1 / 25

The Enlightenment 1550 - 1800

The Enlightenment 1550 - 1800. QUESTION: Based on what you know from previous chapters, was there EQUALITY in the 18 th century? LIBERTY? RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT? FREEDOM FROM RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION? A PUBLIC OPINION?.

kuper
Download Presentation

The Enlightenment 1550 - 1800

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Enlightenment 1550 - 1800 QUESTION: Based on what you know from previous chapters, was there EQUALITY in the 18th century? LIBERTY? RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT? FREEDOM FROM RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION? A PUBLIC OPINION?

  2. “Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them.” • Voltaire 1764

  3. ENLIGHTENMENT DEFINED • LIGHT defn-That which makes it possible for the eye to see things. Knowledge or understanding. • ENLIGHTEN defn- to give more and correct information or knowledge.

  4. Enlightenment Quotes • “Man was born free, but everywhere he is in chains” -Rousseau • “Dare to know” … “have the courage to make use of your own understanding” -Immanuel Kant

  5. What Caused the Enlightenment? • Renewed interest in reading ancient Greek and Latin (writings of Ptolmey, Plato, Aristotle, etc.) • Solving technical problems (how much weight can a ship hold?) • New Inventions (such as the telescope and microscope) • Printing Press (allows greater spread of thoughts and ideas)

  6. Major areas of “discovery” and “improvement”….. • Astronomy • Science • Philosophy

  7. Astronomy • Started with Ptolmey’s ideas (85 – 165 A.D. or C.E.) • Used Aristotle and Christianity to develop “The Ptolemaic System” • the system was Geocentric – earth at centre of universe

  8. Medieval World

  9. Copernicus and Kepler • Copernicus • Wrote “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres” • A heliocentric universe (sun at the centre; planets revolve around it) • Very controversial • Kepler • Used math to develop the laws of planetary motion; supports Copernicus

  10. Copernicus and his model of the universe

  11. Kepler proves Copernicus right

  12. Galileo • Achievements include: • Improvements to telescope • A variety of observations of the planets and sun (sunspots, planets, etc.) • Support for Copernicus • Referred to as the “father of….” • Modern astronomy • Modern science • Modern physics

  13. Galileo in trouble • Views are not popular with the Catholic Church • Forced to recant his beliefs at the Roman Inquisition • Lived under Church supervision till 1633, died 1642

  14. By the 1640’s most scientists adopted the heliocentric version of the universe • However, no mathematical “proof” had tied together Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo

  15. Isaac Newton • Developed the universal laws of gravity • law states in mathematical terms that every object in the universe is attracted to every other by the force of gravity • Newton proved that one mathematical law could explain all motion in the universe • His laws dominate the science world till Einstein!

  16. Francis Bacon • Invents Scientific Method – a systematic procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence • Scientists should use inductive reasoning: observe specific things  come up with general theories • Carefully organized experiments to test hypotheses (theories)

  17. Philosophy • Rene Descartes • Wrote “Discourse on Method” • Topic was “doubt”  one thing he did not doubt was his own existence; “I think, therefore I am” • His mind cannot be doubted; but his body and the material world could be • Led to separation of mind and body

  18. John Locke • Very influential • “Tabula Rasa” – blank slate • We are all born with a blank mind; we are then molded (good or evil) through our experiences • Therefore, if environments were changed so that people were exposed to the right influences, we could have an “ideal society” • Right to remove the ruler • “Social Contract” -

  19. Thomas Hobbes • men are nasty, violent and selfish • Must have an absolute ruler to keep them in control • People surrender their rights to the absolute ruler so that they are protected • If they don’t, there will be only Anarchy and chaos

  20. What do you think? • What is the nature of man? • Which government system is better? • Can you think of a modern day gov’t that looks like either Hobbes or Lockes ideal?

  21. Baron de Montesquieu • Separation of powers in gov’t in order to prevent any one person from getting too much power (preventing absolutism) • Executive --------------- Prime Minister • Judicial ----------------- Supreme Court • Legislative ------------- Senate and House of Commons

  22. Enlightenment Con’t • Who were the Philosophes? • Voltaire / John Locke / Jean-Jacques Rousseau / Adam Smith / Immanuel Kant / Edmund Burke • Criticized unquestioned obedience to authority • Praised merits of free inquiry and debate to reach the truth • Focus on rationality (little room for individual moral convictions)

  23. Deism • Many philosophes were deists. • Deism – Deus, Latin word for god • Simplification of religion • Saw God as a creator that did not participate in everyday events of humans • Rather He created the universe and let it run itself-like a watchmaker • Allowed for the criticism of religious rebuttal without disputing the existence of a supreme, divine moral power

More Related