The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment““Age of Reason”Age of Reason”

Key VocabularyKey Vocabulary

► EnlightenmentEnlightenment: a period during the 1600s : a period during the 1600s and 1700s in which educated Europeans and 1700s in which educated Europeans changed their outlook on life by seeing changed their outlook on life by seeing reason as the key to human progress.reason as the key to human progress.

► Age of ReasonAge of Reason: another name for the : another name for the EnlightenmentEnlightenment

Roots of the EnlightenmentRoots of the Enlightenment► The Enlightenment grew out of the The Enlightenment grew out of the

Renaissance, Reformation, and the Renaissance, Reformation, and the Scientific Scientific Revolution. Revolution.

► What’s the sameWhat’s the same?: Like all of these other ?: Like all of these other movements, the enlightenment examined movements, the enlightenment examined natural laws of the universe.natural laws of the universe.

► What’s newWhat’s new?: Enlightenment philosophers ?: Enlightenment philosophers wanted to use the ideas of the Scientific wanted to use the ideas of the Scientific Revolution for problems in Revolution for problems in government and government and societysociety..

Why is this important?Why is this important?► Many of our own ideas Many of our own ideas

about government, such about government, such as the Declaration of as the Declaration of Independence and the Independence and the American Constitution American Constitution got their ideas directly got their ideas directly from the Enlightenment.from the Enlightenment.

► In fact, many of In fact, many of America’s founding America’s founding fathers studied the ideas fathers studied the ideas of the Enlightenment of the Enlightenment thinkers during the thinkers during the American Revolution.American Revolution.

Left to right: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson

What a concept!What a concept!► Enlightenment Enlightenment

thinkers rejected thinkers rejected authority and upheld authority and upheld the freedom of the freedom of individuals to think individuals to think for themselves.for themselves.

► Rene Descartes: “I Rene Descartes: “I think, therefore I think, therefore I am.”am.”

Enlightenment and Enlightenment and GovernmentGovernment

► Enlightenment thinkers criticized accepted Enlightenment thinkers criticized accepted ideas about government. Some questioned the ideas about government. Some questioned the medieval belief in the medieval belief in the divine right of kingsdivine right of kings

►Many Enlightenment thinkers stressed Many Enlightenment thinkers stressed individual rights that governments must individual rights that governments must respect.respect.

► Enlightenment thinkers also felt that people Enlightenment thinkers also felt that people should have a say in their government.should have a say in their government.

Enlightenment and ReligionEnlightenment and Religion►Enlightenment thinkers believed humans Enlightenment thinkers believed humans

were capable of discovering truth for were capable of discovering truth for themselves.themselves.

►Many believed in an all powerful God, Many believed in an all powerful God, but not in a specific church or holy book. but not in a specific church or holy book.

►Right and Wrong should be based on Right and Wrong should be based on rational insight.rational insight.

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes► Hobbes believed people are naturally Hobbes believed people are naturally

selfish, cruel, and greedy.selfish, cruel, and greedy.

► Without laws, people would always be Without laws, people would always be in conflict.in conflict.

► In such a “state of nature”, life would In such a “state of nature”, life would be “nasty, brutish, and short.”be “nasty, brutish, and short.”

► His ideaHis idea: Governments were created to : Governments were created to protect people from their own protect people from their own selfishness.selfishness.

► His ideas may sound harsh, but it was His ideas may sound harsh, but it was based on his own observations of based on his own observations of human nature and reasoning.human nature and reasoning.

Add these definitions to your Add these definitions to your vocabulary listvocabulary list

► Social ContractSocial Contract: an agreement between : an agreement between people and their government, in which people and their government, in which people give up some things in return for the people give up some things in return for the benefit of having government.benefit of having government.

►Natural rightsNatural rights: rights that people have : rights that people have simply for being human.simply for being human.

► Bill of rightsBill of rights: a list of basic rights a : a list of basic rights a government must protect.government must protect.

John Locke: Social Contract and John Locke: Social Contract and Natural RightsNatural Rights

► He wrote Two Treatises of Government in 1690.

► He believed the purpose of government was to protect people’s natural rights. He said government should protect,” his life, liberty, and property—against the injuries and attempts of other men.”

► His idea: The true basis of government was a social contract between people and their government. If the government didn’t respect people’s rights, it could be overthrown.

John Locke: Social Contract and John Locke: Social Contract and Natural RightsNatural Rights

►In exchange protection, people gave government the power to rule on their behalf. We call this idea the “consent of the governed.”

►Lasting Impact: Lasting Impact: the idea that government could be overthrown if it failed to respect people’s rights had wide influence and was ultimately echoed in the American Declaration of Independence.

Montesquieu: Separation of Montesquieu: Separation of PowersPowers

► Like Locke, Montesquieu was concerned Like Locke, Montesquieu was concerned with how to protect liberty from a bad with how to protect liberty from a bad government.government.

►His idea: The His idea: The separation of powersseparation of powers: By : By dividing different powers among more than dividing different powers among more than one branch of government, no one group in one branch of government, no one group in the government could grow too powerful.the government could grow too powerful.

Montesquieu continued….Montesquieu continued….► Each branch of government checked the Each branch of government checked the

other branches. When powers were not other branches. When powers were not separated this way, Montesquieu warned, separated this way, Montesquieu warned, liberty was soon lost. liberty was soon lost.

► Lasting Impact: He greatly influenced the men who wrote the U.S. Constitution. We now have a separate legislative (Congress), judicial (courts), and executive (President) branch.

Voltaire: Religious tolerance Voltaire: Religious tolerance and free speechand free speech

► Voltaire was an Enlightenment Voltaire was an Enlightenment writer.writer.

► His ideaHis idea: He had a strong belief in : He had a strong belief in religious tolerance and free religious tolerance and free speech. speech. ToleranceTolerance means the means the acceptance of different beliefs acceptance of different beliefs and customs.and customs.

► Lasting ImpactLasting Impact: Voltaire met : Voltaire met Benjamin Franklin, and when the Benjamin Franklin, and when the U.S. Bill of Rights was written, the U.S. Bill of Rights was written, the ideas of freedom of religion and ideas of freedom of religion and freedom of speech were added to freedom of speech were added to our 1our 1stst amendment to the amendment to the Constitution.Constitution.

Mary WollstonecraftMary Wollstonecraft► An English writer. In An English writer. In

1792, she argued that 1792, she argued that women deserved the women deserved the same rights and same rights and opportunities as men.opportunities as men.

► Wollstonecraft believed Wollstonecraft believed education was the key education was the key for women wanting for women wanting equality and freedom. equality and freedom. She inspired many later She inspired many later leaders of the women’s leaders of the women’s rights movement in rights movement in America.America.

Impact of the Enlightenment on Impact of the Enlightenment on GovernmentGovernment

►Modern views of government owe a Modern views of government owe a great deal to Enlightenment thinkers. great deal to Enlightenment thinkers.

►Enlightenment influenced ideas of Enlightenment influenced ideas of revolutions by creating a belief of revolutions by creating a belief of citizens natural rightscitizens natural rights