What is enlightenment

Tenets of the Enlightenment Role of Reason Origins Guardians of the Enlightenment Role of France Worldview

What is Enlightenment?

“Sapere Aude”

The Enlightenment stressed that Reason could cure mankind of all past injustices.

In such a new world a perfect society was almost insured.

Through reason man could discover the Natural Laws that regulated society.

Once that is done man can reach Progress that would guarantee human betterment.

England

Newton

Locke

Glorious Revolution

Men can use their powers of reason to free themselves of problems

Reason for yourself.

Rationality – thinking things through, action without emotion

Scientific: The key players

in this were Descartes, Bacon, and Newton.

Shows influence of scientific thought

 Sought to use mathematics as a language of universal precision.

Systematic Doubt: Question everything

Logical analysis. Strict progression

of synthesis.  Tries to save

Christianity with logic

Newton’s Principia was published in Latin in 1687.

Argues universe worked according to fixed natural laws.

He saw the world as a great mechanical work of God.

"Nature and Nature's Laws lay hid in night;God said, 'Let Newton be!' -- And all was light."

Work of Newton, Bacon, Descartes, highlights natural laws, therefore God must work through natural laws.

Religion, therefore should be rational No mysteries No superstitions No miracles Which church is this really aimed at?

Logical extent of rationalized religion. God is the creative force in the universe,

deny “revealed religion” Mechanistic universe – God created

universe, but is uninvolved in man’s affairs

Therefore all Christian religions have it wrong

The intellectuals who adopted this position were called Philosophes.

Most, but not all were French.

Few were Philosophers in the strict sense of the term.

The philosophes were social critics, publicists, political scientists, economists, and social reformers.

Reason/Logic Rationalism Empiricism Tolerance Skepticism Deism Light Modern

Tradition/Superstition

Nostalgia for the past

Religion Irrationality Emotion Darkness Pre-modern/

medieval

Philosophes critique French society and monarchy

In Politics, three main philosophes are Montesquieu Voltaire Rousseau

Agriculture/Botany: Physiocrats

Debate about the world takes place within the public sphere, at coffee houses & salons

Written about in pamphlets, newspapers, broad sides

Ideology of the Enlightenment comes to dominate European Milieu