Chapter 17: The Enlightenment Flashcards
Where did Enlightenment ideas start?
London in 1700s and late 1700s was France. They met at social/political clubs, societies, and at coffee houses.
What were Some Principles of the Enlightenment?
Rationalism: Humans use reason to gain knowledge
Empiricism: Knowledge comes from experience and observation of the world
Progressivism: Through powers of reason and observation, make unlimited progress
Cosmopolitanism: Engaged cities of diverse world, not close minded people
Key ideas that came out of the Enlightenment
Reason: Informed thinking
Faith in Nature: Natural laws governed the universe and human society
Happiness: Thought happiness was a birthright, as medieval thinking is depressive and wait for salvation
Progress: Laws of economics and government
Liberty: Removed restriction on Human liberty, intellectual freedom, and free expression
Toleration: Complete religious toleration
what is Deism
God was a cosmic watchmaker who created universe, and let it run according to natural laws
What is the freemasonary
Exclusive society that sought power over parts of the government
Enlightened Absolutism in Russia
Catherine the great (1762-1796): Educated in Enlightenment ideas. She questioned serfdom, torture, capital punishment. Created and educational system. However, she dominated Poland and Crimea, and divided it or elected nobles, giving them more power. Worse conditions for peasant than before
Joseph II of Austria
Habsburg ruler (1765-1790): Peasant could moved wherever, work anywhere, and marry whomever. Religious freedom for non Catholic.
Frederick II of Prussia
Modernized state (1740-1786): Free speech and press, no torture unless for treason and murder. Religious freedom. Forced aristocrat to serve (Junkers). Serfs Could not rise up anymore in army.
Rene Descartes
(1596-1650): Said mind and body are separate and famous for (“I think, therefore I am” Emphasized reason and mathematics in scientific method
Denis Diderot
1715-1780:Co-editing the Encyclopedie. Believed ffreedom of thought, and advocated for empiricism, reason, and secularism
Voltaire
(1690-1770): Criticism for religious intolerance, absolute monarchy. Promoted freedom of speech, religious toleration, and separation of church and state
Mary Wollstonecraft
(1760-1800): Work on Women rights: Wrote Vindicaiton of the Rights of Women, arguing women have equal education and opportunities as men. Advocated for gender equality. Criticized men for using power to keep women in inferior roles
Baron de Montesquieu
(1690-1750)Separation of powers, executive, legislative, and judicial. Criticized absolute monarchy.
John Locke
(1630-1700): Wrote Two Treaties of Government, that all individual have natural rights. Social contract, government are formed by consent of the governed and have to protect natural rights. Advocated for limited government, individual freedom, and separation of powers.
