The Enlightenment

1. The Enlightenment

2. The Scientific Revolution • Scientific Revolution • Ideas challenging ancient thinkers and the church • New way of thinking about the natural world • Based on careful observation, willingness to question accepted beliefs • Spread through traveling to other lands, printing press • Astronomy, mathematics (navigation)

3. Astronomy • Geocentric Theory (middle ages) • Earth at center of universe • Sun, moon, stars, planets rotate • Aristotle, Ptolemy, Christianity • Heliocentric Theory • Copernicus studies 25 years • Earth, stars, planets revolve around sun • Contradicts religious views • Kepler • Planets revolve around the sun in ellipses

4. Geocentric/Heliocentric theories • http://www.keplersdiscovery.com/Hypotheses.html • Kepler’s foci • http://www.drennon.org/science/kepler.htm • Kepler’s “Wandering Stars” • http://www.keplersdiscovery.com/Observations.html

11. Astronomy • Galileo • Builds telescope • Jupiter has four moons, sun has dark spots • Moon has rough surface • Challenges church’s idea that moon, stars are pure

14. Challenging the Church • New ideas force questioning of church authority • If people question the church in science, why not in other things, too? • Galileo is warned by pope, but he still supports ideas of Copernicus and Ptolemy • Threatened torture, rescinds ideas • Lives under house arrest, dies as a prisoner • Catholic church agrees that Galileo was right in 1992

15. Scientific Method • Logical procedure for gathering and testing ideas • Problem or question from observation • Hypothesis • Tested in experiment • Analysis and interpretation to prove/disprove hypothesis • Bacon and Descartes • Bacon thinks science can improve life • Urges scientists to experiment, conclude • Descartes believes all should be doubted until proven (“I think, therefore I am”)

16. Newton • Theory of Motion • Physical objects affected by same forces • Motion of planets and all matter on earth and in space • “Every object attracts every other object” • Depends on mass of object and distance between • God as a clockmaker setting universe in motion

19. Newton’s Laws • http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/maths/06.TU.02/?section=4 • http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/maths/06.TU.02/?section=6

20. Spread of Scientific Revolution • Tools and instruments • Microscope • Barometer • Thermometer • Medicineand anatomy • Dissection of human bodies • Vaccine to prevent smallpox (cowpox) • Chemistry • Smaller primary particles (elements) • Boyle’s law explains how volume, temp, and pressure of gas affect each other

22. The Enlightenment Definition: a new intellectual movement stressing reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems

23. Two Views of Government • Thomas Hobbes • Leviathan • All humans are naturally selfish and wicked • Without gov’t, life would be “nasty, brutish, and short” • To have good life, give rights to strong ruler and in return receive law and order (social contract) • Ruler needs total power to keep citizens under control (absolute monarchy)

24. Two Views of Government • John Locke • People can learn from experience and improve themselves • People can govern own affairs and look after welfare of society (no abs. monarchy, but self) • All born free and equal with three natural rights: life, liberty, property • Government has responsibility to protect rights • If gov’t fails, people should overthrow it • Power of gov’t comes from consent of the governed

25. Philosophes • Gather in Paris, Fr. • Apply reason to all aspects of life • Reason: truth discovered through reason/logic • Nature: what is natural is good, reasonable • Happiness: seek happiness here, not in death • Progress: society, humankind should improve • Liberty: freedoms granted in Glorious Rev, Bill of Rights • Salons: places hosted by women of great learning

27. Voltaire • Satire of clergy, aristocracy, gov’t • Sent to prison, exiled • Fights for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, freedom of speech • “I do not agree with a word you say but will defend to the death your right to say it.”~ Voltaire

28. Montesquieu • Political liberty • Britain is best-governed and politically balanced • King and ministers have executive power (carry out laws) • Parliament as legislative power (make laws) • Judges of courts as judicial power (interpret laws) • Division of power as separation of powers • Power should be checked to prevent too much • Checks and balances

29. Rousseau • Individual freedom • Civilization corrupts people’s natural goodness • “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains”~ Jean Jacques Rousseau • Only good gov’t is one formed by people, guided by “general will” of society (direct democracy) • Give up some rights for greater good • Consent of the governed • All people are equal, nobility should be abolished • Ideas lead to French revolution

30. Beccaria • Laws exist to preserve social order • Criticizes abuse of justice • Torturing witnesses and suspects • Irregular proceedings in trials • Cruel and unusual punishments • Speedy and public trial • Punishment based on seriousness of crime • Abolish capital punishment

31. Women and the Enlightenment • Traditional views toward women • Education as good wife, mother • No reading novels (It may corrupt) • Mary Astell promotes education and criticizes inequality between men and women • Mary Wollstonecraft • Education to become virtuous and useful • Women to enter medicine and politics • Catherine the Great of Russia • Applies ideas of Montesquieu and Beccaria to gov’t (no torture/capital punishment, tolerance)

32. Legacy of the Enlightenment • Belief in progress • Growth of scientific knowledge • Reason to solve social problems • End to slavery, greater social equality • Secular outlook • Questioning of religion, the church • Science and mathematic reason, not “God” (?) • Importance of individual • Looking to self, not religion • Ability to reason for right and wrong • Formation of government by individuals