3.1.4 - 3.1.7 Enlightenment terms Flashcards
Enlightenment
Causes:
Rational Inquiry: The Enlightenment was sparked by a renewed interest in science, philosophy, and humanism. Thinkers sought to understand the world through reason rather than tradition and faith1.
Scientific Advancements: Discoveries in astronomy, physics, and biology challenged traditional views of the universe and humanity’s place in it1.
Cultural Movements: Prior cultural movements like the Renaissance and the Reformation set the stage for questioning authority and valuing individual thought2.
Effects:
Political Revolutions: Enlightenment ideas were instrumental in the American and French Revolutions, leading to the establishment of governments based on democratic principles3.
Social Reforms: The emphasis on reason and individual rights led to reforms in law, education, and society, promoting ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity4.
Secularization: The period saw a shift towards secular thought, reducing the influence of the Church on state affairs4.
Significance:
Modern Democracies: The Enlightenment laid the groundwork for modern democratic societies, emphasizing the importance of individual rights and the rule of law4.
Philosophical Legacy: Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Immanuel Kant have had a lasting impact on political philosophy and ethics1.
Cultural Transformation: The movement transformed cultural norms, encouraging a spirit of inquiry and skepticism that continues to influence contemporary thought5.
In summary, the Enlightenment was a transformative era that reshaped the intellectual landscape of the West, leading to modern political and social institutions and a new understanding of human rights and the role of government.
The Age of Enlightenment was from 1650 - 1800. The term “enlightenment” refers to being enlightened or aware of something. Enlightenment during this time period rejected traditional beliefs and focused on rationality rather than religion.
social contract
Causes:
State of Nature: The social contract theory arose from the idea of a state of nature, where individuals were free but their rights were not secure, leading to a “war of all against all” as described by Hobbes1.
Rational Self-Interest: People, acting out of rational self-interest, would agree to form a society that provides mutual benefits and protection1.
Avoidance of Anarchy: The need to avoid the chaos of an anarchic natural state prompted individuals to consent to social arrangements that enforce order1.
Effects:
Formation of Governments: The social contract theory justifies the formation of governments and the legitimacy of political authority through the consent of the governed1.
Protection of Rights: It led to the establishment of systems that protect individual rights, as seen in the works of Locke, who emphasized life, liberty, and property2.
Social Cohesion: By agreeing to the social contract, individuals commit to living together under common laws, which promotes social cohesion and cooperation1.
Significance:
Philosophical Foundation: The social contract has provided a philosophical foundation for the existence and authority of governments and the rights and duties of citizens1.
Influence on Constitutions: It has influenced the development of constitutions and legal systems that reflect the consent and will of the people1.
Ethical Framework: The theory offers an ethical framework for evaluating the justice of political and social institutions1.
An agreement between a government and the people where the people agree to follow the rules while the government agrees to protect the people. This social contract can be either implicit or explicit, but it should be there.
Reason, natural law, happiness, liberty, progress
The Five Important Values of the Enlightenment:
Reason: truth can be discovered through reason or logical thinking.
Natural Law: what is natural is good and reasonable: the fewer unnatural restrictions on a society, the more ideal the society will be.
Happiness: a life of reason and natural law will lead to happiness; a rejection of the medieval notation that people should accept misery in this lifetime while waiting to get into a heavenly afterlife.
Progress: if a society employs reason, natural law, happiness, and liberty, it will progress and grow closer to an ideal society.
Rousseau
Showed the importance of a social contract where the society, together, agrees to be governed. He believed that liberty happens when people are forced to follow what is best for everyone and that selfish people won’t follow this if they are not made to. Showed the importance of a social contract where the society, together, agrees to be governed. He believed that liberty happens when people are forced to follow what is best for everyone and that selfish people won’t follow this if they are not made to.
adam smith
Used the term “laissez-faire”(“let it happen”) to name the economy because of the idea that things in the economy will level out on their own and the government doesn’t have to interfere. His ideas are the modern ideas of capitalism.
Scientific Revolution (connection to Enlightenment)
When Galileo challenged the authority of the church, it made humans not be the center of the world and when Descatres introduced rationalism, it made people start to question things in their everyday life and only believe things they could prove through reasons. The Scientific Method allowed for people to experiment and observe what was going on in their lives to gain knowledge, also to analyze evidence and not just believe everything they hear.
The Scientific Revolution led to the Enlightenment because everyone wanted answers to the questions they had. Descartes introduced rationalism that basically meant to doubt everything but your own existence, and from there, accept as true only what you can prove through reason. Additionally, the Enlightenment thinkers started to wonder if it was possible to apply the same logic and reasoning used in the physical sciences to making predictions about human interactions and social structures. They used science to try to understand the world. If enlightenment thinkers realized that if things are questioned with science and should not be answered with god, there is no divine rule about how people are treated based on social class, but that it should be studied and that there should be some sort of organization to this besides divine rule and because god says so.
Connection to Enlightenment:
Empirical Evidence: The Scientific Revolution emphasized empirical evidence and observation, challenging traditional beliefs and paving the way for Enlightenment thinkers to question accepted norms1.
Human Reason: It celebrated human reason and the capacity to discover truths about the natural world, which resonated with Enlightenment ideals of rationality and logic1.
Challenging Authority: The discoveries and methods of the Scientific Revolution, which often contradicted the teachings of the Church and traditional authority, inspired Enlightenment philosophers to advocate for freedom of thought and expression1.
Natural Laws: The concept of natural laws discovered through science influenced Enlightenment philosophers, who sought to apply similar principles to understand and improve society1.
Intellectual Curiosity: The Scientific Revolution fostered an environment of intellectual curiosity and skepticism, which were central to the Enlightenment’s critical examination of society, politics, and religion1.
In essence, the Scientific Revolution provided the intellectual groundwork that spurred the Enlightenment, as it shifted the focus from divine and authoritative explanations to human-centered and rational understanding of the world.
rule of law
Laws are established to control the land and they are applied equally to all citizens and their rulers.
“No single person is above the law and no single person can arbitrarily make up the rules as they go”
Natural rights
People are born with the rights to: life liberty, and property. Government should protect these rights.
Montesquieu
Found the importance of separation of powers and having that act as checks and balances to limit one person or group of people from gaining too much power.
john locke
Made the idea that humans are born to the rights of life, liberty, and property. He disagrees with human’s fundamental selfishness and believes that people would remove a government that does not protect their natural rights.
wollstencraft
She disagreed with Rousseau’s ideas because he thought that the reason to not educate women is because they want to gain more power than men. Instead, Wollstonecraft thought both men and women should be allowed to gain education so that women can gain both a personality and education. Women should not just rely on their husbands for knowledge. In order to make a woman a good mother and wife they need to be educated in their childhood to resemble a patriot.
different views on humanity/human nature
Hobbes: People are selfish and will always do what is best for themselves.
Locke: Humans know right from wrong, can be peaceful, and will usually respect each other’s safety and property.
Montesquieu: Without government, all are born equal, but equality will not continue naturally.
Rousseau: People are basically good but can be corrupted by society.
Smith: People will look out for their own economic interests, but that helps all of society.
Consent of the Governed
The implicit or explicit agreement of a people to be governed that gives the government legitimacy and a moral right to govern. If the people do not consent to their government (for example, under a dictator, the government is not legitimate). If the government ceases to do its job of protecting the people, the people should revoke their consent.
Separation of powers
All governments have three powers/jobs: making laws, executing laws, and enforcing laws. To protect people’s natural rights, one person or group cannot have all of these powers.
How can enlightenment values connect to imperialism?
Perhaps in a sort of backwards way? The countries doing the imperializing were the “Enlightened” ones - they believed they had reached higher levels of civilization and used that as a justification for controlling others.
Some of the enlightenment philosophies either applied or did not apply to imperialism. “Enlightened countries’ ‘ denied enlightened values to their colonies and no consent to the governed while also claiming that they were more enlightened and it was their duty to go out and imperialize.
Enlightenment values, despite their emphasis on reason, liberty, and equality, had a complex relationship with imperialism. Here’s how they connected:
Justification for Colonialism: Enlightenment principles were sometimes used to justify European colonialism. The idea of bringing “civilization” to perceived “less developed” societies was seen as a moral obligation1.
Racial Classification: The period saw the development of race consciousness and the categorization of humans, which was used to rationalize the hierarchy and dominance of European powers over colonized peoples2.
Intellectual Foundations: Enlightenment thought provided some of the ideological foundations for empire, influencing imperial policymakers and the administration of colonies3.
Civilizing Mission: The belief in progress and education led to the notion of a “civilizing mission,” where colonizers believed they were spreading Enlightenment ideals through colonization4.
Economic Exploitation: The Enlightenment’s focus on empirical knowledge and progress dovetailed with imperial economic interests, leading to the exploitation of colonized lands and peoples for resources and labor3.
While Enlightenment values contributed to the advancement of human rights and democratic principles, they were also entangled with the expansionist and often oppressive policies of European empires.
