time.

Diderot hoped his

Encyclopedia would bring

about “a revolution in the minds of men to free them from

prejudice.”

Although it included entries

on many different subjects, Diderot’s

Encyclopedia devoted the most space to articles on science and

technology.

Diderot included diagrams that showed the latest advances in

printing, medicine, and other fields.

The Roman Catholic Church and government censors

banned the Encyclopedia in France because it was

considered anti-religious

Voltaire

Montesquieu

Rousseau

Wealthy women held salons, or informal gatherings, where writers,

musicians, and philosophers presented their works and exchanged ideas.

Through these salons, middle-

class women such as

Madame de Geoffrin

helped shape the tastes and

manners of the Enlightenment.

Other women, such as Louise Eléonore de la

Tour du Pil Baronne de Warens, acted as patrons for

artists and writers.

In Baronne de Warens’

case, she supported Rousseau and his

family, so he could spend his full time

writing.

Émilie,Marquise du

Châtelet Laumont, became a noted physicist and

mathematician who translated Newton’s work from Latin into

French.

Enlightened Despots

• European monarchs who adopted policies they hoped would improve social and economic conditions in their countries

Austrian empress Maria

Theresa passed laws to limit serfdom by controlling the amount of unpaid work one could be forced to do.

Emperor Joseph IIof Austria

• abolished serfdom

• allowed freedom of the press

• banned the use of torture

• ended religious persecution

Catherine the Great

• made some effort to limit torture• introduced religious toleration• did nothing to end serfdom

Frederick the Great of Prussia

introduced reforms allowing

for religious freedom and encouraging elementary education.

Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most important

composers of the period, is best

remembered for his religious

works.

Manuscript of Bach's Passion of St. Matthew

Georg Friederich Handel is

remembered best for

oratorios such as the Messiah.

Austrian Franz Joseph Haydn

was key in developing

new musical forms such as trios, quartets,

and the symphony.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

(1756-91)

• prolific Baroque composer

• wrote over 600 musical pieces during his short life