Chapter 2 Flashcards
natural laws
rules discoverable by reason that govern scientific forces such as gravity and magnetism
Kant
First coined the term “Enlightenment”
“The Critique of Pure Reason”
Skeptic of reason, but enthusiastic about Enlightenment
Hobbes
“Leviathan”
Ppl are natural cruel and required social contracts
Favored absolute monarchy
Locke
“Two Treatises of Government”
Ppl were born good and had natural rights
Rejected absolute monarchy
Thought James II ought to be dethroned
Government has obligations to the people it governs
Popular sovereignty
social contract
agreement in which ppl gave up freedom for an organized society
natural rights
rights that belonged to all humans from birth; life, liberty, and property
popular sovereignty
if it doesn’t fulfill these obligations, the people have the right to overthrow the government
Philosophes
Enlightenment thinkers in France
Montesquieu
“The Spirit of the Laws”
separation of powers between the judicial, executive, and legislative branches
checks and balances
Voltaire (Francois-Marie)
Detested the slave trade
Freedom of speech
“my trade is to say what i think” - Voltaire
Detested religious prejudice
French government and Catholic Church hated him
Exiled and banned/burned his books
Denis Diderot
Produced the “Encyclopedia”
Diderot’s Encyclopedia
[28-volume set of books with Enlightenment ideas]
Purpose was to change the general way of thinking
French government and Catholic Church tried to ban it
Spread Enlightenment ideas
Jean-Jaques Rousseau
“The Social Contract”
Believed that ppl are naturally good and they are corrupted by society, especially the unequal distribution of property
Only governments that had been freely elected should impose controls, but the controls must be limited
Faith in “general will”
“general will”
best conscience of the ppl
Which women challenged the philosophes?
Germaine de Staël
Catharine Macauly
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft
“A Vindication of the Rights of Women”(equal education for boys and girls)
Woman’s first duty is to be a good mother, but a woman should be able to decide what is in her own interest without depending on her husband
physiocrats
French thinkers focused on economic reforms
Laissez faire
businesses should operate with little to no government interference
mercantilism
a government should regulate the market
Adam Smith
“The Wealth of Nations”
The free market should regulate business (supply and demand)
Strong supporter of laissez faire
Government has a duty to protect society, justice, and public works.
how did writers avoid censorship?
To avoid censorship from the government and Church, writers disguised their ideas in fiction
ex:
montesquieu’s persian letters
voltaire’s candide
Montesquieu’s “Persian Letters”
two Persian travelers were used to mock French society
Voltaire’s “Candide”
hero travels in search of “best of all possible worlds”; exposes the corruption of European society
salons?
informal gatherings where writers, artists, philosophes, etc. exchanged ideas
originated from parisian noblewomen reading poetry
Mme Geoffrin
Ran one of the most famous salons in her house on Rue St. Honoré
baroque
Greco-Roman style
Grand, ornate, huge, colorful, full of excitement,
Historical battles or religious paintings
rococo
Lighter, elegant, charming, more pastel
Portraits had rural settings w/ happy servants and pets
Believed to encourage imagination
how did art change in the enlightenment
baroque to rococo
how did music change in the enlightenment
baroque to rococo to classical
opera houses sprang up everywhere
famous musicians in the enlightenment
Bach
Handel
Haydn
Mozart
how did literature change in the enlightenment
Novels gained popularity bc the middle class wanted straightforward prose
famous literature of the enlightenment
Daniel Defoe → “Robinson Crusoe”
Samuel Richardson → “Pamela”
enlightenment despot
absolute rulers who enacted limited Enlightenment reforms
King Frederick the Great (Frederick II)
Prussia
Saw himself as “first servant of the state”; duty for common good
Liked Voltaire’s ideas
Reduced torture
Free press
Religious tolerance
Eventually, he desired power and a stronger monarchy
Empress Catherine the Great (Catherine II)
Russia
Exchanged letters with Voltaire and Diderot
Abolished torture
Religious tolerance
Criticized serfdom
Granted a charter of rights for nobles
Eventually, she desired power and a stronger monarchy
Maria Theresa
Austria
Absolute ruler, but considered enlightened despot by some bc she worked to improve peasant life
Joseph II
Austria
Son of Maria Theresa
Traveled in disguise among subjects to better understand their problems
Religious tolerance
Free press
Attempted to bring Catholic Church under royal control
Abolished serfdom
Sold property of many monasteries that weren’t involved in education or sick ppl treating and gave proceeds to those that did
After his death, many of his reforms were canceled
Britain became a global power bc
Britain’s location allowed it to control trade
Fewer restrictions on trade; favorable climate for business and commerce
Generally on the winning side of European
Territory close to home as well
George III
wanted to recover royal power by:
Choose own ministers
Dissolve cabinet system
Make Parliament follow his will (put his friends in Parliament)
Navigation Acts
regulate colonial trade by exporting more than importing
Stamp Act
imposed taxes on items like newspapers and pamphlets
“No taxation without representation”
Parliament repealed Stamp Act
Declaratory Act
Britain has complete control over the colonists
Tea Act
taxes on tea
caused the Boston Tea Party
Parliament passed harsh laws to punish Massachusetts for the tea
American Revolution Timeline
First Continental Congress was for unity clap
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Second Continental Congress makes army and starts Revolution
Declaration of Independence
French blockade of Chesapeake Bay forced British surrender at Yorktown
Two years later, Treaty of Paris ended the war
Declaration of Independence uses which Enlightenment ideas
Locke’s natural laws
Locke’s popular sovereignty
British advantages
More resources (trained fleet and soldiers)
⅓ of colonists were Loyalists and some colonists were fence-sitters
Offered freedom to slaves who fought for their side
Native American allies
American advantages
Better knowledge of terrain; fighting for their land
Native American allies
French allies after Battle of Saratoga
Spanish and Netherlands allies after French allies
Articles of Confederation
First Constitution
federal republic
power divided between federal and state power
Which Enlightenment stuff inspired the Bill of Rights
philosophes
