The The EnlightenmentEnlightenment

Chapter 17Section 2

The Great The Great ThinkersThinkers

Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Baron Charles de Montesquieu, Jean- Jacques Rousseau, Pierre Bayle, Denis Diderot (dee-duh-

roh), Voltaire -- Francois Marie Arouet, David Hume, Baruch Spinoza, Edward Gibbon ….

Shared a belief in the progress of knowledge

and in using their critical understanding of society to help make the world

better

The Great Thinkers

The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment

Overview – The Scientific Revolution and Early Thinkers Locke and Hobbes

The Philosophes Principles Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire,

Bayle, Diderot (dee-duh-roh)

The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment

The main components of Enlightenment thought are as follows:

The universe is fundamentally rational, that is, it can be understood through the use of reason alone;

Truth can be arrived at through empirical observation, the use of reason, and systematic doubt;

Human experience is the foundation of human understanding of truth; authority is not to be preferred over experience;

The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment

Human history is largely a history of progress;

Human beings can be improved through education and the development of their rational facilities;

Religious doctrines have no place in the understanding of the physical and human worlds;

The PhilosophesThe Philosophes

Three central ideas of the Philosophes

Progress Deism Tolerance

What did the What did the Enlightenment Enlightenment

thinkers hope to thinkers hope to accomplish?accomplish?

Thomas Hobbes1588-1679

The Leviathan

1651

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes“The life of Man is

nasty brutish and short.”

Perpetual and restless desire for power”

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes All human law derives from natural

law; when human law departed from natural law, disaster followed.

All monarchs ruled not by the consent of heaven, but by the consent of the people.

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes For Hobbes, humanity is better off

living under the circumscribed freedoms of a monarchy rather than the violent anarchy of a completely equal and free life.

Using this reasoning, Hobbes argued for unquestioning obedience of authority.

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes

“Realistic politics” Confirmed royalist yet open Benevolent/enlightened despotism Self-preservation is key for man --

Therefore he will seek power in all its forms

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes Power = “Coercive use of force to

compel compliance” Absolute monarchy best suited to

maintain order and suppress raw acquisitive instincts

John LockeJohn Locke1632-1704

Two Treatises of Government

Essay Concerning Human

Understanding1690

John Locke

John LockeJohn Locke Very critical of Absolutism Influenced by Bacon, Descartes

and Newton People in “nature” are rational and

generally peaceful -- Therefore want a contract

John LockeJohn Locke Tabula Rasa and interaction

between mind and world All human thought, then, and all

human passion is ultimately derived from sensation and sensation alone. In Locke's view, the human mind is completely empirical.

John LockeJohn Locke In Two Treatises of Government --

Opposed idea of rights of kings over people/fathers over kids

People enter “social contracts” with leaders

“all mankind are equal and independent, and no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or passions.”

John LockeJohn Locke For Locke, humans enter into

social contracts only to help adjudicate disputes between individuals or groups. Absolute power, then, is an unnatural development in human history.

John LockeJohn Locke    For Locke, the purpose of authority is to

protect human equality and freedom; this is why social groups agree to a "social contract" that places an authority over them. When that authority ceases to care for the welfare, independence, and equality of individual humans, the social contract is broken and it is the duty of the members of society to overthrow that ruler.

What influence did What influence did John Locke have on John Locke have on

Enlightenment Enlightenment Thinkers ?Thinkers ?

Baron Charles de Baron Charles de MontesquieuMontesquieu

1689-1755

The Spirit of the Laws1748

MontesquieuMontesquieu No ideal government Gov’t should adapt to the

size, the climate, and the social maturity of the people for whom it was intended.

MontesquieuMontesquieu Republican democracy =

small state Limited monarchy

(honour)= middle size Despotism = vast tropical

countries

MontesquieuMontesquieu Most enthused by visit to

England “England is the freest

country in the world.”

MontesquieuMontesquieu Divided power -- Monarch

-- Parliament

-- Courts Balance and “checks” were in

place to avoid oppressive power control

What ideas did What ideas did Montesquieu add Montesquieu add

to the to the Enlightenment?Enlightenment?

Jean Jacques Jean Jacques RousseauRousseau

1712-1778

The Social Contract1762

RousseauRousseau“Man was born free and everywhere he is in chains.”

The Social Contract

RousseauRousseau Rather than agree with

Hobbes analysis of man’s “state of nature”, Rousseau said people in a state of nature had “natural pity.” Empathy with others.

RousseauRousseau He pictured a primitive and

bygone Golden Age in which man lived close to nature and a return to “community”

A place where property did not exist and all men were created equal.

RousseauRousseau Political power must rest in

the hands of the governed. Politicians should be the servants, not the masters of the people.

RousseauRousseau Political power was man-made

and governments had grown tyrannical and cruel

They had destroyed liberty by means of unjust laws, taxes, police and armies.

RousseauRousseau A “General Will” existed

representing the larger interest

Sovereignty of a state rests with each individual in the state

RousseauRousseau

Assault on the “Cult of the Individual”

RousseauRousseau Ruthlessly egalitarian Believed in direct democracy Unlike other thinkers he did

not defend property because it meant a structure of unjust authority.

Pierre BaylePierre Bayle1647-1746

Historical and Critical Dictionary

BayleBayle Adopted Descartes and

Bacon’s assertion that nothing was true unless it could be proven and was verifiable.

BayleBayle Pierre Bayle was

foundation, along with Diderot, for critics in the next two generations.

BayleBayle He adopted methods of

rationalism and empiricism to analyse historical “facts”

Nothing was true unless it could be substantiated

BayleBayle Bible was his primary focus. He

believed it could not be given special treatment and should be subjected to the same rigorous analysis.

Nothing is sacred Both blemishes and respect must

be examined

BayleBayle Original “Social Scientist” Stated that a good student of

history is an enemy to lying. Lies should not be used for

secular or personal advantage

VoltaireVoltaire

1694-1778

Essay on ManCandide

Francois Marie Arouet

VoltaireVoltaire Twice imprisoned in the famous

Paris Bastille, he left France for three years exile in England.

Another of the ‘Philosophes who was impressed by the British freedoms.

VoltaireVoltaire

The Court Case of Jean Calas

Candide

VoltaireVoltaire “An Englishman goes to heaven

by the road he pleases. There are no arbitrary taxes. The peasant eats white bread and is well clothed and is not afraid of adding to his land for fear that the taxes will be raised next year.”

VoltaireVoltaire Praise of England was seen as

criticism of France. Again, Voltaire was forced to leave Paris.

VoltaireVoltaire Corresponded and influenced some

of the most important people of his day.

His style was harsh, satirical, witty and, most of all, influential.

VoltaireVoltaire Champion of religious freedom

and free speech“I disapprove of

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

VoltaireVoltaire Despite all of this he was afraid of

democracy. He continued to hold a very low opinion of the masses.

He believed in an enlightened despot who would govern for the “general good.”

VoltaireVoltaire Voltaire’s ideas of Enlightened

Despotism became the most influential to European governments in the 18th Century

Examples of Enlightened Despots Frederick (II) the Great of Prussia

VoltaireVoltaire Other Enlightened despots -- Maria Theresa of Austria

and her son Joseph II -- Catherine the Great of Russia Enlightened despot(?) -- Charles III of Spain -- Louis XV of France

Denis Denis DiderotDiderot

1713-1784

Encyclopedia

DiderotDiderot His “Encyclopedia” showed

the interrelationship of all knowledge and the advances of human knowledge

DiderotDiderot If knowledge is power than the “Encyclopedia” was the ultimate in power

DiderotDiderot Diderot believed that the true philosopher was dispassionate in the search for TRUTH

Must be motivated to improve the lot of humanity

DiderotDiderotReason impels the philosopher to action

How do you think you How do you think you would have reacted to would have reacted to Enlightenment ideas if Enlightenment ideas if you were living in the you were living in the

1700s?1700s?

Identify factors that helped spread Identify factors that helped spread Enlightenment ideas through Europe by Enlightenment ideas through Europe by

using the diagram below.using the diagram below.