Download Causes of the Enlightenment

Causes of the Enlightenment
Renaissance & Reformation
Scientific Revolution
Absolutism
Renaissance (Rebirth)
• The Medici family controlled the city states of
Milan and Florence in what is now Italy
because they owned the banks and controlled
trade and the arts.
• Art and literature of the Middle Ages focused
primarily on Christianity. The ruins of Rome
and Greece encouraged people to rediscover
the classics.
Humanism (individualism)
• An intellectual movement that focused on
human potential and achievement. This part
of society was secular or worldly, most
remained devout Catholic.
• Renaissance men were scholars of the
humanities (hist., lit., phil.) and artists.
• Renaissance women did not create but were
patrons of the arts.
Renaissance Art
• Painters used PERSPECTIVE which shows three
dimensions on flat surface.
• Realistic portraits showed what was distinctive
about people (Mona Lisa by da Vinci).
Sculpture showed natural expression and
posture (David by Donatello).
Renaissance Literature
• Modern writing emerged from this period.
Dante and others began to write in the
vernacular, a native or local dialect rather
than Latin. Petrarch (father of Renaissance
humanism) wrote sonnets. Machiavelli wrote
“The Prince” which examines human
imperfection and how a ruler can maintain
power despite his enemies.
Renaissance Spreads
• Johann Gutenberg developed the printing
press which allowed for education and ideas
to spread rapidly.
• Renaissance led to several changes in the Arts
and Society all over Europe.
The Northern Renaissance
• Artistic ideas spread to northern Europe
• Flemish painter Van Eyck used oils.
• Northern writers tried to reform society.
Christian Humanist Erasmus poked fun at the
ills of society. Thomas More wrote Utopia
where greed, corruption and war no longer
exists.
Elizabethan England
• Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) was well
educated, spoke four languages and did a lot
to support art and literature.
• Shakespeare used many ideas of the
Renaissance in his writing of plays and poetry.
Causes of the Reformation
• Renaissance humanism and secularism led
people to question the church.
• Powerful Monarchs challenged the church and
the pope.
• Church leaders became corrupt and were
selling indulgences.
Martin Luther leads reform
• Luther disagreed with many principles of the
Catholic church and posted his 95 Theses on a
Wittenberg church.
• Luther refused to recant his ideas and was
excommunicated by the Pope. He began the
Lutheran church. The term Protestant was
applied to a Christian who belonged to a nonCatholic church.
Other Protestant Churches
• John Calvin- Calvinism (Presbyterian)
believed in Predestination.
• Henry VIII- Anglicanism (Methodist ,
Baptist, Episcopalian, Pentecostal). He
wanted a divorce b/c his wife didn’t give
him a son. When the pope denied a
divorce, he created the Anglican church for
England. Led to later struggles over religion
in Britain.
Catholic Church Reforms
• The rise of protestants made Catholics need
for reform. Ignatius Loyola began the Jesuits
or the Catholic Reformation.
• Council of Trent-Catholic bishops and cardinals
agree on several doctrines led by Popes Paul
III & Paul IV.
Scientific Revolution
Perception of Universe
• Aristotle pictured a
Geocentric Universe
(Earth Centered)
 Supported by
Ptolemy A.D. 100
 Christians back
Idea in the Bible
Early
Heliocentric Universe
• Copernicus writes
Sun centered univ.
Rev. of the Heaven Spheres 1538
 Galileo supports
Idea Starry Messenger 1610
Conflicts w/ Church
 Kepler proves
Idea using Math
Physics and Medicine
• Isaac Newton Describes Law of Gravitation and the
Three Laws of Motion in Principia 1687
• Andreus Vesalius dissected corpses, wrote On the
Structure of the Human
• William Harvey wrote Motion of the Heart & Blood
1628. How the heart pumps blood thru veins.
Scientific Method
• Francis Bacon - rejected deductive
reasoning. Need proof thru experiments
• Rene Descarte wrote Discourse on Method.
Combined philosophy with science “I think,
therefore I am”
• Combination of their ideas led to Scientific
Method
Other Scientists
• Gabriel Fahrenheit-1st mercury/glass
thermometer, 32-212 degree scale.
• Anders Celsius- 0-100 scale thermo.
• Edward Jenner- 1st inoculation using small
pox germs.
• Robert Boyle-founded modern chemistry &
applied Sci. Method to chem.
Absolutism
• Divine Right - Kings and Queens of Europe
believed that because they were chosen by
God, they answered only to God, not their
subjects.
• By the 18th century (1700s), several monarchs
abused their divine right and claimed
“absolute” power. Absolutism, Ren., Sci. Rev.
led to the Enlightenment
Absolute Monarchs
• Phillip II Spain(1527-1598)- he expelled all
Jews and Muslims to control the religion of his
subjects. Taxed heavily.
• Louis XIV France(1643-1715)-built the Palace
of Versailles with tax $. Wars and national
debt led to poor legacy. Used divine right to
maximum.
More Absolute Monarchs
• Frederick II (the Great) Prussia (1712 - 1786)
Created a strong military state thru taxation.
Fought wars of religion.
• Peter I (the Great) Russia (1672-1725) after
Ivan the Terrible who ruled by terror, the
Romanov Dynasty began. Taxed to build
military, westernized Russia, made many
reforms.