The Impact Of The Enlightenment Flashcards
What was the Enlightenment and when did it take place?
An intellectual movement that spread across Europe where writers and thinkers challenged a wide range of accepted views of the time such as religion, nature and absolute monarchy
What were some key considerations of the enlightenment?
Nature of society
Explored ideas of liberty and equality
Exploring ideas of freedom
Who led the enlightenment in France
Leading writers and thinkers in France were the philosophes
What book did Diderot edit
Published 1750-72
The Encyclopaedia
Aim was to ‘change the way people think’
What did enlightenment articles deal with
Why was this a problem?
Reason over superstition
Questioned traditional political/ social ideas
Scientific approach directly challenged ideas held by Church
Caused huge controversy and Church wanted it suppressed
3 most important influential philosophes
Montesquieu
Voltaire
Rousseau
Montesquieu’s beliefs
- Criticised royal absolutism
- But argued that it was the role of aristocracy to limit royal power, not the people
Voltire’s beliefs
Criticised the Catholic Church and religious intolerance but believed religion was necessary to preserve public morals. He defended royal authority.
Rousseau’s beliefs
Argued that a despotic monarch could be overthrown by their subjects and that sovereignty resided in the people rather than the King
What were salons and what did people discuss
A gathering of educated people at Cafe’s in order to increase and refine the knowledge of those participating
They discussed:
Art
Literature
Politics
Growth of Salons from 1700 to 1785
1700 - 3 salons
1785 - 80 salons
What else was providing ideas challenging the Ancien Regime
American War of Independence in 1778
French were influenced by colonists cause of freedom from British rule and colonies
What’s was the impact of troops coming home from America
When 8000 troops who served in America came home in 1783, bringing back ideas of liberty and democracy
