Ch 11 Enlightenment Ideas and Reforms
Two Views on Government
1) Hobbes- Conflict is a part of human nature
•War of everyone v. everyone without government•Life would be “nasty, brutish and short”
Two Views on Government
2) Locke – Human nature is shaped by experiences. •Humans learn from their experiences.
Thomas Hobbes• The book Leviathan
• Must give individual rights up to a strong ruler
• SOCIAL CONTRACT
• Ruler needs total power, citizens bound to obey
John Locke
• Most influential philosopher
• People are shaped by their experiences
• People will always learn from experience & choose to improve themselves
John Locke• All people born free & equal,
with 3 natural rights• LIFE, LIBERTY, and
PROPERTY• Purpose of govt. – to protect
natural rights• People can choose to
overthrow a govt. that fails to do this
John Locke• Father of modern
political thinking
• Govt. power comes from the consent (OK) of the people and so does the right to rebel
“During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition called war . . . as if of every man against every man. . . . The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. . . . No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
- Thomas Hobbes
Part 2
The French Salon and the Philosophes
Madame de Pompadour
• Salons: gatherings for aristocrats to discuss new theories and ideas
• Philosophes: French Enlightenment thinkers who attended the salons
French Salons
• Small gatherings of men and women in France during the Enlightenment.
• People discussed science, politics and religion. (Spread enlightenment ideas).
Philosophes
• Greatest thinkers of their day
• Social critics of the period in France
• Apply reason to all aspects of life
Philosophes
• Opposed traditions of absolute monarchy and divine right
• Objected to special privileges of nobility and clergy
Jean-Jacques Rousseau(1712–1778)
• Philosophized on the nature of society and government
• The Social Contract (People are naturally good natured).
• Popular Sovreignty – believed government should be created and controlled by the people.
Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755)
• Influenced by Locke• French noble and
political philosopher• The Spirit of the Laws
(Described his idea of perfect government).
Montesquieu (continued)
• 3 branches of government
• Separation of powers
• Constitutional monarchy
Voltaire (1694–1778)• Real name: Francois-Marie
Arouet• Most famous philosophe• Wrote plays, essays,
poetry, philosophy, and books
• Wrote stinging satires about the French monarchy
• Championed social, political, and religious tolerance
“I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Mary Wollstonecraft
• British writer who argued for the rights of women during the Enlightenment.
• A Vindication of the Rights of Women
The Encyclopédie
• Major achievement of the philosophes.
• First edition was 28 volumes.
• Leading philosophes contributed articles covering nearly every possible subject.
Frontspiece to the Encyclopédie
The Encyclopédie (continued)
• Edited by Denis Diderot and Jean Le Rond d’Alembert
• Banned by the Catholic Church
Encyclopédie editor Denis Diderot