The Enlightenment

Roots

Salons

Thinkers reject

Grew out the renaissance, reformation and scientific revolution.

Challenged to accept beliefs.

The philosopher want to use reasons and ideas of scientific revolution, for problems of government and society

France thinkers-philosophers

Many were organized by women.

They gathered informal meetings, salons.

• Help to shape and spread ideas of the Enlightenment.

They exchange and debate ideas.

Thinker reject authority and upheld the freedom of individual thinks. Think for themselves

Goverment

Some questioned the medieval belief in the divine right of kings

Thinkers criticized accepted ideas about government.

Enlightenment thinkers stressed individual rights that governments must respect.

Enlightenment thinkers also felt that people should have a say in their government

Religion

Thinkers believed humans were capable of discovering truth for themselves.

Many believed in an all-powerful deity.

Right and Wrong should be based on rational insight

Some called themselves Deists

Concequences

The French Revolution in 1789

Culmination of the High Enlightenment vision.

Attracted the admiration of the early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft

Inspired the Haitian war of independence

Inclusivism of Paraguay’s first post-independence government.

Gave way to the wildness of Romanticism, Liberalism and Classicism, Modernism

Thomas Hobbes

Believed people are naturally selfish, cruel, and greedy.

He think that governments were created to protect people from their own selfishness

John Locked

Believed the purpose of government was to protect people’s natural rights.

Was in favor of constitutional monarchies

He think that the true basis of government was a social contract between people and their government.

Voltaire

Concerned with freedom of thought and expression.

He think that had a strong belief in religious tolerance and free speech.