What is Enlightenment

Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! [dare to know] “Have courage to use your own understanding!”

The Enlightenment

• Influenced by the Scientific Revolution's Methodology
• Applying rationalism to all areas of human life
• 18th Century or 1700s
• Influenced a reorganization of political and social life

Philosophes

Salons

Salons

• Gathering places for Enlightenment thinkers
• Public places of conversation and debate between equals
• Often run by women, salonnières
• Women could achieve an education outside of the Academy

Voltaire

Voltaire

• Criticized organized religion
• Supported religious toleration
• Freedom of expression
• Frequently exiled and his books banned

Montesquieu

Montesquieu

• Studied all the governments of history
• 3 Branches, each would check the other's power
• No person corrupted by power could ruin it
• Inspired by England's Constitutional Monarchy

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Rousseau

• Government should express the General Will 
• Direct Democracy - Majority's will is the law
• Believed that people were inherently good
• But corrupted by society and inequality

L'Encyclopédie

Denis Diderot

• Edited the Encyclopedia
• 1st Encyclopedia to emphasize human reason over theology
• 1st to Include contributions from many authors
• Took Diderot 25 years to publish