Chapter 18 Part 2

Chapter 18Part 2

The Enlightenment

A Secular World View For the first time in human history Belief that science and reason could

explain all aspects of life Belief in the autonomy of man’s

intellect APART FROM GOD

Faith in reason rather than faith in revelation

Deism The Religious arm of the

Enlightenment The existence of God was a rational

explanation of the universe and the form it has taken

God is seen as a cosmic creator (a cosmic clockmaker) who created the universe and then stepped back and left it running…like a clock

Deism The universe is governed by NATURAL

LAW…not by a personal God

Some called it, “The ghost in the machine”

The supernatural has no place in human life

Deism grew out of Newton’s theories regarding natural laws of the universe

Belief that Scientific Method could explain the

laws of society Progress in society was possible if

natural laws and how they applied to society could be understood

Education was seen as a key to helping society to progress

John Locke (1632-1704) 1690 Two Treatises of Civil Government Was the Philosophical defense of the

Glorious Revolution

In the state of nature: humans are basically good but need protection (differed from Hobbes, Machiavelli)

Governments to provide rule of law BUT only with the consent of the governed

The Purpose of Government

To protect the NATURAL RIGHTS of the people: Life, Liberty and Property

The Right to Rebellion: the people have a right to abolish a government that does not protect its citizens’ natural rights

Locke: Essay Concerning Human Understanding

(1690) Stressed the importance of the

environment on the individual

Education was seen as the key

Tabula Rasa: the human mind is born as a blank slate and registers input from the senses

Locke Saw all human knowledge as the

result of sensory experiences without any preconceived notions

Rejected Descartes’ view that all people are born with certain basic ideas and ways of thinking

BUT education was necessary for social progress and human development (both)

Toleration was popularized

Remember Montaigne and Skepticism

Bernard de Fontenelle (1657-1757) made very complicated scientific ideas accessible to the public (explained in simple terms)

Was skeptical of absolute truth and questioned claims of organized religion

Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) 1697 Critical and Historical Dictionary Advocate of complete toleration of ideas A person should be free to worship any

religion or NONE AT ALL!

Was a major critic of Christianity and its attempt to impose its beliefs

Was a skeptic…like Montaigne

The Philosophes Were committed to fundamental

social reform

Were not professional philosophers (like Locke and Descartes) but DID successfully popularize Enlightenment ideas

By 1775 most of Western Europe’s educated elite had embraced the Enlightenment

The Philosophes Believed in progress through

discovering the natural laws governing nature and human existence

Were radically optimistic about how people should live and govern themselves (though most did not have faith in the idea of true democracy for the great unwashed)

Voltaire (1694-1778) Maybe the most influential of all of

the Enlightenment Philosophers

Used sharp criticism and ridicule on those who disagreed with his views

Was a huge critic of the Catholic Church

Voltaire and the Catholic Church

Believed that prayer and miracles had no place with natural law

Was strongly Deist

Believed that human reason (not faith) was the key to progress (along with education, of course)

Voltaire Was so critical of society that many

believe he set the stage for the French Revolution

He hated bigotry and injustice

His most famous quote against religious intolerance, “Ecracsez l’infame” (Crush the infamous thing!)

Voltaire Was raised as a Christian but came

to distrust organized religion as being corrupt

Believed that the Church’s leadership had moved away from the central message of Jesus

Wrote Candide: “a biting satirical novel.”

Voltaire Was an advocate of “Enlightened

Despotism”

A more benevolent form of absolutism was the best that we could hope for

Believed that the people were incapable of governing themselves

Voltaire Believed in equality before the law

BUT

NOT in the equality of the classes

Influenced several “Enlightened Despots” Frederick the Great (Prussia) Catherine the Great (Russia) Joseph II (Austria) Napoleon (the Greatest of them all)

Montesquieu (1689-1755)

Member of the French nobility Hated Louis XIV

1748 Spirit of the Laws called for separation of powers in government…3 branches: monarchy nobility (the French Parlements (independent

courts) the rest of the population

Goal to promote liberty and prevent anarchy

Montesquieu Favored the British system: the

Monarchy, Parliament, and independent courts

Had lived for a time in England

He supported the 13 Parlements in France as a check against tyrannical absolute rule by the monarch

Montesquieu Had a big impact on the creation of

the U.S. Constitution and the French Revolution

Rousseau 1712-1788) The Social Contract 1762 Believed that too much emphasis on

property and not enough consideration of the people was a root cause of social injustice

The General Will: A consensus of the majority should control a nation (implied democracy)

“The General Will” Will be manipulated and used later

by dictators to rationalize extreme nationalism and tyranny

Robespierre Hitler Mussolini

No protection for the minority

Rousseau Was part of the Enlightenment But better known as the father of the

Romantic movement

After the French Revolution, the glorification of Reason will give way to the glorification of emotion

Rousseau Believed that man in a state of

nature was good The Noble Savage Man was corrupted by materialism

of civilization

Influenced the American Transcendentalists: man was corrupted by vestiges of civilization (institutions)

Rousseau and Education Believed in child-centered, hands-on

education Progressive: learning by doing Self-expression was encouraged

Advice: Love your children, cherish them

1762 Emile

The Irony: He left his 5 illegitimate children in an orphanage rather than educating and “cherishing” them

The French Revolution Will be divided into 3 Ages

The Age of Montesquieu (A Republic)

The Age of Rousseau (Majority Rule: the Reign of Terror)

The Age of Voltaire (Enlightened Despotism: Napoleon)

Denis Diderot (1713-1784)

1765 The Encyclopedia the greatest and most representative work of the philosophes

A huge collection of political and social critiques from various authors and Enlightenment Philosophers

Emphasized science and reason while criticizing religion, intolerance, tyranny, and injustice

The Encyclopedia Tried to teach people to think

critically and objectively

Was banned in France and placed in the Index of Forbidden Books by the pope

Beccaria (Italian) 1764 On Crimes and Punishment

Tried to humanize criminal law based on Enlightenment concepts of reason and equality before the law

Punishment for a crime should be based rationally on the damage done to society

Should NOT be linked to the religious concept of sin

Beccaria Was opposed to the death penalty

except in the case of serious threats against the state

Opposed to the use of torture to extract confessions

Beccaria Influenced Enlightened Despots:

Frederick the Great banned torture Catherine the Great restricted the

use of torture Joseph II banned torture and the

death penalty

Economic Theory and the Enlightenment

Economists were called Physiocrats

Quesnay (1694-1774) Leader of the French Physiocrats

Were opposed to mercantilism Wanted to institute Laissez-faire in

agriculture Believed that the French government

and nobility stifled agricultural production by their interference and control

Adam Smith (1727-1790) Wealth of Nations 1776 Considered the Bible of capitalism Advocated laissez-faire in economics of a

nation Believed that the economy is governed by the

NATURAL LAWS of Supply and Demand When people work for their own self-interest,

they will be more productive Competition will encourage producers to

manufacture most efficiently in order to sell higher quality, lower-cost goods than competitors

Government regulation would only interfere and stifle production