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.