15/1/2018 (Mon) Notes - Enlightenment 啟蒙時代

The Enlightenment

Literal Definition:

● Lighten up darkness

● Discover the truth

● Freedom from false beliefs and misunderstanding

● Put faith in rationality and believed that all problems in the world could be

solved by science

● Valued philosophy and ideas to make society and government more efficient

and humane

Enlightenment in Western History

➢ An intellectual movement that covers period of European History from 1651 to

1798 (17th Century to 18th Century)

➢ Also known as age of reason or Age of science

Key Concept of Enlightenment:

“Man had a mission to free themselves from superstitions and ignorance.” (By Declaration of the rights of man 1789) People try to work out all reasons behind everything. They believed that they should

free themselves from superstitions. At its climax, people thought that anything could

be explained by science.

Enlightenment - Initiated in France in the 17th -18th Century

Started in France -> French Revolution (1789-1799)

The Enlightenment reflects different political and governmental ideas.

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Fundamental Enlightenment Values:

● A deep commitment to reason 深究原因

○ Explain: Deep in to discover the reasons behind everything

● A disbelief in past beliefs, traditions, conventions, because they limited the

mind

○ Explain: Stop past superstitions and think reasons behind, using their

mind

● A trust in modern science to solve problems and provide control over nature

相信科學

○ Explain: Science is a method to solve problems

● A commitment to the idea of progress in material wealth and in human society

● A belief in essential goodness of human nature

● A belief in people having been born with rights (i.e. Fundamental human rights)

● An emphasis upon the individual as master of his fate and fortune

● An engagement with the public sphere of discussion and action

Cause of Enlightenment

End of Medieval Age

Decline of Church and Feudalism

➢ Church was corrupted and declined due to it’s malpractice such as selling

indulgence and wrong teaching in healing black death

➢ Method taught by church to heal disease did not work. <-> Doctors used

scientific method and people seek for truths behind superstitions

➢ People start to question the church and started to discover the truth behind all

the religious belief and superstitions

➢ People thought that perhaps church and king did not have absolute divine

power to rule

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Renaissance

Rise of Humanism

➢ Humanism in renaissance -> Encourage people thinking in science and human

world. People had curiosity to the world around them

➢ Humanist try to put the same laws and observations to humanistic field (e.g.

Society and government)

Science in Renaissance

➢ Many scientific methods and discoveries were invented during the

Renaissance

➢ People had more courage to question the church’s teaching and popular

assumptions around.

➢ Start of rational belief

Society in the 17th Century

Three Estate System and Social Class

➢ Social class system in France in 17th Century is very unfair -> Inequality

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Rise of the Enlightenment

Enlightenment is initiated by educated people mainly in the middle class.

Rise of science and inquiries let people question and discover the truth.

Basic Enlightenment Concept Photo

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During the Enlightenment - Famous Enlightenment Thinkers/Philosophers

State: 支持獨裁，反對民主 (Support autocracy, oppose democracy)

Thomas Hobbes

Personal Info: ● English

Politician and Philosopher

● Famous Work:

1. Leviathan 2. On the

Citizen

Thinkings: 1. Man was born

with equal physical structures in body and mind. No one can claim to be privileged naturally.

2. No Natural Inequalities

3. Humans are evil and they must be controlled

Towards gov’t: Only absolutism (絕對獨裁) can rule the society properly so people’s life and properties can be protected. Ppl. shouldn’t have any rights except defending so law is needed

**百搭：任何話政府要獨裁(君主)，自然和人性是醜惡，人類沒有（有限度) 權利，要有法律 － All Thomas Hobbes

State: 反對獨裁，支持民主 (Oppose autocracy, support democracy)

John Locke

Personal Info: ● Englishman ● Famous: 1. The Two

Treaties on Government

Thinkings: 1. Man was born like

a blank sheet of paper. (Equally)

2. Government is a necessary evil for any human society

3. Only male can vote

Towards gov’t: 1. To life, liberty

to property 2. Form a

government to protect these natural rights

3. Overthrow any government that suppressed these rights

**百搭：講述人類應有一部分的自由而政府應該去保障人類的自由 - John Locke

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Rousseau

Personal Info: ● French ● Famous: 1. The Social

Contract (18th Century)

Thinkings: 1. Man was

originally born equally. They have freedom, happiness and liberty

2. Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chain

3. It state of nature, no gov’t is needed

Towards gov’t: 1. Social Contract

Theory - There is a contract between the ppl and the ruler

2. Power to rule come from the ppl but not the god

3. Ppl are sovereign so need a contract.

4. Contract can be set up and overthrow

**百搭：政府與人民有一個合約，政府不能獨大，權力來自人民 - Rousseau

Voltaire

Personal info: ● French ● Famous: 1. Candide

Thinkings: 1. Freedom of

speech 2. Freedom of the

press 3. Freedom of

religion 4. Freedom of

election 5. Rights to poverty

and liberty

Towards gov’t: 1. People

understand their freedom and rights more

2. Government pay more attention on everyone’s freedom

**百搭：所有講人類（個人）自由和權利 - Voltaire

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Montesquieu

Personal info: ● French ● Famous: 1. The Spirit of

Laws 2. Monitor and

balance

Thinkings: 1. Man tends to

over exercise his power once he possesses

2. Different power should be kept separately

3. The law should treat everyone fairly

Towards gov’t: 1. Laws should

treat everyone fairly

2. Monitor and balance imported in Hong Kong nowadays

**百搭：三權分立，民主政制 - Montesquieu

Separation of Power 三權分立 - 三個權力互不干犯

1. Legislative 立法

Only propose and make law

2. Executive 行政

Only make sure things are in place, carry out orders and instructions from law

3. Judiciary 司法

Decide if things/person are lawful in a just manner. If not, impose sentence

**OP Conclusion Chart of The Five Enlightenment Thinkers

Thomas Hobbes

Famous:

● Leviathan

● On the

Citizens

➢ Man was born with equal physical structures in body and

mind. No one can claim to be privileged ->

➢ State of nature is solitary, poor, nasty…… ->

➢ Humans are evil and they must be controlled ->

➢ Government should be absolutism (autocracy), it should

be ruled by a monarch

人性本惡，環境自身污糟，需要一個擁有絕對權力的政府統治。

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John Locke

Famous:

● The Two

Treaties on

Government

➢ Man was born like a blank sheet of paper.

➢ A government is necessary evil for any human society

➢ Power of the government must be come from people

➢ People have the right to life, liberty and property

➢ Form a government to protect these natural rights

➢ Overthrow any government that suppressed these rights

權力來自人民，支持共和民主 (Representative Democracy)

Rousseau

Famous:

● The Social

Contract

➢ Man was originally born equally. They have freedom,

happiness and liberty

➢ Ruler’s power to rule actually comes from people, and

not from the god

➢ There is always a contract between the people and the

ruler. If the ruler broke the contract, the people can set

up a new government by overthrowing the old. -> Social

Contract Theory

權力來自人民，人民與政府有互不干犯合約

Voltaire

Famous:

● Candide

➢ Freedom of Speech (言論自由)

➢ Freedom of the press (新聞自由)

➢ Freedom of religion (宗教自由)

➢ Freedom of election (選舉自由)

➢ Right to liberty and property (自由和物業的權利)

人類有基本的人權和權利

Montesquieu

Famous:

● Spirit of Law

➢ Human Nature - People have power to rule

➢ Best ruling governance - Breaking the power of the

government into 3 branches, each with special authority

and function (Separation of Power)

○ Legislative

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○ Executive

○ Judiciary

➢ Separation of power - Separate the powers to prevent

the abuse of power. Protect people’s right and stop

absolute rule.

Impact of Enlightenment

Immediate Impact throughout the Enlightenment

➢ People understood their rights better (Ppl. have different rights)

➢ Different Social Movements occur

○ American Revolution (1775)

○ French Revolution (1789)

➢ From those social movements, constitutions, rights and declarations have been

written base on Locke, Rousseau and Montesquieu’s idea

○ American Revolution ~ “The American Constitution” (1787) ~ Lead to

legal framework of U.S.A. nowadays

○ French Revolution - “The Declaration of Rights of Man” (1789) ~

Overthrow the Louis Family (i.e. Louis XVI)

○ Development of democracy ~ Representative Democracy

(Republicanism)共和民主 / (Constitutional Monarchy (君主立憲)

Impact to Europe in 19th Century

Romanticism - 浪漫主義 *Side effect

- People have emotions and expressions

Cases of Romanticism and emotions:

1. Revolution and War - People were frustrated, full of fear and hopeless because

of the chaos -> Challenge the necessity of enlightenment and began to solve

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problems by looking into human emotions and power of imagination

2. Ppl. trust science can solve many problem, if they cannot solve a problem

using reasons and sciences, they will feel frustrated.

3. Movements and Revolutions - Deeply connect the politics of the time, echoing

people’s fears, hopes and aspirations.

Impact to Modern World (Modern Global Values)

The French Flag (Three Cornerstones of France)

Blue - Liberty (自由)

Ppl. have rights and the

society is liberal

White - Equality (平等)

All ppl. are equal and have

the same treatment and

rights

Red - Fraternity (博愛)

Brotherhood, people like

and care each other ->

Peaceful society

Economic Impact

- Rise to capitalism (資本主義) ~ People should have their rights to own

properties and this right should be protected ~ Encouraged the emergence of

new economic theories (E.g. Adam Smith (c.1776) @S3 Business Studies)

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Modern Global Values

● Liberty - People have their rights and enjoy their freedom

● Human Rights - Declaration of Human rights@1948, people have their

fundamental rights

● Democracy (民主) - The power is from people and all people make decisions

for the government

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