Chapter 5 Section 1

Philosophy in the Age of Reason

SE YOUNG LEE
DONG JOON KIM
HEIDI LEE
SOO SEOB SHIN
LINDA CHOI

Scientific Revolution Sparks the Enlightenment

The Scientific Revolution (1500s-1600s)
Leads to the Enlightenment
Natural Law- Rules discoverable by reason
Immanuel Kant (German philosopher)
The Critique of Pure Reason

Hobbes and Locke Have Conflicting Views

THOMAS HOBBES
Leviathan

People are born cruel, greedy, and selfish

Strictly controlled or chaos

Social Contract- Agreement by in which people gave up their freedom to
escape brutal life

JOHN LOCKE
Natural Rights- rights that belong to all humans from birth.
Two Treatises of Government

Governments are formed to protect peoples natural rights

People can abolish a government if it fails its obligations or violates the
peoples natural rights

American Revolution

The Philosophes
BARON DE MONTESQUIEU
Studied governments of Europe
Read about Ancient and Medieval Europe
Studied Chinese and Native American culture
The Spirit of the Laws
Governments throughout history
Government Branches; Legislative, Executive,
Judicial

The Philosophes
FRANCOIS-MARIE AROUET (VOLTAIRE)
Targeted corrupt officials and idle aristocrats
Battled inequality, justice, superstition
Hated slave trade, deplored religious prejudice
Offended the Catholic Church and French
government
Imprisoned and forced to exile
Burned and outlawed books
Still defended the principle of freedom of speech

The Philosophes
DENIS DIDEROT
Encyclopedia (28-volume set of books)
Compilation of articles
Wanted to change the general way of thinking
Explained ideas on topics
Informed about slavery, praised freedom of expression, and
wanted education for everyone
Attacked divine-right and traditional religions
French government and the Church considered it as a threat
The Encyclopedia helped spread Enlightenment ideas

The Philosophes
JEAN-JAQUE ROUSSEAU
Natural state of people was good
Natural innocence was corrupted by the evils of society
Unequal distribution of property
Adaptation if his views; Thomas Paine and Marquis de
Lafayette
The Social Contract
Too many limitations on peoples behavior

Minimal controls
Only freely elected governments should impose these controls
Faith general will

The Philosophes
WOMAN CHALLENGE THE PHILOSOPHES
Slogan Free and Equal did not apply to women
Women had natural rights. However, they were
limited to the areas of home & family
Protest
Germaine de Stael (France)
Catherine Macaulay & Mary Wollstonecraft (Britain)
Women are being excluded from the Social Contract
Arguments were rejected/ridiculed by people

The Philosophes
MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
British Social Critic
Womans first duty be a good mother
Women should be able to decide their own interest
independently
Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Equal education for both genders
Only education could let women participate equally
with men in public life

New Economic Thinking

French Thinkers = Physiocrats

Focused in Economic Reforms

Based on Natural Laws

Rational economic system was based on natural rights and
economics
Rejected Mercantilism
Required government regulation of the economy to achieve a
favorable balance of trade
Laissez Faires Policy
Businesses can operate with little or no government interference
Supported opposed tariffs and free trade

Adam Smith
Scottish economist that admired the physiocrats

The wealth of Nations

Free Market should be able to regulate business activity
Market forces are linked to trade, manufacturing, profits,
and economic growth
Demand for goods/services suppliers would seek to meet
that demand to gain profits
Strong supporter of Laissez Faire
However, he believed that the government had the duty to
protect society, administer justice & provide public works