AMSCO-5.1

Essential Question: How did the Enlightenment shape the intellectual and ideological thinking that affected reform and revolution after 1750?

Expansion of empires and trade routes leading to increased interaction among cultures.
Shift towards emphasizing reason over tradition and individualism over community values.
Key figures include René Descartes, whose thoughts emphasized rational thinking and instigated the Enlightenment ideals.
Enlightenment ideals such as individualism, freedom, and self-determination challenged monarchies and religious authorities, setting the stage for revolutions in the US, France, and globally.

Emerged from the Scientific Revolution and Renaissance humanism, the Enlightenment characterized a hopeful perspective on applying reason to natural laws for societal progress.
Traditional religion diminished in influence while criticism brought forth new societal improvement ideas.
New political ideologies, including socialism and liberalism, developed, opposing conservative views predominantly held by European elites.
Nationalism arose, advocating for cultural unity and self-governance affecting multiethnic empires in Europe.

Francis Bacon: Proposed empirical methods in scientific inquiry, positing knowledge derives from sensed experience and observation.

Thomas Hobbes: In Leviathan, he suggested humans in their natural state would lead to disorder, justifying a strong government through social contracts.
John Locke: Proposed that citizens have the right and duty to revolt against unjust governance; referred to natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
Introduced the concept of tabula rasa, suggesting that experience shapes human learning and personality.

A group of 18th-century thinkers and writers influenced by rational thought, including:
Baron Montesquieu: Advocated separation of powers influencing American governance.
Voltaire: Known for emphasizing civil liberties and advocating for freedom of religion and judicial reform.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Expanded on social contract theory with his works emphasizing communal will and societal improvement.
Adam Smith: In The Wealth of Nations, he advocated for capitalism, promoting laissez-faire economic policies where the market fixes societal issues.

Emerged as a belief in a non-interfering creator, emphasizing reason and evidence over scripture for understanding the universe.
Thomas Paine: Advocated Deism and liberal thought in The Age of Reason and Common Sense.

Responding to urbanization and social problems, Enlightenment thinkers proposed varying solutions:
Calls for regulation and social reform due to rising poverty and harsh living conditions.
Corporatism vs. individual responsibility debated among conservatives and social reformers.

Utopian Socialism: Advocated ideal communities with pure social ownership of productive infrastructures, influenced by figures like Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen.
Classical Liberalism: Promoted natural rights, constitutional governance, and reduced military expenditure, leading to public political reforms in representation including the Reform Bills in Britain.

Olympe de Gouges: Critiqued gender inequality during the French Revolution; proposed a "Declaration of the Rights of Woman."
Mary Wollstonecraft: Argued for women's education equality in A Vindication of the Rights of Women.
The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 marked a pivotal point in advocating for women's suffrage.

The abolitionist movement gained momentum aiming to end slavery, with major bans beginning in Denmark, Britain, and the U.S.
Serfdom saw declines in line with economic change, notably abolished by Alexander II in Russia in 1861, freeing over 23 million.

Late 19th-century Zionism aimed for a Jewish homeland, prompted by historical anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus Affair.
The movement gained strength culminating in the establishment of Israel in 1948, highlighting the intersection of nationalism with religious identity.