ENLIGHTENMENTWhat was the

ENLIGHTENMENT?

17th Century (that’s the 1600s) intellectual movement

in Europe

-Writers of the Enlightenment wrote about the need to LIMIT

THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT & CHURCH

over the people!

-Major writers of the Enlightenment time period

were John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau

-The ideas of Enlightenment writers about GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS CITIZENS INSPIRED BOTH THE AMERICAN AND FRENCH REVOLUTIONS AGAINST DICTATORIAL MONARCHIES 100 Years LATER!

Natural Rights

Locke believed that people have what are called “natural rights”. These are rights that people are born with and cannot be taken

away.

The Role of Government

Locke did believe that there was some evil in the world and that

people have problems protecting their “natural

rights”. Thus, Locke believed that governments exist to

protect the natural rights of the people.

John Locke

Agreement between a Government and its People

Locke believed that people must agree to give up some power to

the government and government must use that power to protect

people’s rights. BUT…if government does not protect its people the people have the right to overthrow the government!!!!

John Locke also challenged the idea of the DEVINE RIGHT OF KINGS: The belief that those who were Kings were chosen

so by GOD!

*REMEMBER: any time you see the word “Enlightenment” on the OGT you are looking for an answer that discusses citizens getting their independence by overthrowing a

dictator or absolute monarch!

Jean-Jacques Rousseau-Rousseau believed that

while people created govt to protect their rights they soon became enslaved by their government…so……

-He presented the idea of the “SOCIAL CONTRACT”members of a society agree to be ruled by the majority will. This means people live by the laws and consequences approved by the majority of the population.

What does this remind

you of?

ENLIGHTENMENTLets look at a couple samples of how questions look on the

OGT that will test your knowledge of the Enlightenment

Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau challenged the idea of the divine right of kings. They wrote about a government’s obligations to uphold people’s rights and how the government should be based on the consent of the governed. These new ideas encouraged people to

A. remain firm in their support of absolute monarchs.

B. look for leaders who would exercise dictatorial powers.

C. engage in revolutions to establish democratic governments.

D. call for church leaders to create theocracies and replace the monarchies.

ENLIGHTENMENTLets look at a couple samples of how questions look on the

OGT that will test your knowledge of the Enlightenment

Natural law was a fundamental ideaof the Enlightenment.Which concept is an application ofnatural law to the government’s rolein the economic lives of its citizens?

A. free markets based on supply and demand

B. government control to achieve a favorable balance of trade

C. agriculture based on tenant farming and serfdom

D. lower taxes on the most privileged groups in society

ENLIGHTENMENTLets look at a couple samples of how questions look on the

OGT that will test your knowledge of the Enlightenment

During the Enlightenment, a number of writers explored the relationship between governments and the people they governed. For example, Rousseau wrote The Social Contract, in which he examined ideas aboutmajority will and the common good.

How did these ideas influence theAmerican and French Revolutions?

A. They encouraged loyalty to established governments.

B. They supported movements for social and political change.

C. They encouraged the formation of American and French constitutional monarchies.

D. They supported the efforts of governments to maintain control over their subjects.