natural laws
laws that govern human nature
Enlightenment
revolution in thinking-through the use of reason, people and governments could solve every social, political, and economic problem. Heaven could be achieved on Earth.
Thomas Hobbes
Wrote Leviathan, people naturally cruel, greedy, selfish, social contract, only a powerful government could control society, in the form of absolute monarchy.
John Locke
more optimistic, rejected absolute monarchy, wrote Treatises of Government, government had obligation to the people it government, people have the right to overthrow the government
social contract
agreement by which they gave up the state of nature for an organized society, put forth by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau
natural rights
rights that belonged to all human from birth, these include the right to life, liberty, and property.
Baron de Montesquieu
wrote the Spirit of the Laws, separation of powers best way to protect liberty, came up with idea of checks and balances, studied government of Europe, sharp criticism of absolute monarchy, admired limited monarchy
philosophes
lovers of wisdom", thinkers who believed that the use of reason could lead to reforms of government, law, and society, from France
Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire)
used biting wit to expose abuses of the day, targeted corrupt officials and ideal aristocrats, he battled inequality, injustice, and superstition, detested salve trade and deplore religious prejudice, defended freedom of speech, detested by the French gov
Denis Diderot
produced a 28-volume Encyclopedia-purpose to change general way of thinking while explaining new ideas, Pope threatened to excommunicate those who read the encyclopedia...
Rousseau
most controversial philosophe, came from poor home, believed that people in their natural state were basically good, wrote The Social Contract, good of community above individuals, profound hatred of all forms of political and economic oppression
Mary Wolstonecraft
well known British social critic, women should decide what's in their own interest, only education could given women tools they need to compete with men, understanding but also critical, women do have duties, but should have right, philosophes leave them
physiocrats
thinks focused on economic reforms, looked for natural laws to define a rational economic system, rejected Mercantilism, make the land more productive
laissez faire
allowing business to operate with little or no government interference
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith argued that the free market should be allowed to regulate business activity, strong supporter of laissez faire, government has duty to protect society
How did the achievements of the Scientific Revolution contribute to the Enlightenment?
The Scientific Revolution transformed the way people in Europe looked at the world. Scientific successors convinced educated Europeans of the power of human reason. Using the methods of the new science, reformers set out to study human behavior and solve
How did the philosophes influence ideas on society and the economy ?
They applied the methods of science to better understand and improve society. They spread the idea that the use of reason could lead to reforms of government, law, and society. They spread these beliefs through articles, books, and freedom of speech.