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The 18th century: the Enlightenment - Coggle Diagram
The 18th century: the Enlightenment
The 18th century
The Enlightenment
was an important intellectual movement and a new way of thinking that emerged
Enlightenment thinkers criticised the political and social structures of the Ancien Régime
The principles
reason is the only real source of knowledge
science and technological progress
lead to economic growth and improve people's wellbeing
learning and teaching are essential
people must learn as much as possible and share their knowledge
equality and liberty are crucial
believed that a better society would only be possible if all men were free and equal before the law
was a time of transition between the Early Modern Age and the Modern Age in Europe
The political ideas of enlightenment
thinkers wanted to abolish the estates system and make all citizens equal before the law
Montesquieu
argued for the separation of powers
that the three branches of government should be separate from one another
this would stop power being concentrated in one person
Voltaire
favoured a strong monarchy
he also thought its power should be limited by parliament
Rousseau
introduced the idea of popular sovereignty
He argued that power resided with the people rather than the crown
The economic ideas of the enlightenment
mercantilism was rejected
advocated a new economic doctrine called physiocracy
Physiocracy
is the belief that the wealth of a nation derives from its natural resources
Physiocrats believed that
craftsmanship and trade
are secondary activities
the state
absolute monarchs, should not intervene in the economy
agriculture
is a country's main source of wealth
it provides the products needed for food and the raw materials for craftsmanship
Economic liberalism
It was based on the ideas of Scottish thinker Adam Smith
the state should not intervene in the processes of production or exchange of goods
it should allow individual business owners to create wealth
economic liberals argued for
free trade
the exchange of goods between countries without any restrictions
free competition
the business owner to improve the quality of his or her products and/or reduce prices in order to sell
freedom of production for business owners