LEADING UP TO THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT THE RENAISSANCE (“re‐birth” of Classical Greek and Roman literature) MAN WAS SEEN AS ESSENTIALLY GOOD, AS CAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING, INCLUDING GOD, THROUGH EXPLORATION, LEARNING, EDUCATION GOD GAVE MAN A RATIONAL MIND TO FIGURE OUT THE WORLD AUTHORITY SHIFTS FROM THE CHURCH TO THE (ONE)SELF THE REFORMATION MAN WAS SEEN AS SCUM… MUST WORK HARD TO (HOPEFULLY) FIND GOD’S GRACE, AND THUS SALVATION, OTHERWISE ETERNAL DAMNATION AUTHORITY SHIFTS FROM THE SELF TO THE REFORMED CHURCH SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION SCIENTIFIC METHOD WAS INTRODUCED & APPLIED TO THE SOCIAL and NATURAL WORLD MAN CAN UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THROUGH SCIENCE and MATH SCIENTIFIC METHOD USED TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING RATIONAL GOD = RATIONAL HUMAN BEINGS AUTHORITY SHIFTS FROM THE CHURCH TO SCIENCE/
MATH BACKGROUND TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE? 1) MAN IS BASICALLY GOOD 2) MAN IS BASICALLY BAD WHAT IS THE ENLIGHTENMENT? “AGE OF REASON / AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT” PERIOD OF TIME WHEN PHILOSOPHERS APPLIED THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND USED LOGICAL REASONING TO EXPLAIN HOW HUMANS THINK & ACT THESE NEW IDEAS HELPED MODERNIZE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, & POLITICAL THOUGHT BACKGROUND TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT WHERE WAS THE ENLIGHTENMENT TAKING PLACE? FRANCE: RULED BY MONARCHS  ABSOLUTISM ‐ STRONGEST KINGDOM IN WESTERN EUROPE ‐ CENTER OF WESTERN EUROPEAN CULTURE ‐ FRENCH THE LANGUAGE OF INTELLECTUALS ENGLAND: MONARCHY, PLUS PARLIAMENT ‐ LONDON IN CHAOS ONLY UPPER CLASSES WERE INVOLVED IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT – THEY WANT TO MAKE CHANGES (NEW IDEAS) BACKGROUND TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT WHO WERE THE ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS? “PHILOSOPHES” ‐ EDUCATED MEN & WOMEN ‐ WROTE ABOUT MANY SUBJECTS & CRITIQUED SOCIETY ‐ THEY MET AT UPPER CLASS HOMES SALONS: ELEGANT SOCIAL GATHERINGS READ, TALK, EAT, DRINK, LISTEN/PLAY MUSIC IDEAS SPREAD BACKGROUND TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT A FEW ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS: THOMAS HOBBES JOHN LOCKE BARON DE MONTESQUIEU VOLTAIRE DENIS DIDEROT JEAN‐JACQUES ROUSSEAU IMMANUEL KANT DAVID HUME ADAM SMITH BEN FRANKLIN ‐ MANY OTHERS! BACKGROUND TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT SOME OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS VIEWED HUMAN NATURE AS GOOD, OTHERS VIEWED HUMAN NATURE AS BAD… THIS DETERMINED HOW THEY THOUGHT SOCIETY SHOULD BE ARRANGED, INCLUDING HOW SOCIETIES SHOULD BE GOVERNED. SIGNIFICANCE and CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT: 1)  PEOPLE BELIEVED EVERYTHING HAD A CAUSE & EFFECT 2)  “TRUTH”  USE OF REASON / RATIONAL LOGIC 3)  NATURAL LAW: OBJECTS IN NATURE BEHAVE A CERTAIN WAY – PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND & PREDICT THAT BEHAVIOR 4)  GOD CREATED THE WORLD WITH RULES FOR ALL LIVING THINGS LATE 1700’S FRANCE and AMERICA BECOME THE SETTING FOR MAJOR POLITICAL & SOCIAL REVOLUTIONS RATIONALISM BY THINKING CLEARLY (RATIONALLY) YOU CAN COME TO KNOW EVERYTHING WITHOUT EVER HAVING EXPERIENCED IT (A PRIORI: KNOWLEDGE COMES BEFORE EXPERIENCE) EMPIRICISM YOU MUST FIND OUT ABOUT THE WORLD (EXPERIENCE) FIRST (A POSTERIORI: KNOWLEDGE AFTER OR THROUGH EXPERIENCE) *IN ORDER TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE WORLD, YOU HAVE TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS ON IT AND THEN USE REASON TO WORK OUT WHAT THE RESULTS MEAN MERCANTILISM 1)  Finite amount of wealth 2)  Naeons can only increase its wealth by taking it from another naeon ‐ by war ‐ through trade 3)  Trade IS war ‐ govt responsible for managing, overseeing, regulaeng things during war ‐ then same applies for TRADE ‐ govt should regulate naeons trade; ‐ defend economically: tariff barriers, protect workers, prevent wealth going to other naeons ‐ economic policy controlled by govt AND linked to military DEISM No need for organized religion; Use of reason and observaeon of the natural world; Universe was created (because it exists)…by a supreme being This supreme being does NOT interfere with the natural world (laws of nature; human affairs) Clockwork Universe theory SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION IN YOUR GROUP, DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. COME TO A CONSENSUS AND WRITE YOUR GROUP’S ANSWERS. 1)  WHO SHOULD HAVE POWER IN SOCIETY? 2) WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE BE TAUGHT? 3)  WHAT TYPES OF FREEDOM SHOULD PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO HAVE? 4)  WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES DO LEADERS HAVE? 5)  ARE THERE SUCH THINGS AS “NATURAL RIGHTS”? IF SO, WHAT ARE THEY? 6)  Are people basically good or basically bad? 1)  WHAT DOES “PHILOSOPHY” MEAN? 2) WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY FOR LIFE? 3)  MAKE A LIST OF 5‐10 TOP MOST “GOOD” PEOPLE 4)  WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO THE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON? 5)  MAKE A LIST OF 5‐10 TOP MOST “BAD” PEOPLE 6)  WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO THE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON? 7)  ARE PEOPLE BASICALLY GOOD OR BASICALLY BAD? 8) DOES A PERSON BECOME GOOD OR BAD OR ARE THEY BORN A PARTICULAR WAY? GROUP TASK:   Discuss your current events arecles.   Create a poster which aresecally depicts the following: 1) MAKE A LIST OF 5‐10 TOP MOST “GOOD” PEOPLE 2) WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO THE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON? 3) MAKE A LIST OF 5‐10 TOP MOST “BAD” PEOPLE 4) WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO THE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON? 5) ARE PEOPLE BASICALLY GOOD OR BASICALLY BAD? 6) DOES A PERSON BECOME GOOD OR BAD OR ARE THEY BORN A PARTICULAR WAY?