Global II - The Enlightenment - Detail

Historical Circumstances

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     | [[ {{ safesubst:#if:1| The Enlightenment was a period in European History when reason and logic was used to understand and improve society. The Enlightenment was brought about by the Scientific Revolution in which logic, experimentation, and observation led to an understanding of the physical and natural world. This was a natural extension for philosophers, intellectuals, and people to understand society. One of the first areas of intellectual thought was already underway with science attempting to reconcile the conclusions about the natural world with religion during the Scientific Revolution. Philosophers then applied logic and reason to government and the concept of natural rights. Those rights are given to people by God and nature, and the problem of rulers who might take advantage of their subjects were the questions of the day. }} |{{ safesubst:#if:1| The Enlightenment was a period in European History when reason and logic was used to understand and improve society. The Enlightenment was brought about by the Scientific Revolution in which logic, experimentation, and observation led to an understanding of the physical and natural world. This was a natural extension for philosophers, intellectuals, and people to understand society. One of the first areas of intellectual thought was already underway with science attempting to reconcile the conclusions about the natural world with religion during the Scientific Revolution. Philosophers then applied logic and reason to government and the concept of natural rights. Those rights are given to people by God and nature, and the problem of rulers who might take advantage of their subjects were the questions of the day. }}]]
     | [[ {{ safesubst:#if:1|  }} |{{ safesubst:#if:1| The Enlightenment was a period in European History when reason and logic was used to understand and improve society. The Enlightenment was brought about by the Scientific Revolution in which logic, experimentation, and observation led to an understanding of the physical and natural world. This was a natural extension for philosophers, intellectuals, and people to understand society. One of the first areas of intellectual thought was already underway with science attempting to reconcile the conclusions about the natural world with religion during the Scientific Revolution. Philosophers then applied logic and reason to government and the concept of natural rights. Those rights are given to people by God and nature, and the problem of rulers who might take advantage of their subjects were the questions of the day. }}]]
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 | {{ safesubst:#if:1| The Enlightenment was a period in European History when reason and logic was used to understand and improve society. The Enlightenment was brought about by the Scientific Revolution in which logic, experimentation, and observation led to an understanding of the physical and natural world. This was a natural extension for philosophers, intellectuals, and people to understand society. One of the first areas of intellectual thought was already underway with science attempting to reconcile the conclusions about the natural world with religion during the Scientific Revolution. Philosophers then applied logic and reason to government and the concept of natural rights. Those rights are given to people by God and nature, and the problem of rulers who might take advantage of their subjects were the questions of the day. }}
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}} Rousseau would argue in “The Social Contract” that there was an unwritten contract between the ruler and their subjects that should not be broken. This contract gave permission for the ruler to govern their subjects, and the people could sever that contract if they felt abused by the ruler. John Locke took it one step further and argued in “The Two Treatises of Government” that people had natural rights and that it was the people who gave consent to the ruler to govern. This concept was called the “consent of the governed”. Locke stated that these rights included the right to “life, liberty, and property”. One further development by Locke was that he believed the people had the right to overthrow an unjust government. Locke’s ideas were the foundation for revolution and the creation of a republic in the Thirteen Colonies who overthrew the British Empire and created the United States of America in 1776, and in France where the absolute monarch, Louis XVI was overthrown, and the French Republic was created in the French Revolution in the last decade of the 18th century. The concept of a republic overthrowing a monarch was so new that writers such as Thomas Hobbes would argue in “Leviathan” that an absolute monarchy was the best form of government because life was “nasty, brutish, and short” and people needed to be controlled by a strong and absolute ruler. One familiar concept is the government containing three co-equal branches (executive, judicial, and legislative) which would share power. This concept was proposed by Montesquieu in his book “The Spirit of the Laws” and adopted by many new republics including The United States.

Logic and reason extended to economics with Adam Smith arguing in his book “The Wealth of Nations” that capitalism was the best form of a trading system. He argued that a government should keep their “hands-off” the economy and he called it “Laissez-Faire”. This would allow for the regulation of the economy to be natural and based upon “supply and demand”. He said the economy would automatically fix itself with the “invisible hand” if the government did not interfere with the economy. This was in direct conflict with the system of mercantilism where the government controlled the exports and imports into the mother country to benefit the mother country and not the colony who was being sold the goods. Capitalism would slowly replace mercantilism by the late 19th century. It wouldn’t be until the mid-1800s that another concept of economics, communism, would be proposed. The ideas about communism were based upon a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the problems that arose from it. Smog, pollution of water sources, unclean air, working hours, child labor, unsafe factory conditions, and overcrowding in factory cities and towns caused Marx and Engels to write about a more fair and equitable system of economics and government. It would not be tried as a viable system until the early 20th century in Russia.

One very important concept of the Enlightenment was the idea of natural rights. The rights extended to men were being challenged by women. Mary Wollstonecraft, an English writer would pen “The Vindication of the Rights of Women”. She would explain that in order for women to be equal to men, they would need education. During the French Revolution, Olympe de Gouges would write “The Declaration of the Rights of Women” in 1791 and expose some of the ideals of the French Revolution was not met since it did not address the concerns of women. She would be tried for treason and executed during the Reign of Terror. Voltaire would write “Candide”, and expose the concept of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to petition (protest) the government as specific and necessary rights for a society to flourish and become enlightened.

The Enlightenment would last until the 19th century and usher in many new ideas about government, economics, society, and individual rights. Enlightened despots, or absolute rulers who used some of the principles of The Enlightenment continued to hold on to power with some of them until the 20th century. Catherine the Great expanded Russia as an enlightened despot by westernizing Russia. Today, we are still exploring these complex concepts and trying to perfect a better society than our predecessors.

Vocabulary Word Definition principle(s) basic truth(s) that serves as the core/foundation of belief(s) laissez-faire government's non-interference in the economics of a country (hands-off) natural rights rights given to people from god or nature. democracy rule by the people as equals philosopher a person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment (a thinker) Enlightened Despots a monarch who retains absolute control of their country while also enacting reform based on Enlightenment ideas. "Consent of the Governed" Term coined by John Locke to explain that it is the people who should decide how they want to be governed, and that the people give the consent to the government to rule them. Enlightenment a movement in Europe from about 1650 until 1800 that advocated the use of reason and individualism instead of tradition and established doctrine. Social Contract an agreement that results in the organization of society. Leviathan book written by Thomas Hobbes in which he argues that Absolute Monarchy is the best form of government because people needed to be controlled because life is "Nasty, Brutish, and Short". Two Treatises of Government essays written by John Locke in which he argues that a government needed the consent of the governed to rule, and that a governments job is protect its citizen's natural rights. Philosophes a philosopher who uses logic and reason to discover the world around them and how it works or should work. The Social Contract book written by Rousseau which argues that it is the people's general will which guides a society and its government. Vindication of the Rights of Women an essay written by Mary Wollstonecraft in which she argues for education rights for women and argued against Rousseau in which he believed women should be secondary to men. secular non-religious thought and ideas, usually pertaining to government. Separation of Powers Montesquieu's ideas that a government would need to have checks & balances with each co-equal power "Life, Liberty and Property" Locke's idea of how natural rights were supposed to allow people to have these things automatically without government interference. capitalism an economic system explained in detail by Adam Smith in which the means of production are privately owned without government interference "Laissez Faire" Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen written in 1791 by Olympe de Gouges to explain equality among French citizens. It does not explain the same themes expressed by women during the 1800s and early 1900s. bureaucracy The administration portion of the government tyranny an unjust ruler or government

People

Person	Significance
John Locke	English philosopher who wrote The Two Treatises of Government (1690) and argued that a government needs the consent of the governed and everyone has certain natural rights such as; life, liberty, and property.
Jean Jacque Rousseau	rench philosopher who wrote The Social Contract (1762) and argued that a non-written contact existed between the ruler and the people based upon the people’s will.
Thomas Hobbes	English philosopher who wrote Leviathan (1651) and argued that life is “nasty, brutish, and short” and therefor people needed to be controlled by a strong and absolute ruler.
Voltaire	French philosopher who wrote a satire called Candide (1759) in which we must cultivate our garden which is a metaphor for our society as a whole.
Montesquieu	French philosopher who advocated for division of power within government with checks and balances for each branch so that no one branch would have more power over the other.His book was called The Spirit of the Laws (1748).
Mary Wollstonecraft	a woman who wrote an essay The Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) to further women’s education and rights.
Olympe de Gouge	a woman who fought for women's rights during the French Revolution and was beheaded during the Reign of Terror for supporting the Girondists who supported the monarchists. She wrote Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen (1791) .
Adam Smith	wrote The Wealth of Nations (1776) which explained how laissez-faire capitalism was the best economic system. He is considered the “father of capitalism”

Concepts

Concept	Meaning
Social Contract	a non-written contract between the ruler and the people which is used to justify a ruler’s right to rule with the people’s consent.
Enlightenment Ideas	allowed for the conversation of how best a society can be governed as well as economics and social rights such as education. The various freedoms enjoyed in many countries today are a direct result of Enlightenment thinking.
Core beliefs of the Enlightenment	Reason (humans can use logic to figure things out), Nature (you always have certain rights), Happiness (you may seek it in your life), Progress (society could improve), and Liberty (freedom).
“Consent of the Governed”	Term coined by John Locke to explain that it is the people who should decide how they want to be governed, and that the people give the consent to the government to rule them.

Documents

• Adam Smith
• Jean Jacques Rousseau
• John Locke
• Voltaire
• Denis Diderot
• Mary Wollstonecraft
• Thomas Hobbes
• Baron de Montesquiue

Lessons

• Enlightenment - Introduction
• Enlightenment - Hobbes & Locke
• Absolutism & Enlightenment
• Enlightenment & French Revolution
• The Enlightenment Workshop
• I Think, Therefore I Am
• The Enlightenment - I Think, Therefore I Am (New Version)
• Effects of The Enlightenment - Locke vs. Jefferson