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The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment. Characteristics of the Enlightenment: Rationalism: Reason is the arbiter of all things (centerpiece or main concept) Cosmology: A new concept on man (who is he, why is he here, etc.) What is his place on Earth? In the Universe? Secularism:

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The Enlightenment

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  1. The Enlightenment • Characteristics of the Enlightenment: • Rationalism: • Reason is the arbiter of all things (centerpiece or main concept) • Cosmology: • A new concept on man (who is he, why is he here, etc.) • What is his place on Earth? In the Universe? • Secularism: • Application of the methods of science to both religion and philosophy. • Begin to question things

  2. The Enlightenment • Politically: • Reformation • Intellectual: • Newtonian Physics • Reasoning (birth of science) • Cultural: • Individualism • Social: • Education • Age of Aristocracy • Economic: • Merchants • Dawn of Capitalism

  3. The Enlightenment • Britain: • Constitutional Monarchy • France: • Royal Absolutism • Russia: • Enlightened Despotism • Educated, worldly Dictator (Dictator Light) • Ottoman Empire: • Traditional Empire • Kings, Queens, that sort of thing.

  4. The Enlightenment • Science: • Scientific laws were now be explored. • Explained in mathematical form. • Gave alternatives to everything in life: • Religion • Politics • Religion • Physical – Theology: • An attempt to describe God and all he is through science. • Creates a rational religion, free of mystery, miracles, and superstition.

  5. The Enlightenment • Religion: • Deism: • Belief in God, but for the first time, doing so while at the same time renouncing organized religion. • They recognized a God, but one that was distant, and uninvolved with man. • Pantheism: • Belief that God and nature are one (birth of tree huggers)! • Born from Protestants and Catholics who began to belief in God’s works more through science than scripture.

  6. The Enlightenment • Science: • Mathematical analysis • Inductive (hypothesis, or educated guessing) reasoning • Experimentation • Utilitarianism: Greatest good, for the greatest number of people (common good). • Tolerance: No opinion or thought, is worth burning someone over.

  7. The Enlightenment • Optimism & Self Confidence • Belief that man is inherently good. • Social progress • Freedoms: • Of thought and expression • Bring liberty to ALL men (revolt against Absolutism) • This would lead to movements such as the American Revolution, and the French Revolution. • Mass public Education

  8. The Enlightenment • Legal Reforms • No torture • Justice • Due process of Law (meaning those in charge had a standard of rules to abide by as they prosecuted you). • Constitutionalism: • A set of civil rights guaranteed every man in your country.

  9. The Enlightenment Reason and Logic Traditions and Superstitions Rational Tolerance Deism Skepticism Clinging to the past Organized religion Irrationalism Emotionalism

  10. The Enlightenment • Writers: • John Locke • Individual MUST become a rational creature. • Virtue (goodness, the quality of being morally righteous) must be both learned and practiced. • People have free will: • Should be ‘PREPARED’ for freedom. • Obeying one anther should be out of conviction not fear • With no conviction, then fear and intimidation should be used to re-enforce what is missing. • Certain right we are ALL endowed by God: • Life, liberty, property (should sound familiar, it’s what Thomas Jefferson would quote later).

  11. The Enlightenment • Writers: • Immanuel Kant • Introduced the concept of transcendentalism: • Some things are known or learned by methodology (practice) rather than empirically (observation). • Methodological Concept: • Belief in God • This meant there is a way to believe in something non-rationally. • Empirical concept: • Time • You can see time pass as the day moves on

  12. The Enlightenment • New things / inventions / Attitudes / Habits / etc. from the Enlightenment: • The Encyclopedia • Called a “Complete cycle of knowledge” • Helped continue the reformation or change in the way society thought. • Alphabetical / Cross referenced / Illustrated • 1st published in 1751 • Education (Again . . . ) • Literacy rates explode • 80% of all men can read, 60% of women • Books are expensive (a day’s pay to purchase one) • Many readers for each book (20 people for every 1 book in print) • Novels, plays, etc. • Journals (our first blogs) • Philosophy, written history, theology • Newspapers, etc.

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