The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment

→A movement which reformed society by challenging ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and advance knowledge through science. It was a constant clash between Science and Religion and who has 'The Truth'.

The Renaissance

A ‘rebirth’ of the Ancient Greek and Roman view of the world. The arts flourish, as does science, politics, biology and just about any other field of study.

Galileo Galilei

→1564-1642. Italian mathematician, astronomer and physicist who is known as the ‘father of modern physics’. He hoped his friend the Pope would support him in publishing his findings. Instead this scientific view angered the Catholic Church and he was found guilty of heresy.

Galileo Galilei Achievements

He set up first Vatican observatory and pioneered use of the telescope to observe space.

Isaac Newton

1642 - 1727 English scientist who led to the discovery of universal scientific laws - e.g. gravity, 3 laws of motion

Charles Darwin

→1809-1882 English scientist who challenged the Enlightenment ideals of human perfection through his theory of evolution by showing that human beings have a common descent in apes. His new perspective of scientific thinking was rebuked by the Christian Church.

Thomas Hobbes

→1588-1679 First philosopher to emphasise reason over religious faith which eventually got him into trouble with the British Parliament. Believed in secularism and that all people are greedy so should submit absolute power to the state.

John Locke

"Father of Liberalism” – Believed everyone’s rights were paramount and have a natural right to defend their "Life, health, Liberty, or Possessions”. He believed in freedom of religion, empiricism and constitutional monarchies.

Voltaire

French Enlightenment writer, historian, philosopher and liberalist famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, advocacy against slavery and separation of church and state.

Jean -Jacques Rousseau

Influenced the Enlightenment through his anti-property ownership views, individual rights, and belief that innocence is human's natural state of being.

Mary Wollstonecraft

She argued that women are not naturally inferior to men and suggested that both men and women should be treated equally as rational beings, both capable of great thought. Advocated for womens’ right to education.

Denis Diderot

French philosopher and co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopédie which was a piece of writing with ideas of secularism and scientific and philosophical findings.

Rationalism

Any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification

Humanism

Intellectual movement that focused on human potential, achievements, and emphasised the value and agency of human beings.

Individualism

The belief in the importance of the individual and their rights, abilities, and independence.

Secularism

Principle of separating religion from political, educational, and public affairs.

Empiricism

theory of knowledge emphasising the role of experience – a way of knowing through the senses only

• Geocentric

→A model of the universe that places Earth at the center, with all other celestial bodies (like the Sun and stars) revolving around it. This was the dominant view in ancient and medieval times.

• Heliocentric

→A model of the solar system that places the Sun at the center, with Earth and the other planets orbiting around it. This idea was popularized by Copernicus and supported by Galileo.

Reason

The freedom to think rationally which will lead to the truth