Mayer - World History - The Enlightenment

1. The Enlightenment “The Age of Reason” 1650-1800

2. What? • The Enlightenment is a period of change in Western culture that leads to revolutions in politics, social issues, and philosophy. Most modern social views evolve from this period. • When? • From the mid-1600’s through the early 1800’s. • Where? • Takes place mainly in Europe, but because of their large empires the ideas and knowledge filters down into European colonies, especially the United States. • Who? • Involves hundred of politicians, philosophers, and scholars. It’s ideas change the life of millions and continue to affect the lives of many today.

3. Word Wall inductive deductive philosophe observation hypothesis conclusion natural rights heliocentric equality

4. Topic 1: The Causes of the Enlightenment

5. Learning Goal • Students will be able to identify the previous events in history that caused the Enlightenment and explain how they helped cause the Enlightenment.

6. Causes of the Enlightenment • The Enlightenment is not defined time period but a movement in Western thinking. During this time, people in Europe and their European colonies begin to believe that all life ran based on laws. The discovery of laws in science convinced people that there were laws that governed human life as well. • People began to believe that by using “reason”, logical thinking, one could unlock the secrets of human life. • The Enlightenment is created by the effects of several other events: • 1. The Renaissance • 2. The Age of Exploration • 3. The Protestant Reformation • 4. The Scientific Revolution

7. Causes of the Enlightenment • The Renaissance • Increased literacy leads to more people exposed to subjects like politics, law, and economics. • Printing press allows for faster spread of information about these topics. • Higher levels of education expose people to new ideas like equality and religious tolerance. • Humanism creates a belief in the importance of the individual and their rights. People begin to challenge government oppression.

8. Causes of the Enlightenment • The Protestant Reformation • Creates distrust of the Catholic Church. People question their authority and privileges. Begin to challenge traditional Catholic beliefs and social practices. • Hatefulness of the Protestant Reformation leads to movements for religious tolerance.

9. Causes of the Enlightenment • The Age of Exploration • The Triangle Trade makes governments in Europe very wealthy and powerful. Leads to absolute monarchies which were highly oppressive. • The brutality of the Triangle Trade creates debate about the morality of slavery in the Americas.

10. Causes of the Enlightenment • The Scientific Revolution • The success of the Scientific Revolution convince people to see the world as reasonable, universal machine with laws that govern it and can be discovered. Try to “unlock the secrets” of human life, the way Newton did with the universe. • People begin to believe that if universe can be understood through reason, then human problems can too. Begin to apply scientific thinking to social issues.

11. Essential Question • What previous events in history helped cause the Enlightenment? • The previous events in history that helped cause the Enlightenment were ___________________________________________________.

12. Essential Question • How did those events lead to the Enlightenment? • Those events led to the Enlightenment by _____________________________________________. • Elaboration • Evidence • 1. The Renaissance exposed people to new topics like law, economics, and politics. • 2. The Protestant Reformation caused people to question the authority and traditions of the Catholic Church. • 3. The Age of Exploration created absolute governments which oppressed their citizens. • 4. The Scientific Revolution convinced people that there were laws that governed all of human life.

13. Topic2: The Fathers of the Enlightenment VS.

14. Learning Goal • Students will be able to identify the “Fathers” of Enlightenment thought and their core ideals.

15. The Fathers of the Enlightenment • Enlightenment movement begins in the late 1600’s. Civil war in England begins when people question the authority of absolute government. Many begin to demand a say in how their government is run. • This is a revolutionary idea. Has not been a representative government in Europe since the First Roman Republic. (29 BC!!!) • People begin to demand an end to absolute monarchies and call for limited monarchies. • Limited Monarchy • King remains the head of the government. • Must get approval from an elected Congress before making decisions. • Must follow all of the laws of the country. • Government must protect rights of citizens. • The two men who make this debate famous are considered the “Fathers of the Enlightenment”, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.

16. Topic3: The Philosophes

17. Learning Goal • Students will be able to identify the philosophers, ideas, and theories of the Enlightenment. Students will be able to identify modern applications of these ideas.

18. The Philosophes • The debate between Hobbes and Locke, or more importantly absolute government and limited government, becomes the main political question of the day. • It inspires the next generation of philosophers to attack the problems of government, law, and human rights. • This new generation of philosophers is mainly based in France, and takes on the French title philosophe. They address almost every question regarding freedom and human rights. • Greatly inspires the creation of new governments in many parts of the world. They are a direct inspiration to the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the revolutions in South and Central America.

19. John Locke • First major advocate for limited government. • Believed all people were born with natural rights; life, liberty, and property. Purpose of government was to protect those rights. • He believed that these rights were set out in a “Social Contract” between the people and the government. • Also believed that people had the right to disobey or overthrow any government that did not protect their rights.

20. Voltaire • French writer; wrote over 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. • Fought for many causes; religious freedom, freedom of speech and expression, and separation of church and state. • Was extremely critical of the Catholic Church and it privileged status. Fought to loosen Church’s control over people’s lives. • Was arrested 6 times for violating restrictions on freedom of speech and the press.

21. Adam Smith • Scottish philosopher. Wrote The Wealth of Nations. • Believed that business should be untouched by government. Free competition against each other is the best way to weed out weak businesses and businessmen. • He believed that demand for goods would dictate what businesses would succeed and fail and that the government should not stand in the way. Called it the “invisible hand” of the market. • He believed that government should be allowed to collect taxes, but otherwise should not interfere with business in any way.

22. Cesare Beccaria • Italian lawyer • Fought against unfair imprisonment and imprisonment without trial, which was common under absolute governments. • Also fought against corporal punishments, especially the death penalty. • Believed in “equality before the law’, which meant that upper class citizens such as priests, nobles, and kings should be held to the same standards and laws as common people and the poor. • Many of his ideas are incorporated into the American justice system.

23. Mary Wollstonecraft • English writer whose book The Vindication of the Rights of Women was one the first in the feminist movement. • Argued that women were not naturally inferior to men, but were kept that way because of a lack of education and social mistreatment by men. • Believed that women should have access to all of the same opportunities as men and that they should not be forced to stay at home and be mothers and wives only. • Trashed many of the other philosophes as hypocrites because they fought equality for men but treated women as second class citizens.

24. Montesquieu • French noble who wrote The Spirit of Laws. Compared every major form of government to show which was the best. • Created the idea of a 3 branch system of government where power was divided equally between the branches and each branch had power over the other to prevent one part of the government from becoming too powerful. This is the system adopted by the U.S. government. • This system became known as “separation of powers” and “checks and balances” which our government still uses today.

25. Jean-Jacques Rousseau • French writer. His book The Social Contract inspired several governments and political revolutions. • Argued for the concept of “majority rules” in government, where leaders agree to follow the decisions of the majority of the people, instead of the richest or most powerful. • Also argued for the idea that no government can succeed with out the “consent of the governed”, which means that people must agree to what type of government they live under and the laws the government passes.