Early Modern Times: 1450 - 1750, while Modern Times: 1750-1945

  • What is the enlightenment?
    • The growth of REASON as a way to run human societies
      • What's reason?
        • Scientific, logical, and based on evidence
        • Is not emotional, religious, or mystical
    • Big ideas
      • Reason!
        • Logic
        • Science
        • Evidence
    • Progress
      • We can make society better!
      • Happier!
      • More productive!
  • The Enlightenment
    • Basics
      • Philosophes
        • Intellectuals
        • Upper and middle classes
        • Want to improve society
    • Precursors
      • Discoveries of Isaac Newton
        • Gravity
        • Laws of motion
        • Calculus
        • These describe the physical world nearly perfectly!
      • Physical world works like a watch!
        • Physical!
        • Predictable
        • Rational
    • 1200s
      • Literacy confined to monks/priests
    • 1700s
      • Literacy is a social expectation
      • Middle and upper classes!
    • Voltaire
      • AKA Francois Marie Arouet
      • 1684-1778
      • Professional writer!
      • Published a novel, humor, essays
      • Criticized old-fashioned attitudes and values
        • Contributions
          • Popularized Newton's ideas
          • Popularized Deism
            • Which leads to the conclusion that god doesn't exist
            • Deism is that God created the universe
            • It runs like a machine and that we can understand it through science
    • Implications of Deism
      • Supernatural myths and miracles, angels and spirits, and religious wars are removed because lol
    • John Locke
      • English Philosopher
      • Political theorist
      • His questions:
        • What is the natural state of humanity?
          • Everyone is born with natural rights
            • Freedom to do what you want as long as you're not bugging someone else
            • Life
            • Property
        • What is the role of government?
          • To preserve your rights as much as possible (especially with keeping order)
          • Social Contract
            • An agreement between people and the government
            • People's role: Will surrender some rights
            • Government's role: To preserve the rest/create order
        • What can we do if we have a bad government?
          • Revolt!
  • French Revolution
    • France
    • 1789 - 1815
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