Enlightenment in Europe

Kaitlyn SilverWilliam Fanning

Age of Reason

• 1700s• General traits: realism, logical thinking, society

reforms, advancements in science, and development of “high art”

• Began in France• Cultivated because it was believed that human

reason could be used to combat superstition, ignorance, and tyranny in an effort to create a new and better world. Main target was religion (Catholic Church)

France

• Anti-Government & Anti-Church• Schools in most European countries were

traditionalists– Exception in France was the Montpellier medical

university

Russia

• Catherine the Great sought to actively encourage the promotion of the arts & sciences.

• Pushed for modernization of Russian life• Focused on problems with serfdom• 1st Russian university, library, theatre, public

museum, & independent press created

Poland

• Constitution of 1791 modeled on Enlightenment ideals

• Lasted for only one year before country was split up by neighbors; perhaps most notably would be Catherine the Great, who imposed Russian rule upon Poland following the two Russo-Turkish Wars (1768-1774, 1787-1792).

Spain

• Charles 3rd sought to weaken the Church w/reforms

• Promote science and university research, encourage trading, modernize farming, and avoid wars

• However he sent country into extreme debt

Germany

• Leaders based in universities– Most Euro countries’ schools were traditionalists

• Focus on spiritualism & nationality– Friedrich Schiller’s plays helped develop Germany’s nationalism.– Perhaps one of his most famous plays was Die Rauber in 1782. It is

about a noble man named Charles Moor who dares to dream outside the boundaries of moral scripture that was Germany at the time. The underlying theme of this play was about how it is to be justified to do whatever it takes to fulfill your goals, by any means necessary; This belief would eventually serve as the backbone for Germany.

• German music sponsored by high-class same as artists & inventors in Italy– Became separate from France’s definition of “high art”

John Locke

• Philosopher, physician, scholar, economist, etc• A Letter Concerning Toleration

– Argues for separation of church and state• Two Treatises of Civil Government

– Among other arguments, he pushes for the right to rebel against a tyrannical government

– First Treatise aims to refute the belief of divine right within monarchies.

– Second Treatise acted as a counter-balance to the First in that he provided both the positive and necessary purposes for a government; his reasoning being so that people didn’t think that any governing authority was the root of all evil and causing a riot-filled uproar.

Isaac Newton

• Inventor, physicist, astronomer, mathematician, natural philosopher, alchemist, theologian– Invented, designed, & constructed the reflecting

telescope• Developed calculus• Philosophie Naturilis Principia Mathematica– Describes his theory of gravitation & the three

laws of motion

European Enlightenment spreads to America

Sources

• Wikipedia• http://oregonstate.edu• http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu• http://public.wsu.edu/~

brians/hum_303/enlightenment.html• http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/#

TwoTreGov• http://

www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/People/catherin.html