The Enlightenment

“Age of Reason”
 Learning Objective

► Students will be
able to define the
Enlightenment and
key vocabulary, and
identify the
historical roots of
this time period.
 Key Vocabulary
► Enlightenment: a period during the 1600s
and 1700s in which educated Europeans
changed their outlook on life by seeing
reason as the key to human progress.
► Age of Reason: another name for the
Enlightenment
► Salons: in France, a simple meeting of
philosophers to discuss ideas during the
Enlightenment
► Philosopher: a scholar or thinker
► Reason: Using logical thinking, not
superstition
 Roots of the Enlightenment
► The Enlightenment grew out of the
Renaissance, Reformation, and the
Scientific Revolution.
► What’s the same?: Like all of these
other movements, much Enlightenment
thinking challenged accepted beliefs.
► What’s new?: Enlightenment
philosophers wanted to use the ideas
and reason of the Scientific Revolution
for problems in government and
society.
 Think/Pair/Share
• In what ways are the periods of the
Renaissance, Reformation, and Scientific
Revolution similar to the Enlightenment?
• A’s share with B’s
• B’s share with A’s
• I will now choose someone to explain to
the class.
• Ans: They are similar because they all
challenged accepted beliefs.
 Think/Pair/Share
• In what new areas did Enlightenment
philosophers want to use reason?
• B’s share with A’s
• A’s share with B’s
• I will now choose someone to explain to
the class.
• Ans: They wanted to use reason for
problems in government and society.
 Light out of the Darkness
►A Frenchman, Bernard de Fontenelle,
expressed this optimistic faith in
reason and progress. In 1702, he
wrote that the new century “will
become more enlightened day by day,
so that all previous centuries will be
lost in darkness by comparison.”
 The Salons
► In France, thinkers called philosophes
(French for “philosophers”) championed the
idea of reason in government.
► Philosophers often gathered in informal
meetings, called salons. There they
exchanged and debated ideas for hours.
► Many salons were organized by women.
Gatherings like these helped to shape and
spread the ideas of the Enlightenment.
► Think/Pair/Share: Describe the purpose of a
salon.
 Why is this important?
► Many of our own ideas
about government, such
as the Declaration of
Independence and the
American Constitution
got their ideas directly
from the Enlightenment.
► In fact, many of
America’s founding
fathers studied the
ideas of the
Enlightenment thinkers
during the American
Revolution. Left to right:
Benjamin Franklin, John
Adams, Thomas Jefferson
 Whiteboard
• Which of these was greatly influenced by
the Enlightenment?
A. The mandate of Heaven
B. The Magna Carta
C. The Catholic Church
D. The American Revolution
 Whiteboard
• Which of these was greatly influenced by
the Enlightenment?

D. The American Revolution

What a concept!
► Enlightenment
thinkers rejected
authority and upheld
the freedom of
individuals to think
for themselves.

► Rene Descartes: “I
think, therefore I
am.”
 Enlightenment and
Government
► Enlightenment thinkers criticized accepted
ideas about government. Some questioned the
medieval belief in the divine right of kings
[the idea that God chose a country’s king, and
that the king got his authority from God.]
► Many Enlightenment thinkers stressed
individual rights that governments must
respect.
► Enlightenment thinkers also felt that people
should have a say in their government.
 Whiteboard
• What old, medieval concept about
government did Enlightenment thinkers
reject?
• Divine Right of Kings
• Name one thing they did believe about
government:
• Possible answers: Individual rights,
people having a say in government.
 Enlightenment and Religion
► Enlightenment thinkers believed
humans were capable of discovering
truth for themselves.
► Many believed in an all powerful deity
(or God), but not in a specific church
or holy book. Some called themselves
Deists [Dee-ists].
► Right and Wrong should be based on
rational insight.
 Whiteboard
• In what way was the Enlightenment similar
to the Scientific Revolution?
A. BOTH focused on government and society
B. BOTH highly valued reason and
observation.
C. BOTH denied the existence of God.
D. BOTH were unimportant.
 Whiteboard
• In what way was the Enlightenment similar
to the Scientific Revolution?

B. BOTH highly valued reason and

observation.
 Whiteboard closing questions

• What is another name for Enlightenment?

• Age of Reason
• Where would people meet to discuss ideas during the
Enlightenment?
• A salon
• What is the period during the 1600s and 1700s in which
educated Europeans changed their outlook on life by
seeing reason as the key to human progress?
• The Enlightenment
• The Enlightenment took the reason of the Scientific
Revolution and used it for_________
• Government
 Learning Objective

► Students will be
able to describe the
ideas of major
Enlightenment
thinkers.

► Fill
out the chart as
the presentation
progresses.
Thomas Hobbes
► Hobbes believed people are
naturally selfish, cruel, and
greedy.
► In 1651, he published a book
called Leviathan. In this book, he
wrote that people are driven by a
restless desire for power.
► Without laws, people would
always be in conflict.
► In such a “state of nature”, life
would be “nasty, brutish, and
short.”
► His idea: Governments were
created to protect people from
their own selfishness.
 Hobbes continued….
► Later Enlightenment thinkers might
not have agreed with Hobbes…
► But, he was important because he was
one of the first thinkers to apply
reason to the problem of politics
► His ideas may sound harsh, but it was
based on his own observations of
human nature and reasoning.
 Think/Pair/Share
• Hobbes’ ideas are based on the idea that
people are naturally selfish. Do you agree
with this? Why or why not?
• What does Hobbes mean when he said
that if there was no government, life would
be “nasty, brutish, and short.”?
• Do you agree with this idea? Tell your
partner why or why not. Be prepared to
share your answer with the class.
 Add these definitions to your
vocabulary list
► Social Contract: an agreement between
people and their government, in which
people give up some things in return for the
benefit of having government.
► Natural rights: rights that people have
simply for being human.
► Bill of rights: a list of basic rights a
government must protect.
► Constitutional Monarchy: a form of
government in which the king’s power is
limited by a basic set of laws, or
Constitution.
 Think/Pair/Share
• Look at the definition for natural rights.
With your partner, list as many rights as
you can think of on your whiteboards that
you believe people have just for being
human.
John Locke: Social Contract and
Natural Rights
► He wrote Two Treatises of
Government in 1690.
► He believed the purpose of
government was to protect
people’s natural rights. He
said government should
protect,” his life, liberty, and
property—against the injuries
and attempts of other men.”
► His idea: The true basis of
government was a social
contract between people and
their government. If the
government didn’t respect
people’s rights, it could be
John Locke: Social Contract and
Natural Rights
► In exchange protection, people gave
government the power to rule on their
behalf. We call this idea the “consent
of the governed.”
► Lasting Impact: the idea that
government could be overthrown if it
failed to respect people’s rights had
wide influence and was ultimately
echoed in the American Declaration of
Independence.
 Locke’s ideas in England
► Locke was in favor of constitutional
monarchies. This meant laws or a
constitution limited the power of the
monarchs (or kings).
► In 1689, the English set down a new
set of rules called the English Bill of
Rights. This strengthened the power of
the people and their representatives in
Parliament (an English congress.)
 Whiteboard
• The following ideas come from the
Declaration of Independence and the U.S.
Constitution's Bill of Rights. Which most
closely relates to the work of John Locke?
• A. speedy and public trial
• B. innocent until proven guilty
• C. life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness
• D. Freedom of speech and the press
 Whiteboard
• The following ideas come from the
Declaration of Independence and the U.S.
Constitution's Bill of Rights. Which most
closely relates to the work of John Locke?

• C. life, liberty and the pursuit of

happiness
 Whiteboard
• Approved in 1689, the new set of rights for
Parliament and the English people were
set down in the

• A. Magna Carta
• B. Orders of Parliament
• C. Laws of William & Mary
• D. English Bill of Rights
 Whiteboard
• Approved in 1689, the new set of rights for
Parliament and the English people were
set down in the

D. English Bill of Rights

 Montesquieu: Separation of
Powers
► Like Locke, Montesquieu was concerned
with how to protect liberty from a bad
government.
► He Wrote The Spirit of Laws in 1748. In this
book, he described how governments should
be organized.
► His idea: The separation of powers: By
dividing different powers among more than
one branch of government, no one group in
the government could grow too powerful.
 Montesquieu continued….
► Each branch of government checked the other
branches. When powers were not separated
this way, Montesquieu warned, liberty was
soon lost. He said: “When the legislative and
executive powers are united in the same
person…, there can be no liberty.”
► Lasting Impact: He greatly influenced the
men who wrote the U.S. Constitution. We now
have a separate legislative (Congress), judicial
(courts), and executive (President) branch.
 Whiteboard
If Baron de Montesquieu were to visit the
United States today, he might be most
pleased to see the

• A. Bill of Rights.
• B. Three branches of government.
• C. Government-run tax system.
• D. Declaration of Independence.
 Whiteboard
If Baron de Montesquieu were to visit the
United States today, he might be most
pleased to see the

• B. Three branches of government.

 Whiteboard Closing Questions
• What is it called when the people give up certain powers in return
for the benefits of government?
• A social contract
• What are rights that you have simply for being human?
• Natural rights
• What did Locke say these natural rights included?
• Life, Liberty, Property
• When we split the powers of government among three branches,
what is this called?
• Separation of Powers
• Who came up with that idea?
• Montesquieu
• If the government becomes corrupt, what does Locke say to do?
• Overthrow the government
Voltaire: Religious tolerance
and free speech
► Voltaire was an Enlightenment
writer.
► His most famous novel was
Candide, in which he poked fun
at old religious ideas.
► Voltaire was especially
concerned with freedom of
thought and expression.
► His idea: He had a strong
belief in religious tolerance and
free speech. Tolerance
means the acceptance of
different beliefs and customs.
 Voltaire Continued…
► Voltaire said, “I disapprove of what
you say, but I will defend to the death
your right to say it.”
► Lasting Impact: Voltaire met Benjamin
Franklin, and when the U.S. Bill of
Rights was written, the ideas of
freedom of religion and freedom of
speech were added to our 1st
amendment to the Constitution.
 Think/Pair/Share
• What does Voltaire mean when he says, “I
disapprove of what you say, but I will
defend to the death your right to say it.”?
• Do you agree with Voltaire? Why or why
not?
 Whiteboard
• Which of the following statements would
most likely have been made by Voltaire?
A. "The king needs absolute power."
B. "The government protects people's natural
rights."
C. "We should do away with the death penalty."
D. "People must be free to speak their minds."
 Whiteboard
• Which of the following statements would
most likely have been made by Voltaire?

D. "People must be free to speak their minds."

Cesare Beccaria: The Rights of
the Accused
► In the Middle Ages,
torture of criminals
was common. The
rack was often used,
as well as devices
like thumbscrews.
► Beccaria, an Italian,
wrote a book called
On Crimes and
Punishments in
which he argued
against brutal
punishments.
 Beccaria continued….
► His ideas: A person accused of a crime should
receive a fair and speedy trial. Torture should
never be used. Capital Punishment (death
sentences) should be done away with.
► “For a punishment to be just it, should consist
of only such gradations of intensity as to
suffice to deter men from committing crimes.”
This means that “punishment should fit the
crime” and not be more than necessary to
stop someone else from doing it again.
 Think/Pair/Share
• How were Beccaria’s ideas different from
the usual ways of treating prisoners in the
Middle Ages?
• What does the phrase, “the punishment
should fit the crime,” mean to you?
• Do you think this is important? Why or
why not?
 Beccaria’s impact
► Beccaria’s ideas were adopted straight
into our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. In
fact our 8th amendment prevents
“cruel and unusual punishment” for
crimes, and our 6th amendment
provides for a speedy trial. (The only
exception is the Death Penalty, which
we still have in the United States
today.)
 Whiteboard closing questions
• What freedoms did Voltaire want for the people?
• Freedom of Religion and Speech
• What types of punishments was Beccaria
against?
• Torture and excessive punishment
• Where can we see examples of Voltaire’s ideas
in America?
• Bill of Rights, 1st ammendment
• What idea of Beccaria’s did the U.S. NOT use?
• Getting rid of the death penalty
 Learning Objective
► Students will be
able to describe
how democratic
thoughts and
governments were
influenced by the
Enlightenment.
Impact of the Enlightenment on
Government
► Modern views of government owe a
great deal to Enlightenment thinkers.
The Enlightenment influenced
monarchs in Europe, especially
"enlightened despots," and greatly
affected revolutions in America and
France.
 Enlightened Rule by
Monarchs
► Despot: a king or other ruler with absolute,
unlimited power.
► The Enlightenment did not change Europe
overnight. Many countries still had kings.
Some of them became “enlightened
despots” by using enlightenment ideas in
their countries.
► Examples: Some kings ended the use of
torture, started universities, and used
religious tolerance. They wanted to keep
the people happy without losing their power.
 The American and French
Revolutions

► BothAmerica and France had revolutions

overthrowing their kings. However, the
revolution in France was much more violent.
 Whiteboard
• The Enlightenment led to revolutions in
which two countries?
A. America and France
B. France and Ireland
C. England and Italy
D. America and Spain
 Whiteboard
• The Enlightenment led to revolutions in
which two countries?
A. America and France
 The Enlightenment in
America
► Enlightenment ideas had a major influence
on the leaders of the American Revolution.
English leaders in America shared with John
Locke the traditions of the Magna Carta and
the English Bill of Rights.
► When the Americans rebelled in 1775, they
pointed to the abuse of their rights by the
English king.
► The Declaration of Independence echoed
Locke’s ideas on natural rights and the
purpose of government.
“We the People”
► Other Enlightenment
ideas can be seen in the
U.S. Constitution.
America’s basic law
includes Montesquieu’s
idea of separation of
powers.
► The Bill of Rights
protects the freedom of
religion and speech
championed by Voltaire.
It also includes some of
the rights supported by
Beccaria, such as the
right to a speedy trial.
 Think/Pair/Share
• Name two Enlightenment ideas that are
included in our Declaration of
Independence, Constitution or Bill of
Rights.
• Which Enlightenment idea do you think is
the most important for us to follow in
America today? Why do you think that?
 Enlightenment in France
► In1789, revolution broke out in
France. The National Assembly
adopted the Declaration of Rights of
Man and Citizen. This document
talked about liberty and equality. It
upheld the rights to own property, and
freedom of speech and religion.
Violence of the French
Revolution
► Soon, however, terrible
violence erupted.
Thousands of wealthy
Frenchmen and
members of the Royal
family were beheaded
on the guillotine.
► Guillotine: a machine
that cut off people’s
heads by dropping a
sharp blade.
► The bloody chaos
brought a strange end
to the Enlightenment
dream based on reason.
 Learning Objective
► Students will be
able to list the
contributions of
women to the
Enlightenment.
Women of the Enlightenment
► Several women, such as Madame
Geoffrin, Abigail Adams, Olympe de
Gouges, and Mary Wollstonecraft,
worked to extend ideas of liberty and
equality to women.
► Once the ideas of the Enlightenment
were expressed, women wanted these
rights as well as men.
 Whiteboard
• What was at the heart of women’s
contributions to the Enlightenment?
A. They wanted the abolition of slavery
B. They wanted women to have the same
rights as men
C. They wanted women to be absolute ruler
D. They wanted a separation of powers
 Whiteboard
• What was at the heart of women’s
contributions to the Enlightenment?

B. They wanted women to have the same

rights as men
 French Enlightenment
Women
► Madame Geoffrin used her home for many of
the salon meetings in France. She not only
hosted the meetings, but often directed the
conversations and settled arguments.
► Olympe de Gouges published the female
version of the document of the French
Revolution. She called it the Declaration of
the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.
She called for equality in all things. When she
spoke out against the bloodshed of the
French Revolution, they sent her to the
guillotine.
 Think/ Pair/Share
• Who were the two famous French women
of the Enlightenment?
Abigail Adams
► Wife to John Adams,
who was a leader of the
American Revolution
and later President.
► She reminded John not
to forget women in the
Revolution.
“Remember, all men
would be tyrannts if
they could. If particular
care and attention is
not paid to the Ladies,
we are determined to
start a rebellion…we
will not hold ourselves
bound to any Laws in
which we have no
Mary Wollstonecraft
► An English writer. In
1792, she argued that
women deserved the
same rights and
opportunities as men.
► Wollstonecraft believed
education was the key
for women wanting
equality and freedom.
She inspired many later
leaders of the women’s
rights movement in
America.
 Think/ Pair/Share
• List the contributions of Mary
Wollstonecraft.