The Enlightenment
Two Views on Government Social Contract Hobbes believes that people need a strong government to keep order Leviathan (1651) Observed the horrors of the English Civil War Natural Rights Locke believes that people have a natural ability to govern themselves Two Treatises on Government (1690) Written two years after Glorious Revolution
Advocating Reason Philosophical concepts 1. Reason: absence of intolerance, bigotry, or prejudice in one s thinking 2. Nature: natural laws exist for economics and politics like laws of motion 3. Happiness: well-being on earth is possible 4. Progress: society and humankind can be perfected 5. Liberty: through reason, society can be set free
Voltaire Freedom of thought and expression Fights for tolerance Influenced U.S. Bill of Rights and French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen European monarchs reduce or eliminate censorship
Montesquieu Separation of Powers Power should be a check to power. France, United States, and Latin American nations use separation of powers in new constitutions
Rousseau Individual Freedom Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains Civilization corrupts people s natural goodness Unjust laws take away freedom Only good government is one guided by the general will of the people
Beccaria Abolishment of Torture Believed law was to preserve social order, not avenge crimes Influenced law reformers in Europe and North America Influence present in U.S. Bill of Rights
Wollstonecraft Women s Equality Let women share the rights and she will emulate the virtues of men; for she must grow more perfect when emancipated. A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) Women deserve the same rights as men Disagrees with Rousseau that women s education should be secondary to men s Argued that women need to be educated to become virtuous and useful (even for homemaking)
Diderot s Encyclopedia Diderot imagined a large set of books to which all the leading scholars of Europe would contribute Brought together the most current enlightened thinking about science, technology, art, government, and more First volumes published in 1751
The Election II: Canvassing for Votes (1754-55) Hogarth, William
Art, Music, and Literature in the Enlightenment New style is simple and elegant Borrows ideas from classical Greece and Rome Hayden, Beethoven, and Mozart are among the great music composers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2odfummyss In this scene, the Queen is getting mad because Pamina (the girl) stole her Magic Flute (similar to the Warp Whistle from Super Mario 3) and she cannot teleport to level 8. NES anyone? Novels presenting entertaining stories written in everyday English appeal to the middle class
Enlightenment and Monarchy Frederick II of Prussia announces that his goal is to serve and strengthen his country In Austria, Joseph II s radical reforms include freedom of worship and the end of serfdom Catherine II of Russia makes limited reforms, which she later revokes Catherine vastly enlarges the Russian Empire and wins warm-weather port for her country
Changing Idea: Relationship Between Ruler and State Old Idea The state and its citizens exist to serve the monarch as Louis XIV reportedly said, I am the state. New Idea The monarch exists to serve the state and support citizens welfare as Frederick the Great said, a ruler is only the first servant of the state.