‘The European Enlightenment “The Enlightenment took a new world view it involved the reevaluation ofall values, established a new order of thought and transformed the standards of humanity. The Teaders doubted the validity of old religious, ethical and political systems. The folly and superstition of the Catholic Church, the absolute monarchies of Europe were heavily criticized, : “The Enlightenment introduces a secular view of life and an optimistic attitude towards the futur. The philosophes (Philosophers of the Enlightenment) appealed to all wae sonable men to overthrow the ideas handed down from the past and to accept the rule Of reason, They attacked the power of an old authority and of tradition. They believed that the human understanding is capable by its own power and without supernatural aid, of knowing the nature and meaning of the world and of man, and of mastering nature end, by the use of experiment and reason, of controlling the life of man. “fhe Enlightenment appeated tothe new emerging, educated Middle Class which did not cling to the values of the older privileged orders in Europe. The monarchy, the aristocracy and the Claurch tended to cling to old ideas and values. The Middle Chass used the ideas of the Enlightenment to challenge the authority of the old order. (eg. The French Revolution), The Middle Class in Burope objected strenuously to the privileges enjoyed by the nobility and the Church. “the ideas of the Enlightenment were not confined to France or Europe but had spread to the Americas by 1750, (Note: These ideas encouraged the Ametican Revolution 177% Haitian Revolution 1791 and revolutionary struggles in Brezil and Venezuela.) - Simply put, the ideas of the Enlightenment were: "PY The only justification forthe State wes promotion of the good life for its citizens; 7 Men should be allowed to direct their own lives by their Imowledge, reason and experience. ‘ _ The ability to use their reason made all men equal: laws should be made in accordance with popular wishes and should preserve men’s rights, _ There should be freedom of thought. Man should be free ftom the intolerance and superstition ifthe church and the rale of absolutism. (That is the absolute monarchies of Europe. Some philosphes believed in benevolent despotism as they believed it could bring about reform. Some absolute monarchs, Catherine It of Russia and Louis XVI of France had embraced the Enlightenment.) fhe) ~The enlightenment advocated various types of freedom; political freedam, = /4] Al de vel intellectual and religious freedom, economic freedom and ational freedom. ~~? S» 7-1} ie 1 \ ~ fielea ‘Though the philosophes were fiercely eitcal of absolutism, they were not-ll in favour of "the democracy, They looked at Demoaracy with less favour because of its lack oxperiénes, pesmi fis tendency to go to extremes and because it often meant the rule ofthe imational Some oF like Rousseau thought that democracy should. involve only the rich as the poor could not make informed decisions.