The Age of Enlightenment 17 th and 18 th centuries.

The Age of Enlightenment

17th and 18th centuries

The Enlightenment

• Time period where thinkers tried to apply the principles of reason and science to all aspects of society– 17th & 18th centuries– Height: 1750– Inspired by Scientific Revolution

• Enlightenment Concepts– 1. Reason: not accepting anything by faith (challenged the

church)– 2. Scientific method could discover the laws of human society

as well as nature– 3. Progress: Better societies could be created using these

principles

Conflict with Religion

• Many philosophers of the day were anti-religious, anti-absolutist & skeptics– Questioned religious truth (Could religious truth ever

be known?)– Saw unity of religion as an absolutist ideal,-

(believed in toleration)– Travel lit. provided evidence of other religions (Is one

religion really right?)

The Philosophes• French for “philosopher”- lover of wisdom

– Enlightenment reached its height in France• French was the international language• Absolutism weakened after the death of Louis XIV• Philosophes asked the tough questions on God,

meaning of life, human nature, and good vs. evil

• The philosophes targeted the nobility– They were educated (could read)– Nobility were an audience for “enlightened”

plays, novels, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.

Famous French Philosophes

• Baron de Montesquieu – “separation of powers” (inspired USA)

• Voltaire– Wrote over 70 novels, plays, etc.– In and out of jail due to critisizing govt.

• Madame du Chatelet– Female philosophe– Faced sexism in a male dominated “industry”

• Diderot & Jean le Rond d’Alembert– Wrote the first set of Encyclopedias– Catholic church banned the books

Diderot’s Encyclopedia

The Encyclopédie was the major achievement of the French Enlightenment whose aim, in Diderot's words,

was to "change the common way of thinking" through the expansion of knowledge and the development of critical modes of thought. It took 20 years to compile, with more than 70,000 illustrated articles on subjects ranging from

asparagus to the zodiac.

John Locke• Early Enlightenment thinker

(British)• Determined that all people are

born with natural rights- life, liberty, and property.

• If government is bad, it is your duty to rebel and overthrow it.

• Inspired Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence.

• Believed that humans derive ideas from experience (tabula rasa, blank slate).

Later Enlightenment• As the Enlightenment grew, so did its followers• Change began around 1770• The movement attracted new people with different perspectives, often extreme.

– Thinkers challenged ideas of reason and progress– Jean Jacques Rousseau (Swiss)

• Believed in individual freedom, the social contract, and the general will (inspired the USA and the Bill of Rights)

– Baron d’Holbach• Was an atheist and believed that people are machines that are determined

by outside forces– David Hume

• Reason cannot always be proved true, so therefore you can not trust your ability to reason. Truth is only what can be verified

Spread of Ideas

• Book market grew during the era of Enlightenment– Some absolutist countries banned books

• “Reading revolution” • Freedom of the press allowed in some places

– Fredrick the Great, Prussia

• French Salons– Enlightenment ideas were discussed by the elite and

intellectuals…Madame Geoffrin– United intellectual and social elites

Enlightened Absolutism

• Enlightened Despot: rulers who tried to justify their absolute rule by claiming to rule in the people’s interest by making good laws, promoting human happiness, and improving society – They were instructed by the philosophes– Late 18th century– A bit of an oxymoron

Examples of Enlightened Absolutism

Frederick the Great (Prussia)

-improved educational system

-got rid of torture of accused criminals

-allowed freedom of religion and press

Peter the Great (Russia)

-westernized Russia

-improved educational system

Catherine the Great

German princess who led Russia-created hospitals-codified Russian law-brought “culture” to Russia-allowed some religious tolleration-improve education, local govt.-sought territorial expansion-Pugachev serf uprising (1773) led her to

reverse some reforms

More Examples…

Maria Theresa (Austria)

-est. national army

-limited the power of the Catholic Church

-revised the tax system

-improved ed. system

-limited the power of the lord over

serfs

Joseph II (Austria)

-abolished serfdom

-tolerance of Calvinists and Lutherans

-eliminated restrictions placed on Jews

-abolished capital punishment