Lecture notes
The Enlightenment
- Module
- Power, Politics and Ideology
- Institution
- Loughborough University (LU)
Key information about the Enlightenment with thinkers and their texts.
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The Enlightenment ( The Age of Reason or Age of Light) - late 17th century to the ending of theNapoleonic Wars in 1815 was 'decisive in the making of modernity' (Roy Porter) The bright light of
reason should shine on tradition.
According to Immanuel Kant – Enlightenment is 'a man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage'
, ( which is the inability to understand something without the help of someone else) especially in
regards to religion. This is very difficult as man is lazy and immature would gladly have decisions
made for him.
The human minds houses 'categories of understandings' to produce rational judgements
Rationalism , maturity
Independence
Progress
Moral
'Dare to know!'
The state should stop acting as a watchman and give the people freedom – this would open the
gates to enlightenment – people would become self-sufficient and thinking for yourself is a
progressive force.
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Custom and tradition traded for exploration, individualism, tolerance and scientific discovery which
in tandem with developments in politics, created the 'modern world'.
Roots can be found in the English Civil War – The restoration of Charles II (1660) and the ascendancy
of James II (1685). Movements for political change resulted in the Glorious Revolution (1688/89) -
William and Mary placed as part of the new Protestant settlement.
Many early thinkers were eager to detach from what they saw as political tyranny.
Political Freedoms, contract and rights
Edmund Burke
Political stance : Political Conservative
Key Ideas :
-Change : political change should be undertaken with great caution and organically
-Tradition and empiricism : practices passed down for generations should be respected
, • human nature: Skeptical. The ‘crooked timber of humanity’ is marked by a gap between aspiration
and achievement. We may conceive of perfection, but we are unable to achieve it.
• Society: Society is organic and multi-faceted, comprising of a host of small communities and
organisations (‘little platoons’).
• the role of the state: The state arises organically and should be aristocratic, driven by a hereditary
elite reared to rule in the interests of all.
• the economy: Trade should involve ‘organic’ free markets and laissez-faire capitalism
View on the French revolution :
British onlookers tended to think that the extreme violence of the French Revolution was incompatible
with the Enlightenment. Many saw this as an opposite to 'reason'. Burke urged this to be prevented
amongst British radicals.
John Locke - Treaties of Government (1689) - advocated : separation of the church and state ,
religious toleration, the right to own property and the social contract ( contractual obligation on the
government to recognise the innate rights of the people.
An essay concerning human understanding (1690) - every individual is tabula rasa – a blank slate at
birth. Against the idea of the original sin.
-Liberal philosopher
-Followed empiricism
Political Stance : Liberalism
Key ideas :
-Social Contact Theory : Society, state and government are based on a theoretical voluntary
agreement.
-Limited Government : That government should be limited and based on consent from below.
• human nature: humans are rational, guided by the pursuit of self-interest, but mindful of others'
concerns.
• Society: society predates the state, there were 'natural' societies with natural laws and natural
rights (=state of nature)
• the role of the state: the state must be representative, based on the consent of the governed
• the economy: state policy should respect the 'natural right' to private property and arbitrate
effectively between individuals competing for trade and resources.
Thomas Hobbes - Leviathan (1651)
Similarly to Locke advocated new social contracts between the state and civil society as the key to
unlocking personal happiness for all
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