Enlightenment Review

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Montesquieu

• Attempted to apply scientific principles to political institutions and theory. 

• On the Spirit of Laws (1748)  

• Argued that the best system of government featured a separation of powers. A division of governmental authority into separate branches Each branch was granted specific powers, creating a system of checks and balances. The ability of each branch to limit the power of the other branches (Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches) 

Voltaire

• The most influential philosophe 

• Advocated tolerance and freedom of religion  

• Major Work: Treatise on Toleration 

Diderot   

• Everything in the natural world could be catalogued and described. 

• Spent 26 years gathering contributions from more than 150 sources.  

• Encyclopedie (28 volume work)  

Rousseau 

• The state exists to promote the liberty and equality of its citizens. 

• Laws should be respected only when they are supported by the general will of the people. 

• General will - A collectively held will that aims at the common good or common interest 

Wollstonecraft 

• Vindication of the Rights of Women (1729) 

• Made a powerful argument for better education for women so they, like men, could cultivate their natural capacity to reason. 

• Founding feminist philosopher. 

Enlightenment who:

Intellectuals

Enlightenment what:

group of intellectuals popularizing the scentific revolution

Enlightenment where:

Europe; France

Enlightenment when:

18th century

What is the Philosophie

• French for philosophers 

• Group of intellectuals  

• Literary people, professors, statesmen, economist. 

• Nobility and Middle Class  

• Popularized the ideas of the scientific revolution.  

• Focused on facts and experiences. 

• Social reformers 

Natural Rights 

• These rights are independent of any particular society or government.  

• Endowed by a creator. 

• All people are entitled (life, liberty, property, freedom of speech and religion).  

Social Contract  

• An agreement to submit to a government for their mutual protection.  

• Authority came from the people of a country, who retained natural rights that no government could take away.  

• Should the government fail to protect these natural rights, the people could replace it with a new government.  

• Government only exists because of the consent of the governed. 

• Civil and political rights reside with the people. 

Scientific Method  

• Systematic approach to acquiring knowledge.  

• Based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning 

Deism

• Belief in the existence of a supreme being (creator) who does not intervene in the universe.  

• God created the world but had no direct involvement in it. The creator allowed the created world to run according to its own natural laws. God did not extend grace or answer prayers. 

How did Enlightenment ideas spread?

• Coffeehouses 

• Salons 

• Academies  

Coffeehouses 

• Buy coffee, read newspapers, and discuss news and ideas.​

• Male sphere​

Salons 

• French discussion groups (placed to exchange ideas) ​

• Mixed gatherings of men and women, frequently hosted by influential women in their own homes. ​

• Brought together writers, artist, aristocrats, government officials, and the wealthy bourgeoise.​

Academies  

Specialized groups to investigate and promote knowledge, often in the areas of science, technology, and the arts. ​

Bourgeoise 

• Social and professional class 

• Wealthy  

• Educated  

High Culture 

Literary and artistic culture of the educated and wealth  

Popular Culture 

• Culture of the masses (common people) 

• Public and group activities (festivals, celebrations, taverns, etc.) 

Laissez-faire  

• An economic doctrine - Leave it alone. 

• Government should not interfere in the economic sector by imposing regulations, particularly on trade.  

• Economy would work best when all individuals were free to determine what goods they wanted and what work they would contribute.  

Hobbes 

• Lived during the violent upheaval of the English Civil War. 

• Wanted: government that could guarantee peace and security for citizens. 

• Favored: absolute monarchy - Believed a strong monarchy was a good form of government. 

Locke 

• Lived through the peaceful transformation of power brought about by the Glorious Revolution. 

• Believed that since humans are governed by natural law endowed by a creator, they possess natural rights (Inalienable rights: life, liberty, health, and property). 

• Argued that people willingly came together to form governments, forming a social contract.  

Hobbes and Locke 

• Political philosophers  

• Tried to use the methods of the Scientific Revolution to analyze society’s problems. 

• Emphasize the importance of knowledge gained through experiences.