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TRANSCRIPT
THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Time of Great Change in Thought
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OBJECTIVES
Students will examine ideas of natural law in the Age of Reason
Students will describe how the Enlightenment affected the arts and literature
Students will analyze the events that led to the American Revolution
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VOCABULARY I
natural laws: rules of conduct discoverable by reason
natural rights: rights that belong to all humans from birth, such as life, liberty and property
social contract: an agreement by which people gave up their freedom to a powerful government in order to avoid chaos
laissez-faire: policy allowing business to operate with little or no government interference
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VOCABULARY IIphilosophe: French for “philosopher”; French thinkers who desired reform in society during the Enlightenment
salons: informal social gathering at which writers, artists, philosophes and others exchanged ideas
federal republic: government in which power is divided between the national, or federal, government and the states
popular sovereignty: basic principle of the American system of government which asserts that the people are the source of any and all governmental power, and the government can exist only with the consent of the people
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SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION SPARKS THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Scientific laws that became cemented by Newton and other scientists brought about a greater understanding of natural law
Modern philosophy is born from the discussion of what is natural when discussing human behavior
Enter the Age of Reason, a time to discuss the natural state of humanity, and the Enlightenment
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HOBBES VS. LOCKE
Thomas Hobbes wrote in 1651 Leviathan
People are naturally greedy, cruel, selfish
To avoid a life that is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” we enter into a social contract to maintain an orderly society (absolute monarchy)
John Locke would counter Hobbes in 1690 Two Treatises of Government
People formed a government to protect their natural rights
Government has an obligation to the people; people have an obligation to monitor that government
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THE PHILOSOPHIES1700s saw a flourishing of Enlightenment thinkers from France - the philosophies
Separation of powers advocated by Montesquieu: executive, legislative, judicial; checks and balances
Voltaire advocating freedom of speech
Diderot - Encyclopedia; banned for ideas
Jean-Jacques Rousseau - people are basically good; corrupted by the unequal distribution of wealth
Meeting place to discuss ideas and theories - the French salons
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ECONOMIC THINKING
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, describes an understanding of market economy
Rather than have absolute control of markets by government, businesses and consumers will act in their best interests
Policies of laissez-faire emerge
Little to no government regulation
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ENLIGHTENMENT INFLUENCE IN ART
Intellectuals influence major events; influence spreads to artistic expression
Challenge to societies ideas of ‘proper’ or ‘normal’
Sees a revolution in music, art, architecture and literature
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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BAROQUE VS. ROCOCO
Art and architecture of the time reflected changes
Louis XIV’s court featured ornate and lavish paintings that glorified battles or the lives of saints
Examples of baroque art
Louis XV was much less formal and reflected rococo styles
Lighter, elegant and charming
Meant to encourage imagination
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BAROQUE
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ROCOCO
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“ENLIGHTENED” DESPOTS
Many absolute monarchs of the time embraced ideas of the Enlightenment
Maintained strict control over their country’s, but attempted to minimize it, to some degree
Idea was to become more ‘modern’
Frederick the Great - liked Voltaire’s ideas
Government policy of tortured continued, but not as much
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ENGLISH COLONIESBritain rises as pre-eminent power - 2nd major global power (Spain: 1500s & early 1600s)
England had colonies all over the world: West Indies, India, Africa, America
Colonists in the New World build several colonies modeled after English government
Loyal to King George III from 1760 and considered themselves English subjects
Expected same rights as British subjects living in Britain
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13 COLONIES IN REVOLTGreat Britain sees all colonies as opportunity to gain financial growth
French and Indian War - drain on resources
Stamp Acts in 1765 - ability to reclaim losses
Colonists upset about ‘taxation without representation’
Issue declarations to get change
At first, England responds, but eventually grows weary of colonists complaints
Continued protests lead to growing frustration
1775 - Battle of Lexington; 1776 - Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson)
Justification found in Locke’s ideas - seek to gain popular sovereignty
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FRAMERS OF CONSTITUTION
With support of French, American’s defeat British in 1781
American’s struggle with how best to form a new government
13 independent nations or 1? Articles of Confederation
1787 - Gather in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention - drafted our Constitution
James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington
Create a government modeled as a federal republic
Power divided between federal and states; three branches - checks & balances (Montesquieu)
Defined Bill of Rights - of individuals
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