HUM 223 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Montesquieu, Authoritarianism, Scientific Revolution
8 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Enlightenment and Progress
What is Enlightenment?
•Represents an understanding that through Human Reason people are better in the present
than in the past
•Rejection of traditional authority at all levels
–Philosophical authority of Greco-Roman culture
–Religious authority of the Church
–Traditional structures of government
Enlightenment and Human Progress
•Philosophers of the Enlightenment strove to fulfill ideals of equality
•Understanding that life is not perfect and that work needs to be done
•Understanding that philosophy, based on human reason, can and will bring change
Republic of Letters
•Philosophe—“philosopher”
–Theoretician on all aspects of the human experience
–Politics, science, theology, economics, etc.
•Republic of Letters as an international community of philosophes
–Exalts human achievements beyond national boundaries
–Freedom of knowledge
Enlightenment Political Philosophy
•Philosophy of Thomas Hobbes was used to defend absolutism
•Philosophy of John Locke influential among those who reject royal authoritarianism
•Enlightenment philosophy tends to accept and strive for a form of Constitutional Monarchy
•Influence of the English Civil War on political philosophy
•Idea of a Social Contract as legitimacy in government
•Concept rejects divine-right monarchy
•Concept can accept strong monarchy
•Thomas Hobbes—life is harsh, brutish and short
•People need government in order to survive
•Thus—government is a necessary evil
•People must give up certain liberties to ensure survival
•John Locke—belief in the triumph of human reason
•People have the capacity for good—capable of collective decisions for their own betterment
•Government represents the collective authority of the people
Baron de Montesquieu
•Expansion on the ideas of John Locke
•Belief that culture shapes human behavior
•Positivist viewpoint on human nature
–Human reason will bring progress
–Advocates a free society
•Political liberty as personal political security
–Freedoms within the country from government interference
–Government protection of personal safety
•What is not political liberty
–Collective self-government
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
What is enlightenment: represents an understanding that through human reason people are better in the present than in the past, rejection of traditional authority at all levels. Enlightenment and human progress: philosophers of the enlightenment strove to fulfill ideals of equality, understanding that life is not perfect and that work needs to be done, understanding that philosophy, based on human reason, can and will bring change. Theoretician on all aspects of the human experience. Politics, science, theology, economics, etc: republic of letters as an international community of philosophes. Baron de montesquieu: expansion on the ideas of john locke, belief that culture shapes human behavior, positivist viewpoint on human nature. Advocates a free society: political liberty as personal political security. Government protection of personal safety: what is not political liberty. Personal freedom of actions without restraint: conditions for political liberty require republics or monarchies, separation of powers model of the english constitutional monarchy, appropriate civil and criminal laws.
