Enlightenment Philosophy Part I and Enlightened Absolutism Part

Enlightenment Philosophy (Part I) and Enlightened Absolutism (Part II)

A Graphic Model of Enlightenment Philosophy KEY!- The Enlightenment = the application of the methods developed in the natural sciences (logic and reason) to the social sciences Fundamental Question Where does sovereignty come from and who should wield it? God? People- Social Contract Theory But what is the proper social contract? Out There More Radical- Locke Rousseau – Direct Democracy? Constitutional Monarchy/Republic Noble Savage. General Will. Natural Rights, Right of Revolution Education Moderates (majority!) Montesquieu and Voltaire Enlightened Absolutism. Perhaps some breaks are needed on Absolute Power Prevent Tyranny? Checks and Balances. Freedom of Speech. Conservative. Hobbes Absolute Monarchypeople are bad. Interregnum

Key Ideas of the Enlightenment • No Divine Right – Why not? Not based on ________ • Social Contract Theory – Humans enter freely into a contract with each other to form a government in order to create order and protect their rights • Natural Law – Classical foundations – Gravity- Newton …. _____- philosophes

I. Conservative Philosophes – Hobbes • People are bad • “If people are good, why do we have locks on our doors? ” • An absolute monarch is needed to save people from themselves • Key work- Leviathan

II. Moderate Philosophes The majority of philosophes – Change will come through Enlightened Absolutism (we’ll come back to this) – Why maintain absolutist power? • people are dumb – they need a strong ruler – A democracy would put the power in the hands of this mob (most reject democracy) • However, that doesn’t mean that a ruler shouldn’t make changes to society – Freedom of religion? – Outlaw torture? – Fair taxes, etc. ? • Also, the alternative is bloody revolution to remove monarchs… that is no fun!

In this Enlightened Absolutism, how does society defend against tyranny? – Montesquieu – checks and balances • Not in favor of full democracy… (nobility, but not the mob!) checks king • Voltaire … freedom of speech … reason will eventually triumph if it is unrestrained – Censorship, particularly in France, results in satire and ‘under the cloak’ bookselling • Before the French Revolution in France, it was supposedly not hard to buy pornography about the royal family • Examples of satire – Persian Letters – Culture is relative! – Galileo- Dialogues on Two Chief Systems of the World

Voltaire’s “Wisdom” (I) ► Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do. ► God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. ► If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. ► It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. ► Love truth and pardon error.

Voltaire’s “Wisdom” (II) ► Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers. ► Men are equal; it is not birth, but virtue that makes the difference. ► Prejudice is opinion without judgment. ► The way to become boring is to say everything. ► I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

More Voltaire • Candide – Pokes fun at irrationality – Spanish earthquake anecdote • Auto da fe

III. Some philosophes were bit more extreme – Thus, democracy (Republic or Constitutional monarchy) – John Locke • People are basically good and will learn from and correct mistakes • Natural Rights – Inalienable rights conferred on all humans at birth • Universal public Education (why? ) • Right of Rebellion

More Locke – John Locke- ‘Tabula Rasa’ • Babies are a ‘blank slate’. Their culture is not congenital, but learned. – If I had been moved to Saudi Arabia when I was a month old, what religion would I be now?

IV. Others Were Very Extreme • Rousseau – Hippie – Favorite of Revolutionaries • Society is the source of all problems- noble savage idea – Ultimate personal freedom is needed – Reason can be misleading… emotion, spontaneity – Education must be guided by those to be educated • General Will should guide the government – Will of the people, but the majority doesn’t always know what this is – Sometimes leaders need to guide the people – Close to direct democracy – Get rid of existing system completely • Some have blamed him for Hitler/Mussolini… • How/why?

Enlightened Absolutism (Part II)

Unrepentant • Louis XV (France) – Weakened by the rise of Parlement during his regency • Courts of nobles/bourgeois • Had the power of remonstration – At first Louis XV was weak against this group • He had to back off attempted tax increases – Finally, Louis XV, who is pleasure loving, hands off power to Maupeou, who crushes the Parlements • Louis XVI – Wants to be loved – Backs off Maupeou’s harsh stances towards Parlements, bourgeois, and nobles

Somewhat Enlightened (Some Change) • Reasoned reform, but guided by monarchs – More rational bureaucracy, tax collection, courts, laws, punishments for crimes, etc. – Religious toleration of all Christians – Often done (cynically) to maintain power in European political climate • Examples… Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, Maria Theresa

Frederick the Great • Frederick the Great- Basics – Interesting childhood v adulthood – “I am the Servant of the State” • Should remind you of…? – Prussia becomes a dominant European power after eating up Silesia and parts of Poland • Frederick the Great- Enlightened aspects – freedom of the press (personal friends with Voltaire), religious toleration, honest bureaucracy – Limitations? serfdom remains… no

Catherine the Great • Basics – Complicated coup d’etat – Great success in completing Peter the Great’s foreign policy • Gobbled up a big chunk of Poland • Got land on the Black Sea by fighting Ottoman Turks • Enlightened Policies • Cultural westernization as opposed to Peter the Great’s military westernization • Encyclopedia, humane treatment of criminals, some freedom of press and religion, new law codes (rational) – Backs off of Enlightenment in the face of a peasant (cossack-led) rebellion • ‘my true allies are the nobles’ • No end to serfdom

Maria Theresa • Maria Theresa (Austria) – Modernizes mainly to become strong enough to resist Prussia – Rational gov’t is more efficient – Attacked papal influence despite her own devout faith

Silesia - 1772 - 1793 - 1795

Russian Expansionism in the Late 18 c

Very (too? ) Radical • Additional Reforms – – Religious toleration even of non-Christians Freed serfs Taxation of nobles Attacks and humbles the Catholic Church • Joseph II – His people (ironically? ) hated these reforms – Too much too fast • His successor (Leopold II) had to undo all of these reforms

Joseph II of Austria (r. 1765 -1790) ► 1741 -– 1790. ► His mother was Maria Theresa.

Hansen AP Euro Lecture Outline – Part I. Enlightenment Philosophy and Enlightened Absolutists • • Key Ideas of the Enlightenment – No ____________ • Why not? Not based on ________ • Social Contract Theory – Humans enter freely into a ______________ to form a government in order to _____ and protect their rights • Natural Law – Classical foundations – Gravity- Newton …. _____- philosophes • I. Conservative Philosophe – Hobbes • People are _______ • “If people are good, why do we have ________? ” • An absolute monarch is needed to _______________________ • Key work- ___________ • II. Moderate Philosoph – _______ Enlightenment Philosoph were moderates – Change will come through ____________ (we’ll come back to this) – Why maintain absolutist power? • people are _______– they need __________ – A democracy would put the power in the hands _______ (most reject _______) • However, that doesn’t mean that a ruler shouldn’t make changes to society – Freedom of ______? – _________? – Fair taxes, etc. ? • Also, the alternative is ___________ to remove monarchs… that ________! – In this Enlightened Absolutism, how does society ______ tyranny? – Montesquieu – ___________________ • Not in favor of full democracy… (_____, but not the ______!) checks king – Voltaire … freedom of speech … reason will eventually triumph if ___________________ – Censorship, particularly in France, resulted in satire and ‘________________’ bookselling • Before the French Revolution in France, it was supposedly not hard to _______ about the royal family – Examples of satire – Persian Letters – __________! – Galileo- Dialogues on Two Chief Systems of the World More Voltaire • Candide – Pokes fun at __________ • Spanish earthquake anecdote - ______________________________ – Auto da fe • III. Some Philosophes were a bit more extreme – Thus, _______ (Republic or Constitutional monarchy) – John Locke • People are basically _______and will learn from and _______________ • Natural Rights – __________ conferred on all humans at birth • Universal public Education (why? - ________________________) • Right of ________ • ‘Tabula Rasa’ – Babies are a _________’. Their culture is not congenital, but learned. » If I had been moved to Saudi Arabia when I was _________, what _______would I be now? • • IV. Others Were Very Extreme Rousseau – _________ – Favorite of (French) Revolutionaries Society is the source of all problems- _________ idea – Ultimate personal freedom is needed – Reason can be misleading… _____, _________ – Education must be guided by ______________ General Will should guide the government – Will of the people, but the majority doesn’t always _____________________ – Sometimes leaders need to _______the people – Close to _________________ – Get rid of existing system ___________ Some have blamed him for _________________… • How/why? - _____________________________________ • • •

Part II. Enlightened Absolutism Unrepentant (Willing to Allow Some Change- continued) Catherine the Great The Rise of the Parlement and Louis XV Maria Theresa Maupeou Open to Extreme Change Louis XVI Additional Reforms Willing to allow Some Change Joseph II Reforms Frederick the Great Leopold II