CHAPTER 22 SECTION 2 THE ENLIGHTENMENT IN EUROPE

CHAPTER 22 SECTION 2 THE ENLIGHTENMENT IN EUROPE

TWO VIEWS OF GOVERNMENT • ENLIGHTENMENT- KNOWN AS THE AGE OF REASON • REASON: the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic. • BROUGHT FORTH IDEA IN ENGLAND DURING 1600’S AFTER POLITICAL TURMOIL

THOMAS HOBBES • WROTE LEVIATHAN (SEA MONSTER). • BELIEVED ALL HUMANS AS SELFISH & WICKED. • ARGUED PEOPLE GAVE UP THEIR RIGHTS FOR A STRONG RULER FOR GAINING LAW AND ORDER & SELF INTEREST, THIS IS KNOWN AS A SOCIAL CONTRACT. • BEST GOVERNMENT WAS ONE THAT HADAN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY IN WHICH THEY COULD IMPOSE ORDER AND DEMAND OBEDIENCE.

JOHN LOCKE • BELIEVED PEOPLE COULD LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE AND HAD NATURAL ABILITY TO GOVERN THEIR OWN AFFAIRS AND TO LOOK AFTER THE WELFARE OF SOCIETY, FAVORING A SELFGOVERNMENT. • BELIEVED ALL PEOPLE WERE BORN FREE AND EQUAL WITH 3 NATURAL RIGHTS – LIFE – LIBERTY – PROPERTY

JOHN LOCKE • PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT WAS TO PROTECT RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE. IF GOVERNMENT FAILS CITIZENS HAVE RIGHT TO OVER THROW IT. • GOVERNMENTS POWER COMES FROM CONSENT FROM THE PEOPLE. THEORY BECOMES FOUNDATION OF MODERN DEMOCRACY

U. S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE • “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ”

THE PHILOSOPHES ADVOCATE REASON • PHILOSOPHES- CRITICS IN FRANCE DURING MID 1700 S BELIEVED THAT PEOPLE COULD APPLY REASON TO ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE – REASON – NATURE – HAPPINESS – PROGRESS – LIBERTY

Beliefs of the Philosophes • REASON- TRUTH COULD BE DISCOVERED THROUGH LOGICAL THINKING • NATURE- BELIEVED MANY THINGS WERE NATURAL. LAWS OF ECONOMIC & POLITCS JUST AS LAWS OF MOTION • HAPPINESS- LIVING BY NATURES LAW COULD FIND HAPPINESS. ACCEPT MISERY TO FIND JOY IN THE HEREAFTER • PROGRESS- PROGRESS IN SOCIETY. • LIBERTY- SOCIETY COULD BE SET FREE.

VOLTAIRE • MOST BRILLIANT AND INFLUENTIAL PHILOSOPHER (FRANCOIS MARIE AROUET). • USED SATIRE AGAINST HIS OPPENENTS. OFTEN TARGETED CLERGY, ARISTOCRACY, AND THE GOVERNMENT. • FOUGHT FOR TOLERANCE, REASON, FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF, AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

MONTESQUIEU • FRENCH WRITER, STUDIED ANCIENT ROME AND CONCLUDED THEIR COLLAPSE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO ITS LOSS OF POLITICAL LIBERTIES. • SEPARATION OF POWERSDIVISION OF POWER AMONG DIFFERENT BRANCHES • CHECKS & BALANCES- EACH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT IS EQUAL AND WOULD ELIMINATE EITHER BRANCH FROM GAINING MORE POWER THAN THE OTHER. HIS IDEAS BECAME BASIS FOR U. S. CONSTITUTION

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU • PHILOSOPHER, COMMITTED TO INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM • “MAN IS BORN FREE AND EVERYWHERE HE IS IN CHAINS” • DIRECT DEMOCRACY • ALL PEOPLE WERE EQUAL AND THAT TITLES OF NOBILITY SHOULD BE ABOLISHED

Bonesana Beccaria • ITALIAN PHILOSOPHER • CRITICIZED COMMON ABUSES OF JUSTICE; TORTURING WITNESSES & SUSPECT, IRREGULAR PROCEEDINGS IN TRIALS, CRUEL & UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT • RECEIVE A SPEEDY TRIAL & TORTURE NEVER USED • DEGREE OF PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE BASED ON CRIME • NO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

WOMEN & THE ENLIGHTENMENT • MARY ASTELL- LACK OF EDUCATION FOR WOMEN; UNEQUAL RELATIONSHIP FOR MEN AND WOMEN • MARY WOLLSTONECRAFTWOMEN’S EDUCATION AS IMPORTANT TO MEN. ENTER FIELDS OF MEDICINE & POLITICS (DOMINATED BY MEN)

LEGACY OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT • CHALLENGED –PRINCIPLES AS THE DIVINE RIGHT OF MONARCHS –UNION OF CHURCH & STATE –EXISTENCE OF UNEQUAL SOCIAL CLASSES

THREE LONG TERM EFFECTS • BELIEF IN PROGRESS- HUMAN REASON COULD SOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMS, GREATER SOCIAL EQUALITY, MORE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT • MORE SECULAR OUTLOOK- BEGAN QUESTIONING THE SUPERSTITION & FEAR OF RELIGION AND PROMOTE TOLERANCE OF ALL RELIGIONS

THREE LONG TERM EFFECTS • IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL- OWN ABILITITY TO REASON AND JUDGE WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG.