The Enlightenment [AP World History Review] Unit 5, Topic 1

Summary

In this video, Heimler introduces the Enlightenment, an 18th-century intellectual movement that emphasized reason, empirical evidence, and natural laws. It challenged traditional sources of truth like religion and revealed the flaws in monarchies, influencing political, social, and economic revolutions. Key thinkers like John Locke and Adam Smith reshaped ideas on governance and economics, promoting rights, democracy, and free markets. The Enlightenment also inspired movements for women's rights and the abolition of slavery. This profound shift in thinking laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution and modern societies.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Enlightenment was an 18th-century intellectual movement that emphasized reason and natural laws over tradition and religious revelation.
• 😀 Enlightenment thinkers believed that human reason could lead to progress by applying scientific principles to society.
• 😀 Empiricism, championed by Francis Bacon, emphasized knowledge gained through the senses and scientific experiments, rejecting traditional sources of truth like the Bible.
• 😀 John Locke's political philosophy argued for natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the idea of a social contract, where governments exist to protect these rights.
• 😀 The Enlightenment contributed to the decline of absolute monarchies and the rise of constitutional governments and nationalism.
• 😀 Adam Smith's work, *The Wealth of Nations*, introduced the concept of laissez-faire economics, advocating for minimal government interference in markets.
• 😀 Deism, a religious philosophy that emerged during the Enlightenment, viewed God as a creator who set the world in motion but did not intervene in human affairs.
• 😀 Conservatism arose as a reaction to Enlightenment thought, prioritizing tradition and practical ideas over ideological change.
• 😀 The Enlightenment inspired early feminist movements, such as Mary Wollstonecraft’s *A Vindication of the Rights of Women*, calling for women’s education and equality.
• 😀 The ideals of the Enlightenment helped fuel the abolitionist movement, leading to the eventual end of slavery in the United States and the emancipation of serfs in Russia.

Q & A

What was the Enlightenment, and what did it emphasize?

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 18th century that emphasized the use of reason to reconsider accepted ideas and social institutions. It advocated for applying human reason to natural laws to bring about societal progress.

How did Enlightenment thinkers view traditional sources of knowledge, such as the Bible or the Koran?

Enlightenment thinkers rejected traditional sources of knowledge like the Bible or the Koran, which were believed to reveal truth from outside the world. Instead, they argued that human reason and the understanding of natural laws were the proper paths to discovering truth.

What was Francis Bacon's contribution to the Enlightenment?

Francis Bacon contributed the idea of empiricism, which holds that reality is discerned through the senses (sight, hearing, taste, etc.). This marked a shift away from relying on divine revelation and emphasized scientific experiments to determine what is true.

How did John Locke's ideas challenge the concept of divine right monarchy?

John Locke argued against the divine right of kings and proposed that human beings are born with natural rights—life, liberty, and property—that are not granted by a king but by virtue of being human. According to Locke, people should have the power in government and could overthrow governments that violated their rights.

What is nationalism, and how did it emerge during the Enlightenment?

Nationalism is the strong identification with a group of people who share an ethnic identity and language. During the Enlightenment, nationalism emerged as people began to be more loyal to their nation rather than to a ruler or city. This threatened the multi-ethnic empires that had previously dominated Europe.

What was Adam Smith’s critique of mercantilism, and what economic theory did he propose?

Adam Smith criticized mercantilism, which required heavy government regulation of the economy, and proposed the theory of laissez-faire economics. He argued that if individuals were free to make their own economic choices, the 'invisible hand' of the market would guide those choices to benefit society as a whole.

How did Enlightenment ideas impact religion, particularly in the development of Deism?

Enlightenment thinkers reexamined their relationship with God, leading to the rise of Deism. Deists believed that God created the universe and its natural laws but did not intervene in human affairs. They saw God as a cosmic watchmaker who set the universe in motion and then stepped back.

How did the Enlightenment influence women’s rights?

Enlightenment ideas about natural rights led many women to question their societal roles. Influential works like Mary Wollstonecraft's 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women' called for women's education and equal opportunities. The Seneca Falls Convention in the U.S. further advanced women's rights, including suffrage.

How did Enlightenment ideas contribute to the abolition of slavery?

Enlightenment principles about natural rights and human equality led to the abolitionist movement. These ideas inspired the ban on the slave trade in the U.S. in 1808 and contributed to the eventual emancipation of enslaved people, as well as the abolition of serfdom in Russia.

What role did conservatism play in the context of the Enlightenment?

Conservatism, characterized by a strong belief in tradition and resistance to radical changes, played a counterforce to Enlightenment thinking. Conservatives rejected the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and progress, arguing for the preservation of established institutions and practical solutions.