The Enlightenment Mr. Booth World History Source: 1. A History of Modern Europe by John Merriman
The Enlightenment The Enlightenment is Daring to know! A Quest for knowledge Progress through REASON The Enlightnement is also known as The Age of Reason
It Begins with Two English Thinkers Hobbes and Locke 1. Thomas Hobbes The Leviathan. (1651) Convinced that people were naturally 1. Selfish 2. Wicked Without government, people would wage war of every man against every man.
To escape a brutal life: Social Contract 1. People give up their rights 2. Then, the Government will provide law and order Points 1, and 2 are the Social Contract The best government = awesome power of Leviathan (Awesome Sea Monster) What type of government is this? Why are they destined to fail?
2. John Locke He has a positive view of human nature Argues P, have natural ability to: people could learn from experience to improve themselves Locke criticized absolute monarchy in favor of self-government (democracy)in which as reasonable beings, people have the natural ability to govern their own affairs and to look after the welfare of society.
Locke BORN =According to Locke, all people are born free and equal (tabula rasa), with three natural rights. (3) NATURAL RIGHTS: Life, liberty, and property. PURPOSE OF GOV: The purpose of government, said Locke, is to protect these rights. IF A GOV. FAILS: citizens have a right to overthrow it. He wrote Two Treatises on Government
Changing Idea: The Right to Govern Old Idea A Monarchs rule is justified by divine right New Idea A government's power comes
LOCKE HOBBES - PEOPLE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT TYPE OF GOV RIGHTS VIEW OF OPPOSITE
What is Political Satire? S.N.L. Take
New York Post, Sean Delonas, 2011
New York Post, Sean Delonas, 2011 At its most benign, the cartoon suggests that the stimulus bill was so bad, monkeys may as well have written it. Others believe it compares the president to a rabid chimp. Either way, the incorporation of violence and (on a darker level) race into politics is bound to be controversial. Perhaps that's what Delonas wanted.
3. Voltaire Witty sarcastic that used political satire against his opponents Main Idea: Was a champion of reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech. The threat. Early works banned in France Everything he wrote banned in Spain Was twice sent to prison. I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. 3 Reasons to love Voltaire
4. Montesquieu Influential French writer that devoted himself to writing about political liberty (political freedom).
Montesquieu Montesquieu called this division of power among different branches the separation of powers in his famous book On the Spirit of Laws (1748). Power, he wrote should be a check to power. So each branch of the government would serve as a check on the other two. This is also known as Checks and Balances. The Separation of Powers essentially keeps any group of government from..???? Articles 1, 2, 3 of Constitution
5. Mary Wollstonecraft Published an essay called A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792. Disagreed with Voltaire on education. She believed that education was not secondary to a man s education. She argued that like men, women need education to become virtuous and useful, and that it would make them better mothers. She believed that women could also be something more than nurses, that they should also be able to become doctors.
Wollstonecraft Let women share the rights and she will emulate the virtues of men for she must grow more perfect when emancipated, she wrote. The key to gaining equality and freedom, she argued was better education.
6. Beccaria Italian philosophe Cesare Beccaria turned his thoughts to the reforming the justice system Quote: Laws existed to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes. Criticized abuses of justices included: Torture of witnesses and suspects Leading or Suggestive Interrogation Punishments that were arbitrary or cruel Believed capital punishment should be abolished Ideas influenced criminal law reformers in Europe and N. America
Beccaria Wrote "On Crimes and Punishments in 1768. 8 th Amendment to the Constitution is. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. What is waterboarding???
Think About It. Should the United States be able to torture suspected terrorists to keep America safe?
PHILOSPHE NAME FROM WROTE 2 MAIN IDEAS/Quote LOCKE IDEAS/IMPACT QUOTE: HOBBES IDEAS/IMPACT MONTESQUIEU QUOTE: IDEAS/IMPACT BECCARIA QUOTE: IDEAS/IMPACT VOLTAIRE QUOTE: IDEAS/IMPACT WOLLSTONECRAFT QUOTE: IDEAS/IMPACT QUOTE:
PHILOSPHE NAME FROM WROTE IDEA/IMPACT ` LOCKE England Two Treatises on Government Idea- Natural Rights Life, Liberty, Property Impact- Fundamental to the U.S. Declaration of Independence QUOTE: People have the natural ability go govern their own affairs and to look after the welfare of society. HOBBES England The Leviathan Idea- Absolute Rule Impact- No Impact; Preserving status quo. QUOTE: Without strong government, people would wage war of every man against every man. MONTESQUIEU France On the Spirit of Laws Idea- Separation of Powers Impact- France and U.S. uses separation of powers in their constitutions QUOTE: Power should be a check to power. BECCARIA Italy On Crimes and Punishment Idea- Abolishment of Torture Impact- Guaranteed in U.S. Bill of Rights (8 th Amendment); outlawed or reformed in Europe and N. America QUOTE: Laws existed to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes. VOLTAIRE France Candide Idea- Religious Freedom/Freedom of Speech Impact- Guaranteed in U.S. Bill of Rights and French Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen QUOTE: I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. WOLLSTONECRAFT England A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Idea- Women s Equality Impact- Women s rights groups form in Europe and North America QUOTE: A woman s education should not be secondary to a man s. OR Let women share the rights and she will emulate the virtues of men for she must grow more perfect
Locke s Impact on Thomas Jefferson 1. What is the Jeffersonian mean by the pursuit of happiness? 2. What other enlightened philosophe did Jefferson have in mind when he planned where the white house, the Supreme Court, and Congress would be built? 3. How can you see the constitution in the map of Washington?
The National Mall
Jefferson s Surprising Take on Racial Superiority What interesting quote from Jefferson s autobiography in 1821 is left off the inscriptions at the Jefferson memorial? How could a man like Jefferson deny rights to black Americans? Robert Bland, UVA, BA 1959
Primary Source Exercise Answers Chapter IV: Of Slavery All Star is John Locke, Second Treatise on Government Summary :That laws are unabliable, they are of nature and cannot be taken away. Also, that governmental power should come from the consent of the governed
On laws 1 st Primary Source All Star is Montesquieu, On the Spirit of Laws I underlined The liberty of man in society is to be under no other legislative power but that established by consent in the commonwealth, nor under the dominion of any will, or restraint of any law. Meaning: Body of Congress (Legislative) establishes laws to protect citizens against abuse of power of a monarch. Summary: The importance of the Separation of Powers. The specific importance is that if powers are combined, then government will act as a tyranny (abuse of power).
Primary Source Exercise Answers Cont. On laws All Star is Montesquieu, On the Spirit of Laws Summary: The importance of the Separation of Powers. The specific importance is that if powers are combined, then government will act as a tyranny (abuse of power). Of Suggestive Interrogations (Leading Questions) All Star is Cesare Beccaria, On Crimes and Punishment Summary: With the threat of torture everyone will talk. People should not have to incriminate themselves because officers of the law ask them leading questions or threaten torture. As a human race, we should have the right to remain silent and not have the threat of torture, or else this could happen to anybody at anytime.
Primary Source Exercise Answers Cont. Man in the State of Nature All Star is Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan) Summary: That in man s natural state, morality (goodness) does not exist. Therefore, a man should have no rights because they are incapable of being good. On Tolerance All Star is Voltaire Summary: It is our nature to be tolerant because we are all frail and make mistakes. We must forgive each other. Certainly, rulers will always make alliances based on power, but we must respect each other s differences.
Primary Source Exercise Answers Cont. A Vindication All Star is Mary Wollstonecraft Summary: She doesn t like men showing ritualistic behavior (opening doors) because it devalues women that women can do it themselves. She thinks it s sweet and she loves men but women can be more than just beautiful and helpless.