Enlightenment

• History
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

The enlightenment

As you listen, ask yourself: how did the Enlightenment change the way people viewed authority?

Do you think it is appropriate for people to question the people who have authority over them?

Yes, no one is right about everything.

Yes, the best decisions are made when everyone has input.

No, people who have leadership positions are there for a reason.

No, society functions best when people do only what they are supposed to do.

What is the best way to think about problems in the world?

 Should you read about the ideas of leading scholars? Should you listen to what older people believe? Or should you think critically and carefully about the problem, using your own logic and reason to solve it?

Enlightenment thinkers often met to read literature and discuss ideas at gatherings called salons. This painting depicts a salon held in 1812 in the home of Madame Geoffrin to read a work by Voltaire. 

From the late 17th century to the early 19th century, European philosophers believed this last method was best. This period became known as the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that questioned traditional authority and promoted the idea that rational change could improve humankind. One of the things Enlightenment thinkers challenged was how people thought about the responsibilities and powers of governments.

• Late 17th to early 19th century: Enlightenment era.
  
• An intellectual movement challenging traditional authority.
  
• Emphasized rational change for human improvement.
  
• Key focus: Reevaluation of government responsibilities and powers.

• Enlightenment thinkers valued ideas like reason, liberty, progress, representative government, liberalism, tolerance, and the separation of church and state. 
• But it is important to remember that while they wrote a lot about these ideals, they did not apply them in practice to all people.

Liberalism, in the classical sense, is a political and economic philosophy emphasizing individual independence, equal opportunity, and protection of individual rights.

Liberalism

Scientific Revolution 

• Heliocentric theory challenges geocentric theory.
  
• Mathematics and observation support heliocentric theory.
  
• Scientific methods develops
  
• Scientist make discoveries in many fields

Enlightenment

• People try to apply the scientific approach to aspects of society.
  
• Political scientists propose new ideas about government.
  
• Philosophers advocate the use of reason to discover truths.
  
• Philosophers address social issues through reason

A new way of thinking about the world develops, based on observation and a willingness to question assumptions

Enlightenment writers challenge many accepted ideas about government and society

How important is it to use logic and reason to solve problems?

Very important

somewhat important

not very important

Enlightenment philosophers and thinkers 

• Enlightenment thinkers promoted the use of reason beyond scientific observation.
  
• Their ideas led to reevaluating the role of religion, societal structure, and government's purpose.
• But Enlightenment thinkers didn’t all think the same way! They had many different ideas and often disagreed. 
  

Definition

There are several ways to characterise the Enlightenment, but in its broadest sense, it may be described as a philosophical, intellectual, and cultural movement that occurred in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It placed emphasis on reason, logic, critique, and intellectual freedom over dogma, irrational belief, and superstition.

But who were these revolutionary thinkers and what were their ideas? Let’s find out.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

One question some Enlightenment thinkers explored was the role of religion in society. 

• He explored the relationship between reason and religion, aiming to find a balance between them.
  
• Kant developed the idea of "sapere aude" or "dare to know," encouraging people to think for themselves and question established authority.

Equality

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) and Catharine Macaulay (1731-1791) advocated for gender equality.

• They emphasized the importance of education for women, parallel to men.
• Their writings, including Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," challenged societal norms and transformed perceptions of women's rights.

Government

• Enlightenment thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Baron de Montesquieu, and John Locke discussed government's role and responsibilities.
  
• Their ideas challenged monarchical systems.
  
• Their writings inspired people worldwide to question monarchy and contributed to the development of democratic governments globally.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

• "The Social Contract" main argument: Laws should be agreed upon by the people they affect.
  
• Context: Absolute power of French monarchs without consent of the people.
• Rousseau's contribution: Promotion of the "consent of the governed," advocating for government power only with people's agreement. This means that a government should use its power only when the people agree to it. 

Social Contract

In political philosophy, a social contract is a real or hypothetical agreement made between a government and the people. In a social contract, individuals agree to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of a government.

Baron deMontesquieu (1689-1755) 

• Emphasized that the role of the government should be: law and order, liberty, property protection.
• Developed separation of powers theory: Executive, legislative, judicial divisions to prevent excessive power.
  
• Influence: Montesquieu's ideas widely incorporated into global constitutions.

John Locke (1632-1704)

• He believed the role of government was to protect the individual’s natural right to life, liberty, and property. 
• He thought people should fight to change their government if it did not protect their rights. 

Jean-Jaques Rousseau believed

1. The only powers governments should have are the ones given to them by the people they rule.
2. The powers of government should be divided to prevent too much power being held by one part.
3. Individuals are born with certain rights and should replace governments that do not protect these rights.
4. believed humans are born with a desire for power that makes them selfish and unkind.

Montesquieu believed

1. Individuals are born with certain rights and should replace governments that do not protect these rights.
2. The only powers governments should have are the ones given to them by the people they rule.
3. believed humans are born with a desire for power that makes them selfish and unkind.
4. The powers of government should be divided to prevent too much power being held by one part.

John Locke beleived

1. Individuals are born with certain rights and should replace governments that do not protect these rights.
2. The powers of government should be divided to prevent too much power being held by one part.
3. The powers of government should be divided to prevent too much power being held by one part.
4. believed humans are born with a desire for power that makes them selfish and unkind.

Radical ideas

Some of these ideas probably seem obvious to you now. But at the time, 

• Enlightenment ideas challenged both religious and secular authorities.
  
• European monarchs held absolute power, often claiming divine authority.
  
• Society centered around religious practices.
  
• Enlightenment ideas brought radical changes to these established norms.

"How do you think the Enlightenment ideas and thinkers we've discussed today have influenced the world we live in today, including politics, society, and culture?"