THE ENLIGHTENMENTTHE ENLIGHTENMENT

• What was so enlightening about it?

The Scientific RevolutionThe Scientific Revolution

•New discoveries in planetary sciences, physics, and life science

•Based on observation- empirical knowledge

•The scientific method- an orderly method of discovery- begins to be employed

The PlanetsThe Planets

•New discovery of a heliocentric (sun-centered) universe by Copernicus confirmed by Galileo

•Brahe and Kepler build on this and make discoveries about orderly and predictable motion of the planets

•Discoveries lead to disputes with Church

Laws of MotionLaws of Motion

• Isaac Newton formulates theory that all objects in the universe obey the same laws of motion

•Explains planetary orbits- also establishes order and rationality as the principle of science

•Speeds up the decline of superstition

•Can human behavior be based on rationality?

Order in Life ScienceOrder in Life Science

•Vesalius learns about human anatomy through intensive observation

•Linnaeus develops orderly system for classifying plants and animals

Philosophy:Philosophy:What ideas began here?What ideas began here?

•Free thought

•Inductive science

•Triumph of reason over superstition

•Social Science

•Political Reform

Government and FreedomGovernment and Freedom

•Divine Right is out

•Human Rights are in

•Governments exist to serve the people- not the other way around

•Philosophers work toward maximizing human happiness through more rational government

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes

•Negative view of human nature

•People in their natural state are driven by self-interest and a need for power

•“The life of man(is) solitary, nasty, brutish,and short”

•The solution is to set up strong governments to protect us from our own bad instincts

John LockeJohn Locke

•Different view of human nature- people are by nature reasonable and good-willed

•The purpose of government is to protect man’s basic nature- not to overcome it

•Key role of government is to protect our natural rights- life, liberty, and property

•People are within their rights to rebel if government does not do this

VoltaireVoltaire

•Enemy of war, religious persecution, blind obedience to authority and everything that absolute monarchies stood for.

•Uses satire and sarcasm to attack these things

•“If these are the best of all possible worlds, what are the others like?”

•Man can triumph by using reason

The Enlightenment and ReligionThe Enlightenment and Religion

•View of God as a “watchmaker”-the world was arranged as a machine that should function automatically

•Nature is rational, therefore God must be rational- our worship practices must become more rational

•They felt that the Church as it existed then was an enemy to change and rationality

Views on Human ProgressViews on Human Progress

•The good life can be right here- no need to wait for the afterlife

•People can be molded to live a better life- we are not doomed by original sin

•We can create a better world by using scientific methods to improve society

The World They MadeThe World They Made

•“The battle of free thought was fought and won” (Neil Postman)

•Spirit of Change and Revolution in Europe and the Americas from 1776-

•The birth of social sciences like psychology, economics, sociology, anthropology, etc.

•We can change the world (“Just do it”)