The Age of Enlightenment

1700-1789

Objective

To understand the ideas behind the Age of Enlightenment

To understand how those ideas affected politics and society

The Age of Enlightenment

A period of intellectual exchange in Europe during the 18th century

“Progress”

A desire for political and social change

The Age of Enlightenment

What made the Enlightenment possible?

The Philosophes (Fee-luh-zawes)

Intellectuals who discussed ideas

Used reason to explain their world

Believed that Reason could improve society

Believed in tolerance for all religions

The Philosophes: How might the Salon encourage the free exchange of ideas?

Voltaire (1694-1778)

French intellectual who criticized French society

Voltaire

He was critical of intolerance and of attempts to suppress personal freedoms.

“I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

He championed the cause of religious freedom and freedom of thought.

John Locke (1632-1704)

John Locke (1632-1704)

Treatises on Government: that individual rights were superior to laws and governments.

Essay on Human Understanding

“Tabula Rasa”

Denis Diderot (1713-1784)

Published the Encyclopedia in 1772

Attempt to compile information on everything

Denis Diderot (1713-1784)

The Encyclopedia

Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) French political philosopher

The Spirit of the Laws: tried to describe the perfect government.

He believed in a division of government into three branches. Checks and balances. Executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Baron de Montesquieu(1689-1755)

Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

Jewish philosopher in Amsterdam

Belief in religious toleration

Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) The Social Contract (1762) Believed that

all people are naturally good, but that environment, education, and laws corrupt them.

The “General Will” Good Gov’t was popular sovereignty: that

gov’t must be created by and controlled by the people.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

First modern economist

The Wealth of Nations (1776)

Laissez-Faire

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

The Wealth of Nations

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of

Women

Founder of modern feminism That men as well as women should be equal

and enjoy the same rights!

Mary Wollstonecraft(1759-1797)

The American Revolution

Was the American Revolution just a revolt against British taxation?

How was it based on Enlightenment principles?

In what ways is the Declaration of Independence based on John Locke’s Treatises on Government?

Conclusion

The Enlightenment was a period of intellectual exchange in Europe during the 18th century

Several factors contributed to the Enlightenment

Philosophes expressed desire for social and political change