Enlightenment

Welcome
Today we will discuss:
 4.2 the age of reason 
4.3 absolutism and Enlightenment.
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GeschiedenisMiddelbare school

This lesson contains 47 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 2 videos.

Items in this lesson

Welcome
Today we will discuss:
 4.2 the age of reason 
4.3 absolutism and Enlightenment.

Slide 1 - Slide

Lesson plan
Instruction 4.2 The age of Reason
Instruction 4.3 Enlightenment and absolutism.

Quiz

Slide 2 - Slide

What is the white thing in the symbol for this age
A
An axe
B
The gallows
C
The guillotine
D
don't know

Slide 3 - Quiz

What dates belong to this Age?
A
the 18th century
B
the 1800s
C
1800 - 1900 AD
D
the 17th century

Slide 4 - Quiz

the Time of Wigs and Revolutions
1700 - 1800
Typical Aspects:

-the Enlightenment
-the American Revolution
-slavery and abolitionism
-the French Revolution

the 18th century



Slide 5 - Slide

Learning objectives
Main question: Which new ideas developed during the Enlightenment?
  • You can explain that the Enlightenment was a new way of thinking.
  • You can name and explain three aspects of the Enlightenment.
  • You can explain what kind of criticism enlightened thinkers had on the estate-based society and the government in France.
  • You can explain the ideas of Locke, Rousseau and Montesquieu about the influence of citizens on government.
  • You can explain how rulers responded to the enlightened ideas.
  • You can explain how enlightened ideas spread.
  • You know the terms and dates of this section.

Slide 6 - Slide

Why is this important?

Slide 7 - Slide

Slide 8 - Slide

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Slide 10 - Slide

In general the time between 1700 and 1800 can be seen as the time in which citizens take power from kings
Lots of our modern ideas about rights/education/freedom are formed here
From Syria to the USA to Iran, you can still see the influence of the revolutions everywhere.

Slide 11 - Slide

So why does all this happen in this age
several reasons, main ones:

absolutism --> kings got more powerful, this pissed people off
Absolutism 2 --> kings had made normal citizens more powerful instead of nobles, new group in society, rich educated citizens
Enlightenment --> new ideas about how the world should work.

Slide 12 - Slide

The Enlightenment
  • The Enlightenment = De Verlichting
  • It was a new way of thinking that spread across Europe in the 18th century
  • It is also called "The Age of Reason"
  • It evolved from the Scientific Revolution
  • Bright thinkers believed that with the use of reason, they could solve all problems and rid the world of "dark ideas".
  • if they were succesful the world would be "enlightened".

Slide 13 - Slide

Enlightened thinkers (philosophers) used reason to hopefully improve:

  • politics ( the divine right of kings? Does that make any sense?)
  • religion ( does God exist? Can this be proven by science?)
  • economy (what economic system can make everybody wealthy, not just a small group?)
  • social issues ( poverty, inequality, criminality. Can we solve these problems by using reason and science?)
Lots of different thinkers, lots of different ideas

Slide 14 - Slide

Reason
  • In general the enlightenment stresses the importance of reasons
  • Everyone has a brain, everyone can think logically
  • The problem is that some people don't train and use it
  • The church and absolute rulers also make people lazy thinkers: "we will tell you what to think"
  • Most enligtened thinkers say that this has to stop.

Slide 15 - Slide

Slide 16 - Video


John Locke:

All people have natural rights that nobody can take away, not even a king.



Slide 17 - Slide

What would you consider to be a
BASIC RIGHT for all humans?

Slide 18 - Mind map


Voltaire


  • wrote more than two thousand books and pamphlets on all sorts of topics
  • was very critical towards the catholic church and the French king.
  • because of this he was put in prison and later exiled from France
  • his ideas were important in the French Revolution



Slide 19 - Slide


Montesquieu

  • He is famous for his theory of the Separation of Powers (Trias Politica):
  • The power of the state should never be in the hands of one person.
  • therefore power should be split up into three seperate parts, being:
  • the legislative (making laws), executive (carrying out the laws) and judicial (providing independent judgement) branch.
  • his ideas are still used in most constitutions all over the world.



Slide 20 - Slide

Slide 21 - Slide


Adam Smith


  • Scottish economist. Wrote the book "Wealth of Nations"
  • Believed that the economy works best if there is Free Trade.
  • A government should not interfere in the economy.
  • He was against mercantilism.



Slide 22 - Slide

Write down a question about something from this lesson that you don't understand.

Slide 23 - Open question

0

Slide 24 - Video

What were the three estates in 18th century France?
A
Clergy, nobility, 3rd estate (soldiers)
B
Soldiers, nobility, 3rd estate (citizens/workers/farmers)
C
Clergy, nobility, 3rd estate (citizens/workers/farmers)
D
Kings, church and the rest.

Slide 25 - Quiz

How do we call the government in France where the king has absolute power and where there are estates with their own privileges?
A
absolutism
B
Ancien Régime
C
estate-based society
D
unitary state

Slide 26 - Quiz

What doesn't match the Second Estate?
A
Pay taxes
B
Own courts of justice and judges
C
Don't have to pay taxes
D
Help the king govern

Slide 27 - Quiz

Which estates had mostly rights and very few duties?
A
The farmers, citizens and nobility
B
The clergy and nobility
C
The clergy, the farmers and citizens
D
The citizens, clergy and nobility

Slide 28 - Quiz

"We do pay taxes, but have no say in government. That is unfair! "
To which group does this statement belong?
A
Farmers
B
Wealthy citizens
C
Nobility
D
Clergy

Slide 29 - Quiz

How was it that the French treasury was almost empty?
A
War expenses
B
High debts and interest rates
C
Spending of the royal couple
D
All answers are correct

Slide 30 - Quiz

The Enlightenment
(De Verlichting)

Period (1650-1800) in which religion and tradition give way to logical and rational reasoning. Enlightened citizens were critical about the Church, government and society and wanted to improve them.

Slide 31 - Slide

Confidence in science
  • The scientific revolution of the seventeenth century had led to new inventions and discoveries. 
  • Logical (rational) thinking and experimentation led to new knowledge.
  • People gained more confidence in the human mind ('ratio'). 
  • Would lead to more and more knowledge and logical explanations.
  • More knowledge would 'enlighten' mankind.

Slide 32 - Slide

Confidence in science
  • The Enlightenment led to new ideas about God.
  • Enlightened thinkers believed that God had created the earth and man, but that he no longer interfered with his creation.
  • The world worked according to natural laws (for example Newton's law of universal gravitation).
  • There were logical explanations for disasters (wasn't God's punishment).
  • By using logical thinking instead of accepting everything the Church or government said, people could overcome superstition (be 'enlightened').

Slide 33 - Slide

A new society
  • The Enlightenment caused people to think differently about society. Society could be improved by using the mind ('social engineering'). 
  • Education important to improve society.
  • Important aspects:
  1. Religious
  2. Social
  3. Political
  4. Economic (not required)

Slide 34 - Slide

A new society
Religious
  • Church criticism (persecutions and ban on other religions). Religious truth couldn't be proven by means of scientific evidence. 
  • Religious tolerance = No punishments for believing something different. Acceptance with regard to other religions.
  • Separation of Church and state = The Church shouldn't interfere with government and the state couldn't interfere in religious matters. 

Slide 35 - Slide

A new society
Social
  • Criticism of inequality of the (estate-based) society. All were born with natural rights. Rights everybody has from birth. Nobody is allowed to violate the rights of others, such as the right to freedom, health and property.
  • Freedom, for example the freedom of speech, press freedom, freedom of religion or freedom of trade.
  • Equality, for example equality before law, gender equality, equality for slave and non-slave or even abolition of slavery. 

Slide 36 - Slide

A new society
Political
Criticism of absolutism. Led to abuse of power and was based on religion.

John Locke
  • King was given power by the people.
  • Duty of the king: protect the rights of the people.
  • If the king didn't perform well, the people were
      allowed to rebel.

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A new society
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • People shouldn't give power to the king.
  • Power should always lie with people (democracy).
  • Against absolutism.

Charles de Montesquieu
Separation of powers ('Trias Politica'): 
Power had to be divided into three parts (legislative, executive and
judiciary).

Slide 38 - Slide

A new society
Legislative power
  • Parliament (representative assembly)
  • Make rules and laws

Executive power
  • King and ministers (government)
  • Carry out rules and laws

Judicial power 
  • Judges
  • Issue punishments when people don't comply with rules and laws.

Slide 39 - Slide

The rulers' responses
Absolute monarchs and churches weren't happy with enlightend ideas.
  • Banned books that criticised the government or the Church. 
       Censorship = government's ban on the disclosure of, for example, texts, 
       plays and pieces of music.
  • Enlightened thinkers were banished or imprisoned.

Yet kings and the Church couldn't stop the spread of enlightened ideas.

Slide 40 - Slide

The rulers' responses
  • Enlightened ideas were popular among the bourgeoisie.
  • Met in coffee houses and salons to read and discuss.
  • Ideas spread through magazines and newspapers.
  • This is how a public opinion emerged.

Slide 41 - Slide

Which sentence or sentences are correct?
1 Enlightened thinkers felt that people should decide themselves what to believe.
2 They were against religious tolerance.
3 They believed there was a logical explanation for everything.
4 Before the Enlightenment, almost everyone believed that God no longer intervened in life.
A
Sentences 1 and 3
B
Sentence 4
C
Sentences 1, 3 and 4
D
Sentences 2 and 3

Slide 42 - Quiz

Which enlightened thinker developed the 'Trias Politica'?
A
John Locke
B
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C
Charles de Montesquieu
D
Baruch Spinoza

Slide 43 - Quiz

Why is Trias Politica important?
A
It prevents abuse of power.
B
More people are involved in government.
C
The king receives help in the administration.
D
It leads to more equality.

Slide 44 - Quiz

Which sentences match enlightened thinkers?
1. If a ruler doesn't perform well, the ruler can be replaced by the people.
2. The power of the government should be divided among the government, parliament and judges.
3. A king doesn't have to answer for his actions to anyone.
4. The Church should have a say in government.
A
1 and 2
B
1 and 3
C
2 and 3
D
2 and 4

Slide 45 - Quiz

Which sentences match the Ancien Régime?
1. Every state should have a constitution which sets out the citizens right's and duties and government's organisation .
2. Rulers received their power from God.
3. Kings and ministers were given their power by the people.
4. The king is the law.
A
1 and 2
B
1 and 3
C
2 and 3
D
2 and 4

Slide 46 - Quiz

Your tasks
Tomorrow 4.5 slavery will be discussed. Then all exercises up until 4.3 need to be finished. (=homework check)

Next week 
Tuesday: finish chapter 4
Wednesday: formative test 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.5

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