4.2 The Age of Reason (part 1)

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

[3.4] Gaining knowledge by doing research without experiments is called...

1. Empirical thinking
2. Geocentrism
3. Rationalism
4. Scientific Revolution

[3.4] Which of these scientists or thinkers could be considered a rationalist?

1. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
2. Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
3. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)
4. René Descartes (1596-1650)

What is a heliocentric universe?

4.2 The Age of Reason

Voltaire and Diderot - famous philosophers from the Enlightenment

On a scale from 1 to 10: How fair do you consider this prison regime? 0 = very unfair & 10 = fair

010

Objects with Van Bruggen

Salem Witch trials of 1692 (Massachussets)

20 people were hanged (most of whom were women)

Bridget Bishop (c. 1632-1692)

First person to be hanged for witchcraft during the  trials

Goals for this lesson

At the end of this lesson you...

• Understand how philosophers applied scientific thinking to political and economic issues. 
• Know which ideas are connected to the Enlightenment.
• Understand how the ideas from the Enlightenment spread throughout the world.

Caused by...

•  The scientific revolution; observation, experimenting, using logic and reasoning inspired many great thinkers to think about all aspects of life.
• They wished to get rid of the world of dark ideas such as witchcraft and intolerance.

The 'dark' Middle Ages

Why do we call them that?

18th century

• New thinkers called themselves philosophers. 
• They wanted to change the world for the better. 
• By rational thinking they could bring progress.

Books became 'booming business' 

(London, 18th century)

Salon parties were the new social events (Paris, 18th century)

English coffee House (18th century)

New ideas

• Rational optimism = positive outlook on life.
•  Basic human rights which had to be respected (even by the king).
• These ideas were put in books and were sometimes banned.

Voltaire (1694-1778)

• A French philosopher. 
• Voltaire said that freedom of speech and religious tolerance were hugely important. 
• He wrote 2000 books and pamphlets.

Voltaire: His real name was François Marie Arouet

Leg uit wie Voltaire was en wat zijn ideeën waren.

www.un.org