Transcript The Enlightenment & the American Revolution

The Enlightenment & the American
Revolution
Linkage of the Scientific Revolution to the
Enlightenment
• Belief in Progress
– The successes of the Scientific Revolution gave
philosophes the confidence that human reason could
solve social problems.
• More secular Perspective
– Scientists made discoveries that contradicted &
challenged religious teachings.
• Importance of the Individual
– People turned away from the Church & royalty for
guidance - looked to themselves.
– Encouraged to use their own abilities & reason to
problem solve
Core Values of the Philosophes
• 1. Reason – truth could be discovered
through reason
• 2. Happiness – rejected medieval belief that
people should concentrate on finding
happiness in the hereafter rather than
finding contentment & joy in this world
• 3. Progress – Humankind could improve
• 4. Liberty – called for liberties achieve from
the Glorious Revolution in the English Bill of
Rights
“I do not agree with a word you say
but will defend to the death your
right to say it”
Voltaire
Voltaire
• Prolific writer who used
satire against his enemies.
• Attacked clergy, aristocrats
& goverment
• Fought for religious
freedom & speech.
• Was jailed & exiled for his
beliefs.
• Fought superstition,
intolerance and prejudice.
• He corresponded directly
with many rulers
Hobbes
• Influenced by the
English Civil War
• Human nature was
wicked & life was like
state of war
• Social Contract req’d
people to give up
liberties to an absolute
monarch.
• In return they gain
order & security.
• Wrote the Leviathan
Locke
• Locke believed that
human nature was
essentially good.
• Humans were born with
natural rights of life,
liberty, property…..
• Purpose of goverment
was to protect those
rights
• If government abused
it’s authority as Britain
had done people had a
right to overthrow that
government.
Locke’s Chief Influence
• Principles include:
– Natural rights
– Purpose of government
– Justification to overthrow
government
– Author of the Two
Treatise on Government
Montesquieu
• Believed the best
organization of
goverment included:
• Separation of powers &
• Checks and balances
• SOP was by itself a C/B
• Both ideas are part of
the US Constitution.
• Wrote Spirit of the Laws
“Man is born free and everywhere
he is in chains.”
Rousseau
Rousseau
• Civilization corrupted man.
• Only good goverment had to be
freely formed & guided by the
“general will” of society.
• Favored “direct democracy” in
which individuals agree to give
up some freedoms in favor of
the common good.
• Consent of government
• Titles of nobility should be
abolished
• Influenced French Revolution/
• Consent of the governed in US
Constitution
Beccaria
• Interested in the justice
system
• Condemned torture &
irregular procedings.
• Favored:
– Speedy trial
– Fair treatment
– Punishment
commensurate with the
crime
– Abolishing capital
punishment
How did Enlightenment Ideas
Spread?
Catherine the Great
• Experimented with
Enlightenment ideas
• Communicated with
Voltaire & Diderot.
• Gave some rights to
nobles
• However she allied
herself with nobles who
opposed change.
• Suppressed serf revolt
Frederick the Great
• King of Prussia
• Religious tolerance
• Hired Voltaire to set up
Prussian Academy
• Instituted reforms to
help commoners
• However reforms were
largely to make Prussian
gov more efficient
Music, Literature and Architectural
Changes during the Enlightenment
Baroque
Neoclassical
Baroque Music
I’ll be Bach!
• Johann Sebastian Bach
• George Friedrich Handel
• Dramatic Organ &
choral music
Classical Music - Enlightenment
• Composers
– Joseph Haydn
– Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart
– Ludwig van Beethoven
– Lighter, more elegant
music
Literature
• Novels which had plots,
suspense & character
development.
• Entertaining stories
enjoyed by middle
classes.
• Written in language that
was understood
Mercantilism vs. Laissez-Faire
• Government regulated
• Restricted trade
– Tariffs
– Navigation Acts
• Regulated by the
market
• Liberal free trade
Mercantilism
• Government regulated
economic policy based on
the following beliefs:
• Wealth was measured by
the amount of gold/silver in
treasury which req’d that
nations maintain favorable
balance of trade.
• Colonies were desired
because they (1) provided
raw materials and (2)
markets for finished
products.
• Restrictive trade policies
which was reflected in the
Navigation Laws
Adam Smith
• Leading physiocrat who
opposed mercantilism.
• Wrote Wealth of
Nations which argued
that natural forces of
supply & demand
should operate the
economy.
• Strong supporter of
laissez-faire.
• Encouraged individual
initiative