THE ENLIGHTENMENTTHE ENLIGHTENMENTTHE AGE OF REASONTHE AGE OF REASON
““Trust in the light of reason Trust in the light of reason alone.alone.””
1818THTH CENTURY CENTURY
WHAT WAS THE WHAT WAS THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND ENLIGHTENMENT AND WHY DID IT HAPPEN?WHY DID IT HAPPEN?
MAJOR MAJOR GENERALIZATIONSGENERALIZATIONS1.1. THE ENLIGHTEMENT WAS AN THE ENLIGHTEMENT WAS AN INTELLECTURAL AND CULTURAL MOVEMENT OF INTELLECTURAL AND CULTURAL MOVEMENT OF
THE 18THE 18THTH CENTURY (1700 CENTURY (1700’’s) s)
2. IT GREW OUT OF RENAISSANCE 2. IT GREW OUT OF RENAISSANCE HUMANISMHUMANISM AND AND THE THE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGEQUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE AND A AND A GROWING GROWING CONFIDENCE IN HUMAN POTENTIAL AND CONFIDENCE IN HUMAN POTENTIAL AND ACHIEVEMENTACHIEVEMENT
3. IT WAS ENCOURAGED BY NEW ADVANCES IN 3. IT WAS ENCOURAGED BY NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND MATH SCIENCE AND MATH
(SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION) (SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION)
THE ENLIGHTENMENT REACHED ITS THE ENLIGHTENMENT REACHED ITS HEIGHT IN HEIGHT IN FRANCE FRANCE
IT WAS A MOVEMENT OF EUROPEIT WAS A MOVEMENT OF EUROPE’’S -S -INTELLECTUAL ELITEINTELLECTUAL ELITE GROWING URBAN MIDDLE GROWING URBAN MIDDLE
CLASSCLASS
MAJOR IDEAS OF THE MAJOR IDEAS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENTENLIGHTENMENT
1.1. ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOTION OF HUMAN OF HUMAN PROGRESSPROGRESS2. GROWING CONFIDENCE IN THE 2. GROWING CONFIDENCE IN THE
POWER OF POWER OF HUMAN REASON HUMAN REASON 3. BELIEF THAT SCIENTIFIC 3. BELIEF THAT SCIENTIFIC
PRINCIPLES COULD BE PRINCIPLES COULD BE APPLIED APPLIED TO CREATING A BETTER TO CREATING A BETTER SOCIETYSOCIETY
THE ENLIGHTENMENT THE ENLIGHTENMENT CHALLENGED CHALLENGED TRADITIONTRADITION
CHALLENGED CHALLENGED
TRADITIONAL TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND INSTITUTIONSAND INSTITUTIONS
TRADITIONAL TRADITIONAL POLITICAL MODELSPOLITICAL MODELS
TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF SOCIAL SOCIAL ORDER AND CULTURAL ORDER AND CULTURAL CONVENTIONCONVENTION
DEISM- The God of the DEISM- The God of the EnlightenmentEnlightenment
DEISTSDEISTS- REJECTED MUCH OF THE BIBLE - REJECTED MUCH OF THE BIBLE AND TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN AND TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN TEACHING AND THEOLOGYTEACHING AND THEOLOGY– NOT OPEN TO NOT OPEN TO RATIONAL INQUIREYRATIONAL INQUIREY OR OR
EMPIRICAL VERIFICATION EMPIRICAL VERIFICATION CRITICAL OF CRITICAL OF THE INSTITUTION THE INSTITUTION OF THE OF THE
CHURCH – CHURCH – – WEALTH, POWER, AND ABUSES WEALTH, POWER, AND ABUSES
VERY CRITICAL OF RELIGIOUS VERY CRITICAL OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE AND VIOLENCE INTOLERANCE AND VIOLENCE
DEISTS SAW GOD AS REMOTE AND DEISTS SAW GOD AS REMOTE AND IMPERSONALIMPERSONAL– CLASSICAL IDEA OF LOGOS OR CLASSICAL IDEA OF LOGOS OR
RATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF THE RATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF THE UNIVERSE UNIVERSE
– GOD WAS LIKE A GOD WAS LIKE A ““CLOCKMAKERCLOCKMAKER”” WHO CREATED AN ORDERED UNIVERSE WHO CREATED AN ORDERED UNIVERSE BUT WAS NOT INVOLVED IN IT BUT WAS NOT INVOLVED IN IT
– GOD DID NOT INTERACT WITH HIS GOD DID NOT INTERACT WITH HIS CREATION – CREATION –
PEOPLE DID NOT RELATE DIRECTLY TO GOD PEOPLE DID NOT RELATE DIRECTLY TO GOD
THE THE PHILOSOPHESPHILOSOPHES
THE MAJOR THINKERS OF THE THE MAJOR THINKERS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENTENLIGHTENMENT
ENLIGHTENMENT ENLIGHTENMENT PHILOSOPHERS PHILOSOPHERS
JOHN LOCKEJOHN LOCKEENGLISH 1632-1704ENGLISH 1632-1704
LOCKELOCKE’’S POLITICAL IDEASS POLITICAL IDEASTWO TREATISES OFTWO TREATISES OF
GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT
(1690)(1690) PROPOSED THAT ALL PROPOSED THAT ALL
MEN POSSESS CERTAIN MEN POSSESS CERTAIN NATURAL RIGHTSNATURAL RIGHTS
– LIFELIFE
– LIBERTYLIBERTY
– PROPERTYPROPERTY
– GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT’’S S ROLE IS TO ROLE IS TO PROTECT THESE PROTECT THESE RIGHTSRIGHTS
LOCKE ALSO SOUGHT TO LOCKE ALSO SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERSTAND THE PHILOSOPHY OF PHILOSOPHY OF KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE (HOW WE KNOW WHAT WE (HOW WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW)KNOW)
ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN
UNDERSTANDINGUNDERSTANDING BELIEVED THAT ALL IDEAS BELIEVED THAT ALL IDEAS
DERIVED FROM DERIVED FROM EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE
EACH PERSON IS BORN AS EACH PERSON IS BORN AS A A BLANK SLATEBLANK SLATE– ((TABULA RASA) TABULA RASA)
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IS DETERMINED BY DETERMINED BY EDUCATIONEDUCATIONSOCIAL INSTITUTIONSSOCIAL INSTITUTIONSENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENT AND EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE
Baron de MontesquieuBaron de MontesquieuFrench French 1689-1755 1689-1755
MONTESQUIEUMONTESQUIEU’’S IDEASS IDEAS HE BELIEVED THAT THE HE BELIEVED THAT THE
PRINCIPLES OF REASON AND PRINCIPLES OF REASON AND SCIENCE COULD BE APPLIED TO SCIENCE COULD BE APPLIED TO CREATE A CREATE A BETTER BETTER GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT
ADMIRED THE BRITISH MODEL ADMIRED THE BRITISH MODEL OF GOVERNMENT- OF GOVERNMENT- CONSTITUTIONALISMCONSTITUTIONALISMRULE BY LAW RULE BY LAW
THE SPIRIT OF LAWS - THE SPIRIT OF LAWS - 17481748
FAVORED GOVERNMENT BASED ON FAVORED GOVERNMENT BASED ON – THE THE SEPARATION OF POWERSSEPARATION OF POWERS– ““IT IS NECESSARY THAT …… POWER IT IS NECESSARY THAT …… POWER
CHECKS POWER.CHECKS POWER.””– POWER WOULD BE BALANCED POWER WOULD BE BALANCED
BETWEEN THE VARIOUS CLASSES BETWEEN THE VARIOUS CLASSES AND ESTATESAND ESTATES
– THIS WOULD PREVENT TYRANNYTHIS WOULD PREVENT TYRANNY
AND PROMOTE LIBERTYAND PROMOTE LIBERTY
THE SPIRIT OF LAWSTHE SPIRIT OF LAWS 17481748
JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAUJEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAUSWISS 1712-1778SWISS 1712-1778
ROUSSEAUROUSSEAU’’S IDEASS IDEAS
CHALLENGED THE POWER OF HUMAN CHALLENGED THE POWER OF HUMAN REASON TO ADDRESS ALL OF LIFEREASON TO ADDRESS ALL OF LIFE’’S S QUESTIONSQUESTIONS
– ASSOCIATED MORE WITH ASSOCIATED MORE WITH EARLY EARLY ROMANTICISM ROMANTICISM THAN WITH THAN WITH ENLIGHTENMENT RATIONALITYENLIGHTENMENT RATIONALITY
The Romantic Movement was a reaction The Romantic Movement was a reaction against the rationalism of the Enlightenmentagainst the rationalism of the Enlightenment
POLITICAL IDEASPOLITICAL IDEAS– THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THE SOCIAL CONTRACT (1762)(1762)
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTYPOPULAR SOVEREIGNTY – PEOPLE HELD THE REAL POWER OF PEOPLE HELD THE REAL POWER OF
GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT RULED BY THE GOVERNMENT RULED BY THE GENERAL GENERAL WILLWILL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE PEOPLE
– ROUSSEAU BELIEVED STRONGLY IN ROUSSEAU BELIEVED STRONGLY IN HUMAN FREEDOM AND INDIVIDUAL HUMAN FREEDOM AND INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY LIBERTY
– HE HAD A MORE OPTIMISTIC VIEW OF HE HAD A MORE OPTIMISTIC VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE –HUMAN NATURE –
innate goodness of humanity innate goodness of humanity
VOLTAIRE VOLTAIRE (Francois Marie Arouet) (Francois Marie Arouet) FRENCH 1694-1778FRENCH 1694-1778
VOLTAIREVOLTAIRE’’S IDEASS IDEAS
CRITICAL OF CRITICAL OF FRENCH SOCIETY FRENCH SOCIETY AND AND GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT
CANDIDE-CANDIDE- 1759 1759– NOVEL NOVEL
SATIRIZING SATIRIZING FRENCH SOCIETYFRENCH SOCIETY
VOLTAIREVOLTAIRE’’S POLITICAL IDEASS POLITICAL IDEAS
NOTNOT A POLITICAL RADICAL A POLITICAL RADICAL SOUGHT POLITICAL REFORMSOUGHT POLITICAL REFORM FAVORED FAVORED ““ENLIGHTENEDENLIGHTENED””
ABSOLUTISMABSOLUTISM (MONARCHY) (MONARCHY)– SIMILAR TO HOBBESSIMILAR TO HOBBES’’ IDEAS IN IDEAS IN LEVIATHAN LEVIATHAN – DID NOT BELIEVE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE COULD THAT PEOPLE COULD
GOVERN THEMSELVESGOVERN THEMSELVES– VOLTAIRE WAS APPOINTED COURT VOLTAIRE WAS APPOINTED COURT
HISTORIAN IN 1743HISTORIAN IN 1743 THE AGE OF LOUIS XIVTHE AGE OF LOUIS XIV
VOLTAIREVOLTAIRE’’S TRACT ON S TRACT ON TOLERANCETOLERANCE
VOLTAIRE WAS NOT AN ATHEIST. HE LIKED VOLTAIRE WAS NOT AN ATHEIST. HE LIKED THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND ADMIRED HIS THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND ADMIRED HIS MORAL ETHIC BUT REJECTED THE IDEA OF MORAL ETHIC BUT REJECTED THE IDEA OF JESUS INCARNATION AND ATONEMENT. JESUS INCARNATION AND ATONEMENT.
The Pantheon in Paris The Pantheon in Paris
The Pantheon in Paris The Pantheon in Paris
VoltaireVoltaire’’s tomb in the Pantheon s tomb in the Pantheon
DENIS DIDEROT DENIS DIDEROT FRENCH 1713-1784FRENCH 1713-1784
COMPILED THE FIRST COMPILED THE FIRST
ENCYCLOPEDIA:ENCYCLOPEDIA: THE RATIONAL DICTIONARY OF THE RATIONAL DICTIONARY OF THE SCIENCES, THE ARTS AND THE SCIENCES, THE ARTS AND THE CRAFTSTHE CRAFTS
BARON PAUL DBARON PAUL D’’HOLBACHHOLBACHGERMAN 1723-1789GERMAN 1723-1789
BARON DBARON D’’HOLBACHHOLBACH CONFESSED CONFESSED
ATHEISTATHEIST OPENLY HOSTILE OPENLY HOSTILE
TO CHRISTIANITY TO CHRISTIANITY AND THE CHURCHAND THE CHURCH
MANY MANY MODERANT MODERANT PHILOSOPHES PHILOSOPHES SAW HIM AS TOO SAW HIM AS TOO INTOLERANT AND INTOLERANT AND DOGMATIC DOGMATIC
DD’’HolbachHolbach’’s determinism – no s determinism – no such thing as free will such thing as free will D’Holbach believed
that man is on a line that nature commands him to follow. He believed that man is no different than a machine. Man is subject to the laws of nature just like any other physical object.
DAVID HUMEDAVID HUMEENGLISH PHILOSOPHER 1711-1776ENGLISH PHILOSOPHER 1711-1776
HUMEHUME’’S IDEAS S IDEAS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE MODERN TREND ASSOCIATED WITH THE MODERN TREND TOWARD TOWARD SKEPTICISMSKEPTICISM
SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW- KNOW WHAT WE KNOW- EPISTEMOLOGY EPISTEMOLOGY
ARGUED THAT NOTHING COULD BE ARGUED THAT NOTHING COULD BE KNOWN FOR CERTAIN THAT COULD NOT KNOWN FOR CERTAIN THAT COULD NOT BE VERIFIED THROUGH BE VERIFIED THROUGH DIRECT DIRECT SENSE SENSE EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE
IMMANUEL KANT IMMANUEL KANT PRUSSIAN 1724-1804PRUSSIAN 1724-1804
““Two things fill me with constantly Two things fill me with constantly increasing admiration and awe…..the increasing admiration and awe…..the starry heavens without and the Moral starry heavens without and the Moral Law within.Law within.””
KANT STRESSED KANT STRESSED INTELLECTUAL INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND EXPRESSIONFREEDOM AND EXPRESSION
““WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENTWHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT”” -ESSAY -ESSAY– KANT IS THE FIRST TO USE THE TERM KANT IS THE FIRST TO USE THE TERM
“ENLIGHTENMENT” “ENLIGHTENMENT”
EXPLORED THE ISSUE OF MORAL ETHICS EXPLORED THE ISSUE OF MORAL ETHICS AND VIRTUE AND VIRTUE – - SECULAR APPROACH - SECULAR APPROACH
KANTKANT’’S MODEL OF S MODEL OF VIRTUEVIRTUE
IMPACT OF THE IMPACT OF THE ENLIGHTENMENTENLIGHTENMENT
THE MODERN WORLDVIDEWTHE MODERN WORLDVIDEW
POLITICALPOLITICAL
CHALLENGED ABSOLUTE MONARCHY IN CHALLENGED ABSOLUTE MONARCHY IN ITS TRADITIONAL FORMITS TRADITIONAL FORM– REJECTION OF DIVINE RIGHTREJECTION OF DIVINE RIGHT TO RULE TO RULE
MOVED TOWARD GREATER POLTICAL MOVED TOWARD GREATER POLTICAL PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION – PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMSPARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMS– EVENTUAL EXPANSION OF THE FRANCHISE EVENTUAL EXPANSION OF THE FRANCHISE
PROMOTED FREEDOM, LIBERTY, AND PROMOTED FREEDOM, LIBERTY, AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTSINDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
RELIGIOUSRELIGIOUS GODGOD’’S PLACE IN A S PLACE IN A ““MECHANICALMECHANICAL”” UNIVERSE WAS UNIVERSE WAS
CALLED INTO QUESITONCALLED INTO QUESITON– NEWTON AND DESCARTES INFLUENCE NEWTON AND DESCARTES INFLUENCE
DEISM EMERGED - MORE RATIONAL APPROACH TO DEISM EMERGED - MORE RATIONAL APPROACH TO GOD GOD
– GOD WAS SEEN AS THE REMOTE AND IMPERSONAL GOD WAS SEEN AS THE REMOTE AND IMPERSONAL CREATOR GOD- CREATOR GOD- ““CLOCKMAKERCLOCKMAKER”” WHO SET THE WHO SET THE UNIVERSE IN MOTION BUT DID NOT INTERACT WITH UNIVERSE IN MOTION BUT DID NOT INTERACT WITH HIS CREATIONHIS CREATION
– BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS OF MIRACLES AND THE DEITY BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS OF MIRACLES AND THE DEITY OF CHRIST WERE NOT OPEN TO EMPIRICAL OF CHRIST WERE NOT OPEN TO EMPIRICAL VERIFICATION- HAD TO BE REJECTEDVERIFICATION- HAD TO BE REJECTED
– ONE COULD ONLY KNOW ABOUT GOD THROUGH A ONE COULD ONLY KNOW ABOUT GOD THROUGH A STUDY OF HIS CREATION (NATURAL WORLD) STUDY OF HIS CREATION (NATURAL WORLD)
EPISTEMOLOGY EPISTEMOLOGY HOW WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW?HOW WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW? NEW MODELS (SPECULATION AND NEW MODELS (SPECULATION AND
THEORY) OF KNOWING DEVELOPEDTHEORY) OF KNOWING DEVELOPED HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE
KNOW?KNOW?– SENSE EXPERIENCE - HUMESENSE EXPERIENCE - HUME– EDUCATION- LOCKE EDUCATION- LOCKE
IMPACT OF INSTITUTIONS AND CULTUREIMPACT OF INSTITUTIONS AND CULTURE
ECONOMIC LIBERALISM ECONOMIC LIBERALISM CHALLENGE TO MERCANTILISMCHALLENGE TO MERCANTILISM
ADAM SMITH- ENGLISH ADAM SMITH- ENGLISH MODERN CAPITALISM- MODERN CAPITALISM-
– LAISSEZ FAIRE LAISSEZ FAIRE ECONOMICSECONOMICS THE WEALTH OF NATIONS- PUBLISHED IN THE WEALTH OF NATIONS- PUBLISHED IN 17761776 SMITH PROMOTED FREE MARKETS AND FREE TRADESMITH PROMOTED FREE MARKETS AND FREE TRADE HE BELIEVED THAT ECONOMIC CHOICE AND FREEDOM HE BELIEVED THAT ECONOMIC CHOICE AND FREEDOM
WOULD PRODUCE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY WOULD PRODUCE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY SAW CAPITALISM AS BEING DRIVEN BY SAW CAPITALISM AS BEING DRIVEN BY ““THE INVISIBLE THE INVISIBLE
HANDHAND”” OF SELF-INTEREST OF SELF-INTEREST
ADAM SMITHADAM SMITH
THE INVISIBLE HAND OF SELF –THE INVISIBLE HAND OF SELF –INTEREST IN ECONOMICSINTEREST IN ECONOMICS
CARTOON CARTOON THE INVISIBLE HAND PRINCIPLETHE INVISIBLE HAND PRINCIPLE
ENLIGHTENMENT THINKING ENLIGHTENMENT THINKING WOULD IMPACT TWO MAJOR WOULD IMPACT TWO MAJOR POLITICAL REVOLUTIONS OF THE POLITICAL REVOLUTIONS OF THE LATE 1700LATE 1700’’SS– FRENCH REVOLUTION FRENCH REVOLUTION – AMERICAN REVOLUTIONAMERICAN REVOLUTION
THE ENLIGHTENMENT THE ENLIGHTENMENT REFLECTS THE MODERN REFLECTS THE MODERN WORLDVIEW WORLDVIEW
ASSOCIATED WITH AN ASSOCIATED WITH AN EMERGING LIBERALISM AND EMERGING LIBERALISM AND SECULARISM SECULARISM