The Enlightenment: Principles, Thinkers, and the Spread of Ideas

DEFINITION

The ENLIGHTENMENT was an intellectual movement that spread across Europe during the 18th century.

MAIN PRINCIPLES of the Enlightenment

• Reason
• Natural rights
• Knowledge
• Tolerance

THINKERS John Locke

(1632-1704) Locke was an English philosopher whose ideas had a great influence on the Enlightenment thinkers. His main idea was that the state was the result of a social contract between the government and the people. The contract could be broken if the government was unjust.

THINKERS Montesquieu

Montesquieu was a French political philosopher. His major contribution to political theory was written in his book The Spirit of Laws.

SEPARATION OF POWERS

0-O .. EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT Power to put law into action JUDICIARY Power to make judgements on law PARLIAMENT Power to make and change the law

MONTESQUIEU

(1689-1755)

• Separation of powers

THINKERS Voltaire

Voltaire was a French writer who propagated the idea of progress in civilization: he defended firmly civil rights and tolerance. One of his main books is Treatise on Tolerance.

VOLTAIRE

(1694-1778)

• Monarchy, but existance of Parliaments.
• Freedom of expression.

THINKERS ROUSSEAU

(1712-1778)

• Sovereignity should reside in the people.
• Freedom and equality. Rousseau was a philosopher, writer and political theorist who inspired the leaders of the French Revolution. He wrote his ideas in The Social Contract.

How did they spread their ideas?

ENCYCLOPEDIE, DICTIONNAIRE RAISONNE DES SCIENCES, DES ARTS ET DES METIERS, PAX UNE SOCIÉTÉ DE GENS DE LETTRES. TOME PREMIER. A PARIS ..... ILDCC LL Reading of Voltaire's tragedy The Orphan of China in the salon of Marie Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin, by Lemonnier. The Encyclopedia was a compendium of human knowledge, published in France by Diderot and D'Alembert.

• The Encyclopaedia
• Academies of arts or science
• Salons
• Press

ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM

The ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM (or ENLIGHTENED ABSOLUTISM) was a form of absolutism influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment. The monarchs modernised their kingdoms by introducing reforms:

• EDUCATION. Educational institutions and knowledge through science.
• GOVERNMENT. Administration, legal codes and taxes for everyone.
• LAND. Expropiation (increase production), roads and irrigation systems.

ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM QUESTIONS

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS (page 19, activities 3 and 4) 3. What was enlightened despotism? What were the main objectives of enlightened despots? 3. Summarise the main ideas of the Enlightenment. Which ones are still valid today? Give reasons.

To sum up, what changed in the 18th century?

Most of the basic structures of the Old Regime were transformed. The new ideas to change society wonder to promote social progress.

• Reason, science and education were used to combat ignorance.
• Some absolute monarchs introduced social reforms.
• New forms of industry and commerce contributed to economic expansion.
• Bourgeoisie tried to gain more political power.
• Artistic styles reflected the changes in society (baroque-> neoclassical art).

BOURGEOISIE

Rich $ Limited political power

NOBILITY

Poor, but territories Politcal power