The Enlightenment

History - Mr. Murray from Newton South High

What was the Enlightenment, and why did it have that name, and what did Enlightenment thinkers believe?

The enlightenment was a time in the 1700's in Europe when people began to question old ideas and search for knowledge. The name Enlightenment refers to the light of knowledge that supposedly replaces the darkness of superstition and ignorance. Enlightenment thinkers believed that science and reason could improve people's lives.

What part of the world did the Enlightenment begin?

Europe

Which groups of people played the greatest role in the Enlightenment?

Scientists and scholars

How did Thomas Hobbes describe human beings in the state of nature?

Cruel, greedy, and selfish; willing to do anything to get what they wanted.

What kind of government did Hobbes favor and what did he consider most important for a strong society?

He favored a strong government with strict laws to keep people from fighting each other (a monarch). For a strong society he believed there had to be law and order.

Why did Hobbes flee England?

Parliament seemed to be winning the struggle against the king. Hobbes worried that his ideas would cause him trouble if Parliament triumphed over the monarchy.

What three natural rights did John Locke believe a government must protect?

The rights to life, liberty, and property

Where did Locke believe a good government got its power from?

The people

How did Locke's ideas about government and human nature differ from Hobbes's ideas about them?

Locke thought government should protect people's rights, while Hobbes believed government should be all-powerful in order to control human evil. Locke thought human nature was neither good nor bad; Hobbes thought humans were naturally selfish and warlike.

If a government failed to protect citizens' rights, what did Locke suggest the people do?

Change the government and replace it with one that would protect their rights (The executive branch was a secretary to the people).

What happened during the Glorious Revolution, and what did Locke think of it?

During the Glorious Revolution the English Parliament drove out an absolute monarch, King James II. Parliament replaced him with 2 constitutional monarchs, William and Mary. Locke was strongly in favor of the revolution.

What was the Encyclopedia, and what did it have to do with the Enlightenment?

It was a 30-volume collection of the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers

What was T. Hobbes idea of a social contract?

According to Hobbes, a social contract was between a Ruler and his people, in which the people gave their rights to the Ruler so that the Ruler can protect them from the state of nature

What was J. Locke's idea of the State of Nature?

Locke believed that the state of nature where humans, despite being independent and equal, respected the laws of nature. He believed that the state of nature was relatively peaceful

What was J. Locke's idea of a social contract?

Locke believed that a social contract is an agreement between individuals to form a government with the primary purpose of protecting their natural rights; in exchange for this protection, citizens consent to abide by the laws established by the government, and have the right to overthrow it if it fails to uphold these natural rights

What was J. Locke's preferred government?

Lock preferred a Limited Monarchy - by constituion or parliament

What was J. Rousseau's idea of the state of nature?

According to Rousseau, the state of nature was where humans lived in a peaceful and morally neutral state, guided by basic instincts like hunger and a natural desire for self-preservation

What was J. Rousseau's idea of the social contract?

According to Rousseau, a social contract is an agreement where individuals surrender some of their natural freedoms in exchange for the benefits of living in a society governed by the "general will" of the people

What was Rousseau's preferred type of government?

Rousseau's preferred type of government was ONE THAT REFLECTS THE "GENERAL WILL"

What 2 conservatice values does Rousseau seem to detest the MOST?

Authoritarian Government & Rigid Social Hierarchy

Fiduciary

Dealing with trust, like a relationship between a trustee & beneficiary

Caprice

a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior

Anterior

coming before in position or time, earlier