Three concepts were central to Enlightenment thinking:
- rationalism, a secular, critical way of thinking in which nothing was accepted on faith and everything was submitted to reason;
- the use of the scientific method to discover the laws of human society and nature; and
- progress, the idea that it was possible to create better societies and people
The Philosophes
- The philosophes were a group of thinkers and writers who espoused enlightened ideas. Taken together, they formed a grand "republic of letters."
- The philosophes were not abstract philosophers. Instead they dedicated themselves to exposing social problems and proposing reforms based upon implementing natural laws.
- Although many leading philosophes were French, they were a cosmopolitan group who could be found in the American colonies and across Europe.
Key Ideas
Reason
- To the philosophes, reason was the absence of intolerance, bigotry, and superstition. Reason meant informed thinking about social problems.
- Humans should rely on reason, not miracles, to improve society.
- The philosophes believed that natural laws regulate both the universe and human society.
- These natural laws can be discovered by human reason
- Philosophes had little interest in the medieval belief that people should accept misery in this world to find salvation in the hereafter.
- Philosophes believed that happiness in this world was an inalienable human right.
- The philosophes were the first Europeans to believe in social progress.
- The discovery of laws of economics and government would improve society and make progress inevitable.
- The philosophes lived in societies that placed restrictions on speech, religion and trade. They wanted to remove these limitations on human liberty.
- The philosophes believed that intellectual freedom was a natural right. Without freedom of expression, there could be no progress.
- The philosophes questioned institutional religious beliefs, arguing that they perpetuated superstition, intolerance and bigotry.
- the philosophes advocated full religious tolerance.