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The The EnlightenmentEnlightenment
Chapter 17Section 2
The Great The Great ThinkersThinkers
Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Baron Charles de Montesquieu, Jean- Jacques Rousseau, Pierre Bayle, Denis Diderot (dee-duh-
roh), Voltaire -- Francois Marie Arouet, David Hume, Baruch Spinoza, Edward Gibbon ….
Shared a belief in the progress of knowledge
and in using their critical understanding of society to help make the world
better
The Great Thinkers
The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment
Overview – The Scientific Revolution and Early Thinkers Locke and Hobbes
The Philosophes Principles Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire,
Bayle, Diderot (dee-duh-roh)
The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment
The main components of Enlightenment thought are as follows:
The universe is fundamentally rational, that is, it can be understood through the use of reason alone;
Truth can be arrived at through empirical observation, the use of reason, and systematic doubt;
Human experience is the foundation of human understanding of truth; authority is not to be preferred over experience;
The EnlightenmentThe Enlightenment
Human history is largely a history of progress;
Human beings can be improved through education and the development of their rational facilities;
Religious doctrines have no place in the understanding of the physical and human worlds;
The PhilosophesThe Philosophes
Three central ideas of the Philosophes
Progress Deism Tolerance
What did the What did the Enlightenment Enlightenment
thinkers hope to thinkers hope to accomplish?accomplish?
Thomas Hobbes1588-1679
The Leviathan
1651
Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes“The life of Man is
nasty brutish and short.”
Perpetual and restless desire for power”
Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes All human law derives from natural
law; when human law departed from natural law, disaster followed.
All monarchs ruled not by the consent of heaven, but by the consent of the people.
Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes For Hobbes, humanity is better off
living under the circumscribed freedoms of a monarchy rather than the violent anarchy of a completely equal and free life.
Using this reasoning, Hobbes argued for unquestioning obedience of authority.
Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes
“Realistic politics” Confirmed royalist yet open Benevolent/enlightened despotism Self-preservation is key for man --
Therefore he will seek power in all its forms
Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes Power = “Coercive use of force to
compel compliance” Absolute monarchy best suited to
maintain order and suppress raw acquisitive instincts
John LockeJohn Locke1632-1704
Two Treatises of Government
Essay Concerning Human
Understanding1690
John Locke
John LockeJohn Locke Very critical of Absolutism Influenced by Bacon, Descartes
and Newton People in “nature” are rational and
generally peaceful -- Therefore want a contract
John LockeJohn Locke Tabula Rasa and interaction
between mind and world All human thought, then, and all
human passion is ultimately derived from sensation and sensation alone. In Locke's view, the human mind is completely empirical.
John LockeJohn Locke In Two Treatises of Government --
Opposed idea of rights of kings over people/fathers over kids
People enter “social contracts” with leaders
“all mankind are equal and independent, and no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or passions.”
John LockeJohn Locke For Locke, humans enter into
social contracts only to help adjudicate disputes between individuals or groups. Absolute power, then, is an unnatural development in human history.
John LockeJohn Locke For Locke, the purpose of authority is to
protect human equality and freedom; this is why social groups agree to a "social contract" that places an authority over them. When that authority ceases to care for the welfare, independence, and equality of individual humans, the social contract is broken and it is the duty of the members of society to overthrow that ruler.
What influence did What influence did John Locke have on John Locke have on
Enlightenment Enlightenment Thinkers ?Thinkers ?
Baron Charles de Baron Charles de MontesquieuMontesquieu
1689-1755
The Spirit of the Laws1748
MontesquieuMontesquieu No ideal government Gov’t should adapt to the
size, the climate, and the social maturity of the people for whom it was intended.
MontesquieuMontesquieu Republican democracy =
small state Limited monarchy
(honour)= middle size Despotism = vast tropical
countries
MontesquieuMontesquieu Most enthused by visit to
England “England is the freest
country in the world.”
MontesquieuMontesquieu Divided power -- Monarch
-- Parliament
-- Courts Balance and “checks” were in
place to avoid oppressive power control
What ideas did What ideas did Montesquieu add Montesquieu add
to the to the Enlightenment?Enlightenment?
Jean Jacques Jean Jacques RousseauRousseau
1712-1778
The Social Contract1762
RousseauRousseau“Man was born free and everywhere he is in chains.”
The Social Contract
RousseauRousseau Rather than agree with
Hobbes analysis of man’s “state of nature”, Rousseau said people in a state of nature had “natural pity.” Empathy with others.
RousseauRousseau He pictured a primitive and
bygone Golden Age in which man lived close to nature and a return to “community”
A place where property did not exist and all men were created equal.
RousseauRousseau Political power must rest in
the hands of the governed. Politicians should be the servants, not the masters of the people.
RousseauRousseau Political power was man-made
and governments had grown tyrannical and cruel
They had destroyed liberty by means of unjust laws, taxes, police and armies.
RousseauRousseau A “General Will” existed
representing the larger interest
Sovereignty of a state rests with each individual in the state
RousseauRousseau
Assault on the “Cult of the Individual”
RousseauRousseau Ruthlessly egalitarian Believed in direct democracy Unlike other thinkers he did
not defend property because it meant a structure of unjust authority.
Pierre BaylePierre Bayle1647-1746
Historical and Critical Dictionary
BayleBayle Adopted Descartes and
Bacon’s assertion that nothing was true unless it could be proven and was verifiable.
BayleBayle Pierre Bayle was
foundation, along with Diderot, for critics in the next two generations.
BayleBayle He adopted methods of
rationalism and empiricism to analyse historical “facts”
Nothing was true unless it could be substantiated
BayleBayle Bible was his primary focus. He
believed it could not be given special treatment and should be subjected to the same rigorous analysis.
Nothing is sacred Both blemishes and respect must
be examined
BayleBayle Original “Social Scientist” Stated that a good student of
history is an enemy to lying. Lies should not be used for
secular or personal advantage
VoltaireVoltaire
1694-1778
Essay on ManCandide
Francois Marie Arouet
VoltaireVoltaire Twice imprisoned in the famous
Paris Bastille, he left France for three years exile in England.
Another of the ‘Philosophes who was impressed by the British freedoms.
VoltaireVoltaire
The Court Case of Jean Calas
Candide
VoltaireVoltaire “An Englishman goes to heaven
by the road he pleases. There are no arbitrary taxes. The peasant eats white bread and is well clothed and is not afraid of adding to his land for fear that the taxes will be raised next year.”
VoltaireVoltaire Praise of England was seen as
criticism of France. Again, Voltaire was forced to leave Paris.
VoltaireVoltaire Corresponded and influenced some
of the most important people of his day.
His style was harsh, satirical, witty and, most of all, influential.
VoltaireVoltaire Champion of religious freedom
and free speech“I disapprove of
what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
VoltaireVoltaire Despite all of this he was afraid of
democracy. He continued to hold a very low opinion of the masses.
He believed in an enlightened despot who would govern for the “general good.”
VoltaireVoltaire Voltaire’s ideas of Enlightened
Despotism became the most influential to European governments in the 18th Century
Examples of Enlightened Despots Frederick (II) the Great of Prussia
VoltaireVoltaire Other Enlightened despots -- Maria Theresa of Austria
and her son Joseph II -- Catherine the Great of Russia Enlightened despot(?) -- Charles III of Spain -- Louis XV of France
Denis Denis DiderotDiderot
1713-1784
Encyclopedia
DiderotDiderot His “Encyclopedia” showed
the interrelationship of all knowledge and the advances of human knowledge
DiderotDiderot If knowledge is power than the “Encyclopedia” was the ultimate in power
DiderotDiderot Diderot believed that the true philosopher was dispassionate in the search for TRUTH
Must be motivated to improve the lot of humanity
DiderotDiderotReason impels the philosopher to action
How do you think you How do you think you would have reacted to would have reacted to Enlightenment ideas if Enlightenment ideas if you were living in the you were living in the
1700s?1700s?
Identify factors that helped spread Identify factors that helped spread Enlightenment ideas through Europe by Enlightenment ideas through Europe by
using the diagram below.using the diagram below.
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