The Enlightenment Philosophers: What was Their Main Idea? Background Essay

The late 17th and 18th century was a period of many changes. Between discoveries in science and disagreements over religion, people were questioning traditional ways of living and knowing. Thinkers called philosophes ("philosophers" in French) were particularly hopeful that they might discover new ways to understand and improve their society.

One belief that the philosophes shared is the Nature is an excellent teacher. They believed that there are natural laws or truths that people do not always recognize. They believed that if people observe their surroundings they could discover patterns in nature that could be applied to human activities like government and economics.

Another belief the philosophes shared was their confidence in people's ability to use reason to discover truths. In fact, this Enlightenment period in history is often called the Age of Reason. Intellectuals believed that if they used the reasoning powers God or nature had given them, they could answer any question. A combination of careful observation and clearheaded reasoning were the two keys to understanding the truth of all things.

One reason the philosophes believed in the existence of natural laws was the work of the famous scientist Isaac Newton (1642-1727). By making new observations of other physicists before him, Newton noticed patterns in the physical universe. Newton proved that the force that pulls objects to earth is the same as the force that holds the planets in orbit around an unmoving sun. Newton called this force "gravity" and described how it worked in several strokes of genius we call "Newton's laws."

The philosophes believed that what Newton learned about planets they could learn about people. In other words, if there were rules that explain how objects in the sky behave, there must be natural rules of laws that explain how people behave. They believed these laws were universal; that is, they could be found everywhere, and simply had to be discovered. Many a philosophe hoped that he or she could become the Isaac Newton of the social sciences.

These studio boards presents the ideas of four philosophes writing about four different areas of human society: government, religion, the economy, and the social role of women. Your first job is to understand what they are saying. Their language is not always easy but the passages are short. Then, as you move from document to document, ask yourself if there is one important idea that keeps reappearing, an idea that is basic to all four thinkers. In other words, answer the question before us: The Enlightenment Philosophers: What was their main idea?

John Locke

Voltaire

Adam Smith

Mary Wollstonecraft

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What 2 centuries were the centuries of the philosophes?

Based on the information provided above, in the background essay, answer the following in COMPLETE SENTENCES

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What did the philosophes hope to accomplish?

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What 2 tools did the philosophes believe are necessary to find out the truth of things?

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What is another name for the Enlightenment period?

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How did Isaac Newton inspire the philosophes?

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Philosophe

Define the following terms:

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Natural law

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Universal

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Social sciences