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The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment. Background and History. Spread of ideas during the 18 th century (1700s) which emphasized rational thought and reason Age of Reason Inspired by the Scientific Revolution, especially Newton and Locke Undercut the importance of religion and God Secularism

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The Enlightenment

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  1. The Enlightenment

  2. Background and History • Spread of ideas during the 18th century (1700s) which emphasized rational thought and reason • Age of Reason • Inspired by the Scientific Revolution, especially Newton and Locke • Undercut the importance of religion and God • Secularism • Began in England, before moving to France, and finally Germany

  3. Characteristics of the Enlightenment and its Philosophers • Opposition to authority • Rationalism • The enlightenment movement • Cultural optimism • The return to nature • Natural religion • Human rights

  4. Opposition to Authority • England at the time was far more liberal than France because of the “Glorious Revolution” • French inspired by English, esp. Locke and Newton • Became opposed to the old authority • King, nobility, and clergy • Though an individual should be skeptical of all inherited truth. • One should find their own answer to every question, not accepted “authority’s” answer • This type of thought led to questioning of the church and the monarchy

  5. Rationalism • All Enlightenment Philosophers put great importance on reason • Thanks to experiments and discoveries by earlier scientists and thinkers, people realized that nature was subject to reason • Nature’s laws could be reasoned though • No longer had to accept authority’s answers to questions, as using reason, they could figure them out themselves

  6. The Enlightenment Movement • Philosophers of the Enlightenment wanted to spread this new rationalism • Though reason was the basis for a better society • Poverty and oppression was the fault of ignorance • Examples: • Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (Encyclopedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts) – one of the first encyclopedias to include many contributors and to focus on medicine. • Compiled by Diderot • Enlightened Despotism – rulers who aimed to advance society by fostering education, aiding the economy, and promoting social justice • Frederick the Great of Prussia • Catherine the Great of Russia • Joseph II of Aurstira

  7. Cultural Optimism • Many philosopher’s believed that with the of reason and knowledge that society could only become better • Eventually society would be rid of irrationality and ignorance and society would become completely “enlightened”

  8. Return to Nature and Rousseau • Disclaimer: Nature very similar reason • Human reason was a gift of nature, not of religion or civilization • Observed less “civilized” people of other cultures, saw they were happier • Jean Jacques Rousseau, a key philosopher in the Enlightenment, emphasized a return to nature • Thought that civilization corrupted humankind and that life in a state of nature was freer • Goal of individual is to strip away artificial restraints of civilization and return as far as possible to nature • Distrust of civilization lead to his criticism of Education and child rearing practices • Argued that children needed to be understood as individuals and successfully reformed many educational and child rearing practices • Glorified emotion • Politically, he came up with the idea of the “general will” – meaning that the consensus of the majority should control a nation

  9. Natural Religion • Religion should be in harmony with reason • Should be stripped of all irrational doctrines and dogmas • Thought it was irrational not to believe in God • Many professed Deism • God created the world, but does not intervene in it. • Some thought that God reveals himself through nature and natural laws

  10. Human Rights • Believed that people had certain “natural” rights – rights that everybody was entitled too just by being born • Freedom of thought and speech • Can be seen in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen – one of the most important documents to come out of the early French Revolution • “Feminism” • Most thought only men deserved these natural rights • However there were a few “extremists” who wanted more rights for women • Marquis de Condorcet published a treatise on the rights of women • Olympe de Gouges demanded equality for men and women • Many of the salons where philosophers went to share their ideas were run by woman

  11. Major philosophers of the Enlightenment • Voltaire • Criticized society, injustices, and organized religion • Helped bring about a desire for change • Deist • Freedom of thought • Also a poet, essayist, dramatists, and satirist • Montesquieu- argued that there should be separate parts of government to avoid despotism. Brought about ideas of checks and balances. • Hume – religion is mere superstition • Adam Smith – classical economics, “laissez faire”, invisible hand • Kant – Critque of Pure Reason - Categories of understanding

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