Foundations - Ch 22 Sec 2 + 3 - The Enlightenment Flashcards
The enlightenment was an outgrowth of what
the scientific revolution
What was the enlightenment
a new intellectual movement that stressed reason, thought, and the power of individuals to solve problems
What were the philosophes in the enlightenment in favor of
- liberty
- freedom of information, speech, religion, and occupation
- limited monarchy
- education
- natural rights (of the people)
- progress
- the here and now (secular)
What were the philosophes in the enlightenment against
- strict dogma (believing just because of tradition)
- superstition
- religious control/intolerance
- censorship
- idea that monarchs are above the law
- torture
- slavery
Who participated in the Enlightenment
- educated elite
- middle/upper class men (“the better sort of men”)
- elite educated women
- some monarchs (enlightened despots)
Where was the headquarters of the enlightenment
Paris
What were salons
social gatherings held by wealthy women in Paris where great intellects met to discuss ideas
baroque
european art style characterized by a grand, ornate design that dominated the 1600s and early 1700s
neoclassical
simple, elegant art style of the late 1700s
social contract
the agreement by which people created a government
What were enlightened monarchs
monarchs who embraced the new ideas and made reforms that reflected the enlightenment spirit
Who were the enlightened monarchs
Frederick the Great
Joseph II
Catherine the Great
What was Frederick the Great king of?
Prussia
What did Joseph II rule?
Austria
What did Catherine the Great rule?
Russia
Why weren’t there any enlightened despots from England
They were really ahead of the game and had had a limited monarchy for like 100 years already
What did Frederick the Great do?
- granted religious freedoms
- reduced censorship
- improved education
- abolished use of torture in justice system
- was a “servant of the state”
What didn’t Frederick the Great do?
end serfdom/try to change the existing social order because he needed the support of wealthy land owners
What did Joseph II do?
- introduced legal reforms
- introduced freedom of the press
- supported freedom of worship
- abolished serfdom and ordered that peasants be paid for their labor in cash
What happened to Joseph II’s reform where he abolished serfdom?
it was undone after his death because the nobles didn’t like it
What did Catherine the Great do?
- was in contact w voltaire
- formed a commission to review Russia’s laws
- tried to allow religious toleration
- tried to abolish torture and capital punishment
- expanded Russia
What didn’t Catherine the Great do?
little to improve the life of the Russian peasants because she needed the support of the nobles to keep her throne
what was the connection between the sci rev and the enlightenment
in the SR, scientists, etc, used reason for math and science to try and understand how the world works. in the enlightenment, people took it a step further and applied reason to a lot of other aspects of life
how did salons and Diderot’s encyclopedia help spread enlightenment ideas
they got the word out to many people, and not always just the super educated elite
Locke - key ideas
believed people were naturally good
wanted a limited monarchy
3 natural rights that should be protected by gov
gov’s power comes from consent of governed and people have right to overthrow
Hobbes - key ideas
believed people naturally evil and that they needed an absolute monarchy with all the power in order to survive
people had to give up their rights to the gov, and in return they got happiness and security
Rousseau - key ideas
believed in a direct democracy and that civilization corrupted peoples’ natural goodness
all people equal
Montesquieu - key ideas
separation of powers
checks and balances in gov
Beccaria - key ideas
believed laws existed to preserve social order, not avenge crimes
no cruel/unusual punishment
speedy trial for accused
gov should seek greatest good for greatest # of people
Voltaire
fought for tolerance, reason, and freedom of speech, religion, etc
Wollstonecraft
believed women’s education is just as important as men’s
believed women should enter male-dominated fields
what is divine right
the idea that monarchs are God’s representatives on earth and therefore answerable only to God
What were the basic beliefs of the enlightenment
Social contract, consent of the governed, due process, separation of powers, secularism, equality, justice
What were the basic beliefs of the enlightenment
Social contract, consent of the governed, due process, separation of powers, secularism, equality, justice
What ideas was the enlightenment rejecting
Censorship, superstition, dogmatism