I.
Enlightenment
(height around 1750s)
A.
born
of scientific revolution
B.
essentially
said we can use scientific method on people/society to figure out and fix
societal ills
C.
Middle
ages and Reformation – concerned with religion and salvation; Renaissance –
looked back to old days of Greece/Rome; Enlightenment – look to impress the
future
D.
Secular;
preferred rational science over faith – will often clash with church
II.
Intellectual
boat-rockers
A.
writers
like Bernard de Fontenelle
1.
writer
who popularized scientific revolution for the rest of us
2.
read
as a novel
3.
skeptical
of religion and absolute truth; championed rational scientists “fighting the
good fight” against religious dogma
B.
fallout
from 30 Years War
1.
they
believed in truth and thought it worth fighting for
2.
disillusionment
rattles beliefs and breeds cynicism
3.
Pierre
Bayle – Huguenot and Louis XIV hater, writers/concludes that there can be no
for-sures
C.
travel info – new lands and cultures ask,
“Who is right and who is wrong?”
D.
John
Locke
1.
Essay Concerning
Human Understanding
2.
Second Treatise of
Government
3.
Tabula
rasa – the person is a blank slate at birth, ready to take in their environment
to develop his/her understanding
III.
Round
1 – Philosophes
A.
Thinkers,
in France, sought to spread the word to all, poor view of po’
folk
B.
Montesquier – Persian Letters, criticizes
practices/beliefs, initiated the social scienes,
separation of powers, power check, distrust uneducated
C.
Voltaire
– writer, socialite, thinker, occasional prisoner, lover of English institutions,
companion of Madame du Chatelet, said science should
be used to better society, monarchy by default, deistic, tolerance and kindness
were religion enough
D.
Diderot
and d’Alembert – The
Encyclopedia, government stops it, Catholic church forbids it, themes –
science championed, religion questioned, reason
is the tool to solve/improve
IV.
Round
2
A.
d’Holbach – atheist with a
purpose! People are machines, no free will, no God, a rather intolerance itself
B.
David
Hume – built on Locke’s tabula rasa, it’s all about experiences through the
senses, reason can’t prove anything beyond the senses
C.
Condorcet
– wild eyed optimist in Progress of the
Human Mind, 9 alleged levels, #10 was perfection, a utopia
D.
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau – suspicious, broke with philosophes and was
independent, individual freedom lover, spoke of
feelings-spontaneity-impulsiveness, not just cold calculating rationalism
(subjectivity as well as objectivity); unspoiled child; early romantic; The Social Contract and general will
E.
Books
books books and scandal!
F.
Immanuel
Kant – brilliant, but can’t understand Kant
G.
Salons,
rococo, Madame Geoffrin, intellectual place to share
thoughts