History 1401E Lecture : 5.The Enlightenment.doc
22 Mar 2012
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18th century movement when european philosophers and intellectuals were breaking away from the past. Sir isaac newton (1642-1727: mathematical laws scientific worldview instead of god (made science easier for general public to understand) The world is no longer mysterious like it was in the middle ages or medieval period. John locke (1632-1704: most important work : human understanding, tabula rasa blank slate, he believed that society shapes human behaviour (people are naturally good) The enlightenment really takes place in france with the philopsophes philosophers. International best seller (satire on nobility) candide (1759: famous attack on superstition and religion philosophical dictionary (1764) Montesquieu (1689-1755: persian letters (satire on french society, fascinated by english government, spirit of laws, all laws of enlightenment, checks and balances on government, feels that punishment should fit the crime (very influential, american constitution. Diderot (1713-1784: writes porn novel, write encyclopaedia, compilation of all the most advanced enlightenment thought, organized around the categories of human knowledge.
