The Enlightenment

1818thth Century Intellectual Century Intellectual MovementMovement

What Was the What Was the Enlightenment?Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in Europe during the 18in Europe during the 18thth century that led to century that led to a whole new world view. Started in France.a whole new world view. Started in France.

The Scientific The Scientific RevolutionRevolution

The Enlightenment grew largely out of the new methods and discoveries achieved in the Scientific Revolution

The equatorial armillary, used for navigation on ships

Enlightenment Enlightenment PrinciplesPrinciples

Religion, Religion, tradition, and tradition, and superstition superstition limited limited independent independent thoughtthought

Accept Accept knowledge based knowledge based on observation, on observation, logic, and reason, logic, and reason, not on faithnot on faith

A meeting of French Enlightenment thinkers

Enlightenment Enlightenment ThinkersThinkers These thinkers These thinkers

believed that believed that human reason human reason could be used to could be used to combat combat ignorance, ignorance, superstition, and superstition, and tyranny and to tyranny and to build a better build a better world. world.

Enlightenment TargetsEnlightenment Targets

The Catholic The Catholic ChurchChurch

Monarchy (King)Monarchy (King)

Focused on Man’s Focused on Man’s CreativityCreativity

Some of them Some of them claimed that humans claimed that humans were like God, were like God, created not only in created not only in his image, but with a his image, but with a share of his creative share of his creative power. The painter, power. The painter, the architect, the the architect, the musician, and the musician, and the scholar, by exercising scholar, by exercising their intellectual their intellectual powers, were powers, were fulfilling divine fulfilling divine purposes.purposes.

Challenged Church Challenged Church AuthorityAuthority In the 16th century, In the 16th century,

various humanists various humanists had begun to ask had begun to ask dangerous questions. dangerous questions.

Many challenged the Many challenged the Church's authority,Church's authority, ridiculing many ridiculing many religious doctrines as religious doctrines as absurd.absurd.

The Scientific The Scientific RevolutionRevolution In 1632, Galileo In 1632, Galileo

Galilei used logic, Galilei used logic, reinforced with reinforced with observation, to observation, to argue for argue for Copernicus’ idea Copernicus’ idea that the earth that the earth rotates on its axis rotates on its axis around the sun. around the sun.

Church OppositionChurch Opposition

The Church objected that The Church objected that the Bible clearly stated that the Bible clearly stated that the sun moved through the the sun moved through the sky and denounced Galileo's sky and denounced Galileo's teachings, forcing him to teachings, forcing him to recant what he had written recant what he had written and preventing him from and preventing him from teaching further.teaching further.

However, the Church could However, the Church could not prevent the advance of not prevent the advance of science.science.

CensorshipCensorship

All publications, All publications, whether whether pamphlets or pamphlets or scholarly scholarly volumes, were volumes, were subject to prior subject to prior censorship by censorship by both church and both church and state. state.

DespotismDespotism

The despotism of The despotism of monarchs (have monarchs (have absolute power) was absolute power) was supported by the supported by the doctrine of the "divine doctrine of the "divine right of kings," and right of kings," and scripture quoted to scripture quoted to show that revolution show that revolution was detested by God. was detested by God.

Many started to resent Many started to resent this idea.this idea.

New Core ValuesNew Core Values

The general trend The general trend was clear: was clear: individualism, individualism, freedom and freedom and change replaced change replaced community, community, authority, and authority, and tradition as core tradition as core European values.European values.

ResistanceResistance Europeans were Europeans were

changing, but changing, but Europe's Europe's institutions were not institutions were not keeping pace with keeping pace with that change. that change.

The Church insisted The Church insisted that it was the only that it was the only source of truth and source of truth and that all who lived that all who lived outside its bounds outside its bounds would be would be condemned. condemned.

Middle Class Middle Class ResentmentResentment The middle classes The middle classes

were painfully were painfully aware that they aware that they were paying taxes were paying taxes to support a to support a fabulously fabulously expensive expensive aristocracy which aristocracy which contributed contributed nothing of value to nothing of value to society. society.

Enlightenment in Enlightenment in EnglandEngland Great Britain developed its own Great Britain developed its own

Enlightenment, fostered by Enlightenment, fostered by thinkers like John Locke and thinkers like John Locke and David Hume. David Hume.

Enlightenment in AmericaEnlightenment in America

Meanwhile, across the Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, many of the Atlantic, many of the intellectual leaders of the intellectual leaders of the American colonies were American colonies were drawn to the drawn to the Enlightenment. Enlightenment. – Jefferson, Washington, Jefferson, Washington,

Franklin, and Paine were Franklin, and Paine were powerfully influenced by powerfully influenced by Enlightenment thought. Enlightenment thought.