ideas of change
TRANSCRIPT
IDEAS OF CHANGEEssential Questions:
1.How did the Enlightenment in Europe impact the English colonies?
2.How did/would Enlightenment philosophers and political scientists impact the development of the revolutionary ideas?
WIND OF CHANGE During the 1700s ideas of
change began to circulate in the colonies
Ideas that challenged the old view the world
Partly brought on by the effects of the falsity of the Salem witch trials
Benjamin Franklin was an outstanding enlightenment figure Embraced the idea of truth
through experimentation and reason
THE ENLIGHTENMENT The Enlightenment
Period in Europe during which philosophers, scientists, and political scientists felt reason and logic could be applied to all forms of human activity Society Government
Enlightenment ideas spread in New England Puritans supported
public education in their colonies Higher literacy rates
HISTORY IS A PROCESS
14th -17th centuries
Revival of Greek and Roman Ideas Leonardo da Vinci
16th -17th centuries Applied logic and reason to universe Isaac Newton
18th Century
Applied logic and reason to society and government
THOMAS HOBBES English philosopher
Wrote the Leviathan Talked about states and what
is a legitimate government
Developed the social contract theory Said that without government
to keep order their would be “war of every man against every man”
Best government was an absolute monarchy
To escape this existence man gave up rights to create a government and have law & order Called it a “Social Contract”
JOHN LOCKE English political scientist
Believed man could learn from the past to improve themselves
Wrote Two Treatises of Government All men are equal in state of
nature Legitimate governments
are those which have the people’s consent
Governments that rule without the consent of people can be overthrown
Said all people are born free and equal with three natural rights Life, liberty, and property
VOLTAIRE French writer and
philosopher
He fought for tolerance
Voltaire renounced religion
Claimed that 100 years from his day there would be no Bible
Believed in the separation of church and state and in religious freedom
MONTESQUIEU French ‘social commentator’
and political scientist
Studied French society and government
Saw two types of governmental power existing: The sovereign (a supreme
ruler, i.e. – King/Queen) The administrative
The administrative powers included: The executive The legislative The judicial
IMPACT OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Enlightenment
Emphasized human Reason
Led the colonists to
start to question British
authority