The Enlightenment

Lesson #13-The Enlightenment

• Agenda: Bellwork, Enlightenment Notes, Exit Ticket, “Ode to Reason” Assignment

• Bellwork: Begin a new section of notes titles “Lesson #13-The Enlightenment”. Create a list of 5 laws that are most important in governing a society.

The Enlightenment

• Key Terms and People: Enlightenment, salons, social contract, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Baron de Montesquieu, philosophes, Voltaire, enlightened despots

• Guiding Questions: How was the Enlightenment influenced by reason? What new views did philosophers have about government? What new views did philosophers have about society? How did Enlightenment ideas spread?

• Main Idea: European thinkers developed new ideas about government and society during the Enlightenment.

The Age of Reason

• The Enlightenment=Age of Reason-a time period when educated people used reason (thought) to try and solve the world’s problems during the 1600 and 1700s.

• People gathered in public spaces and salons (small gatherings of intellectuals)to debate ideas and literary works.

Create a table with that looks like this (3 columns and 8 rows).

Writer Work Ideas

New Views on GovernmentWriter: Thomas Hobbes (English)

Book: wrote his book Leviathan in 1651.

Ideas: People are selfish, greedy; needed central government to impose order; social contract-give up some freedoms in exchange for the peace, safety, and order that government could provide.

Type of Government: absolute monarchy

New Views on GovernmentWriter: John Locke (English)

Book: Two Treatises on Government

Ideas: People were naturally happy, tolerant, and reasonable; born equal with the natural rights of life, liberty, and property; government should protect people’s natural rights; did not believe in divine right; Ideas are foundation for modern democracy; Inspired revolutions.

Type of Government: Power should be limited by law; citizens had the right to overthrow government; government by consent=democracy.

New Views on Government

Writer: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (French)Book: The Social ContractIdeas: People were born good but that society corrupted people. Type of Government: Government should work for the benefit of the common good. Individuals should give up some freedoms for the benefit of the community as a whole. All people are equal.

New Views on Government

Writer: Baron de Montesquieu (French)

Book: The Spirit of the Laws

Ideas: Separation of powers in government provides checks and balances; influential in American government.

Type of Government:democracy

New Views on Society

Writer: Voltaire, one of the most outspoken French philosophers, or philosophes.

Works: prose and poetry

Ideas: Deals with issues in society, such as religious toleration, women’s rights, and economic systems.

New Views on Society

Writer: Denis Diderot(French)

Work: Encyclopedia, 27 years

Ideas: Promotion of knowledge; criticized the church, the government, and the legal system.

New Views on Society

Writer: Mary Wollstonecraft (English)

Work: A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Ideas: If men and women had equal education, they would be equal in society.

New Views on Society

Writer: Adam Smith (Scottish)

Work: The Wealth of Nations

Ideas: Business activities should take place in a free market; laissez-faire-economy would be stronger if supply and demand worked freely.

Enlightenment Ideas Spread

• Enlightenment ideas quickly spread throughout Europe and beyond. Monarchs the caught on to the ideas are called enlightened despots.

• Enlightened despots tried to make reforms such as: education for all children, abolishing torture and the death penalty, supporting religious tolerance, providing free food and medical care, abolishing serfdom, and drafting new constitutions.

Effects of the Enlightenment

• Challenged beliefs in absolute monarchy.

• Questioned the relationship between the church and state.

• Debated the roles and rights of people in society.

• Human reason could solve any problem—don’t accept poverty, ignorance, and inequality as part of the human condition.

• How can we make society more equal and just?

• Ideas inspired revolutions across the world.

Exit Ticket

• How was the Enlightenment influenced by reason?

• What new views did philosophers have about government?

• What new views did philosophers have about society?

• What are some of the effects of the Enlightenment?

Class Activity “Creating New Laws”-10 points

1-Get in groups of 2-4.2-Using your bellwork, collaborate as a group to create a master list of the top ten laws they feel are most important in any given society. (10 minutes)3-Review laws as a class. 4-As a group discuss and write: How will news law be arrived at in the future? How existing laws will be amended? How the laws will be enforced? What rights should be protected? Who will decide the fairness of the laws or the enforcement? 5-Review item 4 as a class.

***Each person should be writing their responses down in order to receive a grade for participating***

Homework-Ode to Reason

Directions: Write a persuasive poem, using logic or reason, to argue against an injustice in the world. Think about why one uses reason to solve problems, and what can be accomplish by using reason.Format: Title, Four stanzas, or 20 lines, including your introduction and your conclusion. You may earn 5 bonus points by performing your piece to the class. ***Do not use profane language or inappropriate material in your poem!***