Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Enlightenment
The EnlightenmentA new intellectual
movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems.
The movement reached its height in the mid 1700s and brought change to all parts of Western Civilization.
The Social ContractOne of the primary issues of the
Enlightenment was the relationship between government and its people. This relationship became known as a Social Contract.
Some still favored a strong ruler to maintain order where other new thinkers felt that the government needed the approval of the people to govern.
Idea of GovernmentOld Idea New IdeaA monarch’s rule is
justified by divine right.A government’s power
comes from the consent of the governed.
Core Beliefs of the Philosophers1.Reason: Enlightened thinkers believed truth
could be discovered through reason and logical thinking.
2. Nature: The philosophers believed that what was natural was also good and reasonable.
3. Happiness: The philosophers rejected the medieval notion that people should find joy in the afterlife and urged people to seek well being on earth.
4. Progress: The philosophes stressed that society and humankind could improve.
5. Liberty: The philosophers called for the liberties that the English people had won in their Civil War and Bill of Rights.
Enlightenment Legacy #1The belief in
progress was embraced and Europe experienced a Scientific Revolution.
People began to rely on human reason more to solve problems and this scientific idea spread to society and politics.
Enlightenment Legacy #2More and more
people began to view the world in a secular, non-religious way.
The diversity of religion increased as tolerance of new ideas increased.
Enlightenment Legacy #3Individualis
m was promoted. People began to look to themselves for guidance instead of the Church of a King.
John Locke
Voltaire
Montesquieu
Rousseau
Beccaria
Mary Wollstonecraft
