A brief survey of the European/American Enlightenment, from the Locke/Hobbes debate through Rousseau, and some of the greatest hits in between (Voltaire, deism, Diderot, Encyclopedia, etc.)
A brief survey of the European/American Enlightenment, from the Locke/Hobbes debate through Rousseau, and some of the greatest hits in between (Voltaire, deism, Diderot, Encyclopedia, etc.)
3. Montesquieu
Spirit of the Laws (1748) -a criticism of French
absolutism by looking at the success of English
limited monarchy with checks and balances on
royal power
Persian Letters (1721) -a satirical look at modern
European society’s superstitions and traditions by
seeing them from a tourist’s perspective
4. Jonathan Swift
A Modest Proposal (1729)
-a satirical look at the poor
treatment of the Irish at the
hands of English landlords
Gulliver’s Travels (1726)
-a view of several fictional
societies, comparing
European traditions either
favorably or unfavorably to
them.
5. Voltaire PASSIONATELY SUPPORTED
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND
RELIGION
EXILED FROM FRANCE FOR
INSULTING A NOBLE OF GREAT
INFLUENCE, LIVED IN PRUSSIA
AND ENGLAND
CORRESPONDED WITH
CATHERINE THE GREAT,
FREDERICK THE GREAT
DEIST - “CRUSH THE TERRIBLE
THING!”
6. Candide (1759)
Inspired by Seven
Years War and the
Lisbon
Earthquake of
1755
Focuses on
cruelty and
intolerance in
society
9. Immanuel Kant
FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND
THOUGHT
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE STATES
THAT WE SHOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED
TO DO THAT WHICH WE WOULD ALLOW
ALL OTHERS THE RIGHT TO DO
NEVER TREAT ANOTHER AS A MEANS
TO AN END
10. David Hume
Historian, economist,
skeptic, political
scientist, atheist
rejected the idea of
divine wisdom
Scottish friend of
Adam Smith
12. Concorcet
Advocated public
education, a liberal
economy, a constitutional
government and equality for
women and people of
‘exotic’ ethnicity (abolition
of slavery)
