Scientific Revolution and Englightenment

27 August 2004 (Lecture #02)

 

Laying the Foundations for Enlightenment (p495)

·    Scientific revolution spread quickly in the 18th century

 

Science Popularized – leads to revolution of action

 

Skepticism and Religion (p497)

·    With science comes doubt of some religious practices

·    France, and others, are not tolerant of dissension and persecute those who do

·    Scientists began to uncover evidence which challenged church word

·    Hume said reason demanded that people live with “skeptical uncertainty rather than dogmatic faith”

 

Broadening Criticism of Authority and Tradition (p498)

·    Writers travel abroad and write about their experiences

·    Gives those at home a new perspective

·    Some painted the era as on the “brink of unprecedented historical achievements” and urged rapid change

·    Reactionary – tries to go back to the way things were

·    Conservatism – resistance to change

·    Progressivism – want to make changes

·    Romanticism – want to change slowly and appropriately

 

The Enlightenment in Full Stride

The Philosophes (p499) (French thinkers)

·    France was the heart of the Enlightenment

·    Often extended and distributed ideas started by others

·    Hobbes – man is natrually evil but they make the pragmatic decision to band together

·    Locke – experiences make you who you are; man can develop government and ideas without the church

 

Reforming Society (501)

·    Locke wrote about how the government was to serve the people and how it needed to be limited

·    Montesquieu believed limited gov could be secured through separation of powers and checks and balances

·    Rosseau wrote that private property was the root of trouble and the need for gov – individual remains important within society

·    Reformers did not champion the lower class – most thought them ignorant; did not advocate democracy

·    Slavery denounced as irrational and inhumane

 

The Culture and Spread of the Enlightenment (506)

·    By the last quarter of the 18th century, even clergy and gov officials spread Enlightenment ideas

·    Monarchies passed Enlightenment reforms which led to more people demanding for revolutionary change

 

 

Second Treatise of Government by Locke (Lecture notes only)

·    P134: A common-wealth’s laws are at society’s consent à only gov that has legitimacy from its people

·    P139: Absolute power must still be limited by reason – it is not arbitrary à laws must still serve the common good

·    Laws are supreme – even the rulers must abide by them

·    Does not discuss how to replace government once it stops serving the common good

 

 

Social Contract by Rousseau (Lecture notes only)

·    You gain the equivalent of what you lose through union

·    Natural liberty is limited by the might of an individual and civil liberty is limited by the general will

·    There are certain things you cannot give up (life, etc.)

·    Any modification or violation of social contract reverts the people back to individuals who can construct a new system for the common good

 

·    Conclusions

o        Scientific Revolution – fundamentally changes how man sees the world – go discover the truth rather than accept tradition

o        Enlightenment – manifestation of new social and political theory

o        Locke – government for the people with their consent