6th Period 2014Philosophes

Background Story?Friends (enemies) in High Places?

Core Beliefs?Most Important Writings?

- General message of eachLasting Impact/Influence?Epitaph?

For Each Philosophe:

Born November 21, 1694 in Paris, France, where he was also educated to become a lawyer, like his father.

He remained there until 1726 when he was exiled to England due to his plays and poems that offended the monarch.

After six years in England, he eventually spent time in Prussia with the admiration of Frederick the Great. During this period he wrote Letters to the English (1734) which praised the English religious liberty, Parliament, and commercial spirit.

Voltarie’s only lasting friend in a high place was Countess Emilie de Chatelet in Lorraine, who was also his lover and with which he wrote Elements of the Philosophy of Newton.

Voltaire also briefly spent time in Switzerland but was removed due to his ideas which were in opposition to Calvin’s.

François-Marie Voltaire (1694-1778)

Epitaph: “Crush the infamous thing.”/Here lies the literary dictator.

Wrote Candide (1759), a satire attacking war, religious persecution, and superstition.

Philosophical Dictionary (1764), showed Biblical inconstancies and corruption in Church; “Crush the infamous thing;” did believe in God but was disenchanted with the establishment of the Catholic Church

Moved to Ferney in 1760 and used the town as his testing ground for ideas including draining marshes and a model farm; “Europe’s Inn-Keeper”

Pessimistic: aristocracy was a parasite, commoners were ignorant, and the Church was oppressive but supported monarchies

Believed in expanding civil rights, specifically fair trials and religious freedom

Drank coffee 50-72 times a day

Voltaire

Background: He was a lawyer, noble of the robe, member of provincial parlement, and a member of the Bordeaux Academy de Science.

Friends in High Places: YesBeliefs: European

Lifestyle=irrational, there’s no one perfect government for every country, division of power in government, monarchs should be subject to their own laws.

Montesquieu (1689-1755)

Epitaph: “Tous les hommes, toutes les nations, dans la mort, tombent egale.”

Writings: “The Persian Letters” (1721) Satirized contemporary institutions

“Spirit of the Laws” (1748) British constitution=good, represented internal tensions of Enlightenment

Lasting effect: idea of separation of power seen in U.S. constitution

Montesquieu

From a family of craftsmen who were irritated by the privileged middle class running Geneva.

Father read him stories as a child that gave him romantic notions of human life.

Francois-Louise De Warens was a noble woman who was paid to convert Calvinists to Catholicism. She took I Rousseau and helped him to find a profession

Rousseau was also friends with Diderot until they had a fight over philosophy one night at dinner.

Uncorrupted morals prevail in the state of nature.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

Epitaph:

The more men deviate from nature, the worse off they are.

Believed in the social contract. Believed society corrupted the natural

goodness in man. Discourse on the Arts and Sciences- arts and

sciences corrupt human morality and discussed nature vs. man.

Social Contract- theory about the best way to establish a political community in the face of the problems of a commercial society

Inspired Robespierre during the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution

Rousseau

Formal education in France Abandoned idea of entering

clergy and law school Disowned by father for

becoming a writer Married a lower class woman

which further distanced him from his father

Became friends with Rousseau Promoted optimistic belief that

all knowledge could be acquired through scientific experimentation and the exercise of reason.

Denis Diderot 1713- 1784

Epitaph: “There is only one passion, the passion for happiness.”

Championed the value and uniqueness of the individual

Focused on life on Earth instead of religious afterlife

Promoted peace of mind, hostile towards slavery and colonization

Created Encyclopedia in 1772 which included ideas on religion, government, philosophy, manufacturing, and agriculture

The Encyclopedia is still used today and a great source of information for anyone

Diderot