The Enlightenment was a period in the late 17th and 18th centuries where thinkers began questioning societal institutions using reason and advocated for progress through rational thought. Key figures known as philosophes argued for limiting absolute monarchical power and establishing constitutional governments that protected individual rights and freedoms. The values of reason, progress, individualism, secularism, humanism, freedom and equality came to define Enlightenment thinking.

1. The Enlightenment
Wait...how did we get here???

2. The Renaissance &
Democratic Thinking
❖ Renaissance (1350-1600)= rebirth of culture, thought, and art $
➡ Individualism
- Importance of the individual$
- Civic duty$
- Politics as a science $
➡ Humanism
- The importance of man$
- Education would lead to a better life$
➡ Secularism
- Concern for worldly goods not just focusing on the
afterlife

3. Renaissance Art
Enthroned Madonna and Child$
Cimabue$
1285
Portrait of a Man in a Turban$
Jan Van Eyke$
1433
BeforetheRenaissance
HeightoftheRenaissance

4. The Reformation &
Democratic Thinking
❖ Reformation (16th century)= An emergence of new
thought amongst Christians that led to new
Protestant Religions $
➡ Backlash against a corrupt Catholic Church
- Practice of indulgences (forgiveness of sins
through pilgrimages, prayers, or donations)$
- Clerical abuses $
➡ Martin Luther & John Calvin were central
figures
- Luther’s 3 Key Ideas$
‣ Faith alone brings salvation$
‣ Faith comes through knowledge of scripture$
‣ All believers are equal$
➡ Importance of the individual in religion

5. Reformation Architecture
St. Peter’s Basilica !
Vatican City
Kandersteg Calvanist Church!
Switzerland
CatholicChurch
CalvinistChurch

6. Discuss!
1. What was the Renaissance? What three “-isms”
changed the way people thought about their own life? $
2. What were leaders and followers of the Reformation
upset about? Why is education considered important
to Luther and other Protestants?

7. The Scientific Revolution &
Democratic Thinking
❖ Scientific Revolution (1500-1727)= major shifts in thinking
about science and mathematics $
❖ Before the SR people mainly looked to the Bible and Aristotle’s
teachings to explain the laws of nature$
➡ Scientists begin to question the natural laws and
show that there were inherent truths about nature
- Not just God, angered the Church$
➡ Use of reason and logic instead of faith alone
- Reasoning= gaining knowledge through facts and
argumentation$
- Question the laws of nature and the laws of man

8. Figures of the Scientific Rev.
Built a telescope to prove
Copernican universe
Formulated mathematical
physical laws
GalileoGalilei
SirIsaacNewton

9. Discuss!
1. How did the Scientific Revolution change the way
people think? What do people use instead of relying
solely on the Bible?$
2. How do the ideas of the Scientific Revolution
compare to the ideas of the Athenian philosophers
(Aristotle and/or Plato)?

10. What is the Enlightenment?
❖ Social critics, called philosophes, began to
question the way that society was run as
well as the nature of man$
❖ Period lasted from 1680-1800 CE$
❖ Scientific Revolution showed that all
things could be figured out through
reason$
- Progress to better societies through
reason$
❖ Enlightenment led to a shift in political
thinking in Western Europe and
America...

11. Absolutism to
Constitutionalism
❖ Absolutism$
- King or Queen has absolute
and total power over a land
and all of its people
❖ Constitutionalism$
- Government whose power is
constrained by a constitution
and the monarch shares power
Magna Carta, 1215!
Set limits on the King’s Power

12. Discuss!
1. What is the Enlightenment?$
2. What were philosophes arguing about? $
3. What is the difference between Absolutism and
Constitutionalism? What Greek philosopher would like the
idea of Constitutionalism? $
4. Name four core values that you think are important to
Enlightenment thinkers.

13. Enlightenment
Values
Reason$
Progress$
Individualism$
Secularism$
Humanism$
Freedom$
Equality