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Enlightenment, Age of Reason (1650-1815)

Preview Activity
For each the statements below circle whether you think it is true or false.

1) Human beings are born with blank minds that are filled with information they acquire after they are born. (T/F)
2) God created the universe then stepped back, therefore miracles do not happen. (T/F)
3) The best government is a powerful, educated ruler who makes decisions based on what is best for the people. (T/F)
4) Intellectually, men & women are equal. (T/F)
5) There is some knowledge that humans are born with. (T/F)
6) Humans are greedy. (T/F)
7) If a government does not protect the right of its people the people have a right to rebel. (T/F).
8) Human are at their best when they are in nature & away from cities. (T/F)

Historical Era Overview

In the 18th century a radical way of thinking spread among European intellectuals as they used reason in the form of the scientific
method (questioning, observation, & experimentation) to better understand the world & make progress towards a more perfect
society. Enlightenment writers & intellectuals were the elite aristocrats & wealthy middle class of society who attended lectures by
scientists about the natural world, bought books & encyclopedias, & wrote thousands of letters exchanging their ideas. Their constant
examining & questioning of humanity, society, the economy, & governments led to critical attacks on intolerant institutions of absolute
monarchies who claimed sole right to rule & the Catholic Church who claimed absolute control over knowledge.

Causes of the Enlightenment in Europe include

Renaissance: Renaissance intellectuals searched for, translated, & preserved classical Greek & Roman
knowledge (especially the works of Aristotle in the areas of philosophy, government, & logic) in the hopes of
recreating & matching the greatness of their civilization. The intellectual contributions of Renaissance
thinkers provided the intellectual base that would spark the Enlightenment, a movement devoted to more than
just matching classical achievements, but surpassing them & progressing to an even better society.

Scientific Revolution: The most direct cause of the Enlightenment was the Scientific
Revolution. The confirmation of the heliocentric theory by astronomers Nicholas Copernicus,
Galileo Galilee, & Johannes Kepler along with the formalization of the rational & logical
scientific method to find the truth by philosophers Rene Descartes & Francis Bacon changed the
way Europeans viewed the universe & began a revolution against the Catholic Churchs
intellectual authority. The Scientific Revolution peaked with Isaac Newtons discovery of the
Law of Gravitational Motion uncovering the hidden truth of how the universe moved & leading to
his clockmaker metaphor, that God created the universe with natural laws, set it in motion,
then stepped back to let it run like a clock. Newton inspired the most influential intellectual
revolution in human history as the world was no longer an unknowable mystery but a giant
machine with discoverable hidden truths waiting to be uncovered using the scientific method.
 Skepticism: The attitude of doubting claims of absolute truth began with the ancient Greeks & was expanded
by French skeptic Michael Montaigne. Montaignes experiences during the 16th century religious wars between
Catholics & Protestants led him to doubt both of these religious groups claims of knowing the absolute truth.
Later skeptics continued this tradition of questioning authority as they criticized the absolute claims of the Catholic
Church & monarchs while pointing out that civilizations in China & the recently discovered Americas had
successfully functioned for thousands of years without knowledge of European absolute truths.

Deism: For centuries the church had taught that humans were born into specific roles decided by God
in a chain of being or natural hierarchy consisting of God, angels, monarchs, nobles, & commoners.
Few challenged this belief until the 16th century when Europeans began to question the immoral actions of
Church officials, the crippling taxes imposed on the poor, & the superstitious fear of eternal damnation.
The Scientific Revolution increased Church criticism & as many intellectuals embraced Isaac Newtons
clockmaker metaphor leading to a revolution against Church authority. Among intellectuals Deism
became popular as a religion of reason, believing God was an all-powerful being who created the
universe with natural laws, set it in motion, then stepped back & left it to function on its own without any
intervention. Deists were in direct opposition to the Catholic Church viewing its doctrines as superstition,
especially the belief in miracles because they would defy the natural laws that God had created.

John Locke, 1632-1704: English intellectual whose ideas on government & human nature would be the
final step towards enlightenment. He theorized that humans are born with brains as an empty blank slate, no
prior knowledge, & their environment (family, society, etc.) filled the brain with information. Therefore humans
could be educated to be good which became a core belief of the enlightenment, that humans can make progress &
make a better society. In the area of government, Locke expressed his version of the social contract theory that
there is a contract between a government & its citizens, the people agreed to give up some of their rights as long as
the government protected their natural rights of life, liberty, & property. If a government did not protect these
natural rights then the people were justified in revolting against the government & create a new one.

The Enlightenment spreading across Europe led to several political developments including

Enlightened Monarchs: Several European monarchs applied enlightened ideas to their kingdoms during the
1700s. Among them was Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia, & Joseph II of Austria who
became known as Enlightened Monarchs or Benevolent Despots (rulers with absolute power & concerned about
the peoples interests). These rulers founded universities & scientific societies, reformed legal systems ending torture &
capital punishment, & promoted greater religious tolerance. But these rulers pushed change only so far as they did not
want to anger their nobles, whose support they needed, & did not make any reforms that reduced their power to rule.

American Revolution: English colonists in America, inspired by enlightenment ideas especially of John
Locke, rebelled against their Britain in 1775. They listed their complaints in the Declaration of Independence claiming
the King of England had violated their natural rights & therefore they had the right to rebel & form their own
government. In writing the USA Constitution the former colonists used enlightened ideas to construct a government
based on rule of the people, not an individual, & protected its citizens natural rights.

Enlightenment Age of Reason Unit Questions

Unit Review Question
1) What role did the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, Skepticism, & John Locke play in beginning the Enlightenment?
2) In what ways did the Enlightenment lead to Enlightened Monarchs & the American Revolution?
3) How did Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, Kant, Smith, Franklin, & Hume view human nature? Whom do you agree with the most?
4) How did Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Quesnay, Rousseau, Kant, Smith, Jefferson, Frederick II, & Hume view government? Whom
do you agree with the most?
5) Describe the major criticism made by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, Kant, Smith, Wollstonecraft, Beccaria, & Hume.

Unit Historical Postulates

6) Isaac Newton is the person most responsible for the Enlightenment.
7) People should be allowed to participate in government only if they can prove they are educated.

Unit Essential Questions

8) Is human nature predominately good & selfless or selfish & evil? (Innate versus external knowledge)
9) What is the best form of government? (Autocracy versus democracy)
10) Are peace & stability worth sacrificing freedom? (Social Contract Theory)
11) What defines the social roles of people in different societies? (Men & women)
 Enlightenment Age of Reason Intellectuals Chart
Views on Human Nature Views on Government Other Details Labeled picture Reflecting Ideas
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French Enlightenment

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Italian

Cesare
EnlighteEnlighten

au Beccaria
Rousse
Enlighte German Swiss

ma Im
as Thom Fred
Scottish English Enlightenment

David Adam
Hume Smith Locke John
Wollst Mary
Enlightenme
American

min Benja
Jefferso Thomas
Enlightenment

Movie Analysis: Lord of the Flies

Preview
1) The boys in the movie are from a military academy & stranded on a deserted island, based on their previous experience how will they behave? Why?

2) The boys will be stranded on the deserted island of extended amount of time, do you think their behavior will change? Why?

PART ONE: Arriving on the Island & Ralphs Democratic Rule of the Island (00:00-21:00)
3) Refer back to question #1, do the boys behave the way you would expect them to? What message is being given concerning human nature?
4) What is the conch? How do the boys use it? What do you think it symbolizes in regard to society & government?

5) In what ways does Piggy symbolize science & reason? Give specific examples throughout the movie.

PART TWO: Breakdown of Authority & Jacks Autocratic Rule of the Island (25:30-30:30/37:00-42:00/1:08-26)
6) Ralph eventually loses his authority, give several reasons why.

7) As more boys turn away from Ralph & towards Jack for leadership what message is being given concerning human nature?

8) What does the abandoning the signal fire to go hunting symbolize is happening in the minds of the boys?

9) What are the drawbacks to the way Jack rules the island?

10) Are there any benefits to the way Jack rules? Explain.

11) In your opinion, what is the movies message about human nature?

12) In your opinion, what is the movies message about the best form of government?

Lord of the Flies Movie Review: John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, & TWO other Enlightenment philosophers of your choosing must
each write a review of Lord of the Flies for the Enlightenment Daily newspaper. For each Enlightenment philosopher, use a document & specific evidence from the
movie (review the movie questions & Lord of the Flies background) to complete the following movie review criteria:
1) How was the movie? One (terrible), two (average), three (good), or four (excellent) enlightenment light bulbs? Include a short, catchy phrase why!
2) Does Lord of the Flies accurately depict your view of human nature?
3) Does Lord of the Flies accurately depict your view of the best form of government?

Lord of the Flies Background Information

Lord of the Flies is a 1954 dystopian novel by William Golding about a group of boys stranded on
an uninhabited island who try to govern themselves with disastrous results.

Ralph: Upon arrival Ralph quickly becomes the chief of the group, not by any harsh or physical
action, but by being elected. Ralph is described as having "the directness of genuine leadership".
After Ralph, Jack, & Simon discover that they are truly "on an uninhabited island" he suggests
that a fire be lit because "if a ship comes near the island they may not notice us." However,
towards the end he forgets the initial reason for maintaining the fire representing the effects
corruption on even the brightest mind. Even in chaos, Ralph has a tendency to be polite & logical
in the tensest of moments & embodies good intentions in the implementation of reason, but
ultimately fails to accomplish this goal. Ralph's refusal to resort to violence is contrasted by
Jack's inherent love of violence which becomes shared by the other boys
leading to the boys leaving Ralph for Jacks tribe of hunters. This leads to
a chain of events that drives the island further into chaos, initially resulting
in the frenzied mob murdering Simon during a primal dance, and then
culminating with the murder of Piggy by Roger before the group attempts
to hunt down Ralph.

The Conch: When first blown, it calls the children to an assembly,

where Ralph is elected leader. They agree that only the boy holding the conch may speak at
meetings to prevent arguments & chaos maintaining civilization. The conch symbolizes
democracy &, like Ralph, civility & order within the group. When Piggy is killed, the conch is
smashed into pieces, signaling the end of order & beginning of chaos.

Jack: Jack exemplifies the worst aspects of human nature when unrepressed or controlled by society. Like Ralph, Jack
is a natural leader, but unlike Ralph, Jack appeals to more primitive desires of the children. In the beginning his behavior
is neither disruptive nor violent, but he does express the desire to hunt & kill a pig. Jack's blood lust grows more
irrational, to the point where he abandons the fire (causing the boys to miss a potential rescue) to hunt. During Jack's
evolution he begins to paint his face to mask his humanity & inspire awe amongst the
boys. Jack's transition puts him on a collision course with Ralph's elected authority.
When Jack leaves he takes a majority of the boys with him, lured by the promises of
meat, play, & freedom. Jack represents the irrational nature of the boys, while Ralph
represents rationality. Under Jack's rule, the raw human nature is unleashed, & he
initiates a period of inter-tribal violence, punishing other children, & inciting the rage
that leads to the murder of Simon. The tale ends with Jack leading many of the boys
in a frenzied attempt to kill Ralph with the last remaining vestiges of civilization are
gone.

Roger: At first he seems another simple boy having fun on the island, but Roger slowly evolves into
a symbol of evil. In several incidents we see Roger feel no guilt for cruel actions & only the presence
of civilization & society prevents him from harming others. As he feels that all aspects of civilization
are gone, he gives in to his animal urges. During a pig hunt, Roger shoves a sharpened stick up the
animal's rectum while it is still alive. He kills Piggy with a boulder & becomes the executioner &
torturer of Jack's tribe. In the final hunt for Ralph he is armed with "a stick sharpened at both ends,"
indicating his intentions of killing Ralph and offering his head as a sacrifice to the "beast". He
represents the person who enjoys hurting others & is only restrained by the rules of society.

Piggy: With poor eyesight, asthma, & being overweight, Piggy is the most physically vulnerable of
all the boys. He is also the most intellectual of the boys, frequently appealing to science, "Life ... is
scientific" & when tragedies occur on the island Piggy uses logic & reason to explain the events. He
cannot be the leader because he lacks leadership qualities & is only able to make his ideas known
through Ralph, acting as his advisor, or by holding the conch. Piggy is so intent on preserving some
remnant of civilization on the island that, after Jack's tribe attacks Ralph's group, he assumes they
"wanted the conch", when, in fact, they have come for Piggy's glasses in order to make fire. Even up to the moment of his
death, Piggy's perspective does not shift in response to the reality of their situation.