Download The Enlightenment

Age of Reason
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(18th century Enlightenment)
Natural laws apply
to government as
well as science!
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Rights to Life,
Liberty, and
Property
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A FAIR society is based on
REASON, not “Divine Right”
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The Enlightenment
Approximately 1680-1790 where
thinkers and writers, mainly in
London and Paris, believed that
they were more enlightened than
those around them and set out to
enlighten them.
Comes directly from the Humanists
of the Renaissance.
► Humanists
 Man is
intelligent and
can think and
act for himself.
► Enlightenment
Philosophers
 Human reason can be
used to combat
ignorance, superstition,
and tyranny and to
build a better world.
 The major things that
they were angry with
were religion and the
society where people
were important based
on birth rather than
ability.
The Enlightenment
The Middle Class
► The
Middle Class grew out of the
Renaissance trade.
► No longer was it just those that were born
with money that had money.
► Wanted to change the world they lived in.
The Philosopher Behind the Age
► Thomas
Hobbes
► 1660 – Wrote the Leviathan
(Giant)
► Discussed the perfect
government
► People first lived in
anarchy
► Needed a “social contract”
► Required an absolute
monarch to maintain order
► People retained the right
only to maintain their lives.
England - Pathway to Revolution
1603-1689
I (1558-1603) –
Absolute ruler of England.
► Kept Parliament on her
side.
► Stabilized the nation and
expanded British territory.
► Died without an heir.
► Country had to decide
who would replace her.
► Elizabeth
England - Pathway to Revolution
1603-1689
France – Louis XIV
Ruled 1643 - 1715
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Called himself the Sun King
Believed in divine right.
“L’etat, c’est moi.” I am the
state.
Made French army the
strongest in Europe
France was the wealthiest
country in Europe under
Louis XIV
Louis XIV spent huge
amounts of money
Built Versailles.
France – Louis XIV
Versailles
Expanded from a hunting
lodge in 1669.
► Became the symbol to
European monarchs of the
wealth and power of the
king of France.
► Seat of French government
for over 100 years.
► Its upkeep consumed as
much as 25% of the
income of France.
►
Versailles
All of the following photos of Versailles come from the following
site. http://www.virtourist.com/europe/versailles/
Versailles
The Hall of Mirrors
Chateau of Versailles, the
Chapel Royal
Apartment of the King,
Bedchamber
Crusades Rooms
State Apartments, Mars Drawing room
Gardens
Bringing water to these fountains
has always been a problem.
Already in times of the King Sun
there were plans to bring the water
from the Rhone River --this river
lies more than 200 km from
Versailles. 120 miles of channels
and aqueducts are currently
necessary to bring the 32 fountains
of the Versailles gardens to live.
Gardens
The Middle Class
► Called
the Bourgeoisie
► Middle Class status (not born into higher
class) but quite wealthy.
► They are angry that they are paying taxes
to support an expensive aristocracy.
 The ruling class that was made up a small
amount of wealthy individuals.
► They
saw that the aristocracy was not
willing to share power with those who were
working to earn the country’s money.
France
► Enlightenment
took hold in France where
the 3rd Estate was frustrated because they
were paying higher and higher taxes each
year to support King Louis XVI and his
followers who were doing nothing but living
the high life at Versailles.
Enlightenment Philosophers
► John
Locke
►England
►Purpose of government is to protect
god given rights such as life, liberty
and property.
►Rulers should stay in power only as
long as they have the consent of the
people they govern
► Voltaire
►France
►Freedom of speech is important
►“I do not agree with a word you say
but I will defend to the death your
right to say it”
Enlightenment Philosophers
► Jean
Jacques Rousseau
 Switzerland
 Government should be a contract
between people, not between people
and a ruler.
 People are equal and have a right to
individual freedoms.
► Thomas
Jefferson
 Used many Enlightenment ideas in
the Declaration of Independence.
 Believed that the success of
democracy depended upon the
reasoned decisions of voters.
How does this lead to Revolution?
► The
purpose of government is to protect
rights.
► If it fails to do that than the people can and
should revolt and set up a new government.
► Discovery
Ed Video
► https://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/
view/assetGuid/13418BCA-FCBE-49B6A37C-C4B457BCB067