EUROPEAN HISTORY
5. The Enlightenment
Form 3
Europe at the time of the Enlightenment and on the eve of the French Revolution
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Unit 5.1 - The Origins of the Enlightenment
Source A: Philosophers debating Source B: French Peasants attacking a balloon
1. How did the Age of Enlightenment come about?
The 17th century was the Age of Science because some of the most important scientific discoveries were
done in this century. The 18th century was the Age of the Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. Men
believed that they could solve all problems with the use of scientific experiments and logical reasoning.
They believed that they were living in an age of optimism and unending progress.
2. Circles of Enlightenment
The Enlightenment started in France but it then became an international movement. By 1750 Paris became
the centre for philosophers, writers and artists from all over Europe. Great Britain also played a leading part
in the movement. In England, the government was shared between the King and Parliament. This system of
government was called constitutional monarchy and it was admired by many Frenchmen because at that
time France had an absolute monarchy (all power was in the King’s hands).
In the 18th century the educated middle class, nobles and artisans became more interested in reading. This
development helped to spread the ideas of the Enlightenment. Rich families had their own private library in
their homes. Books, pamphlets, magazines and newspapers were published and sold freely in Britain, France,
Holland and Germany. In cities such as Paris, London and Berlin, the educated classes met in cafés and talked
about philosophy, politics and discoveries in science and technology. In countries where a strict censorship
was enforced (as in Austria, Spain, and Russia) books and newspapers were secretly smuggled in the country
from abroad.
3. Why did the Age of Enlightenment end?
But not everyone in the 18th century accepted the ideas of the Enlightenment. The ideas of the
Enlightenment were mostly confined to the small number of the educated classes. These ideas had little
appeal for the ordinary people. These people wanted a religion of the heart not a religion of reason. The
philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) struck a decisive blow against the Enlightenment when he
published the book Critique of Pure Reason (1781). Kant argued that science and reason do not provide
man with all solutions to their problems. Kant’s ideas were to bring about a new age of reasoning, known
as the Romantic Movement (or Romanticism).
In the end, the 18th century (thought to be the Age of Reason) ended with riots, revolutions, massacres,
executions and wars caused by the French Revolution of 1789. Sadly, much of the slaughter and conquest
that accompanied the Revolution was done in the name of the principles of the Enlightenment.
4. What were the long-term effects of the Enlightenment?
Today’s Western World owes much to the Age of the
Enlightenment, namely:
greater tolerance between people
a decline in superstition among the people
more respect for human rights by governments
freedom of thought and expression
widespread interest for learning among the people
Immanuel Kant more genuine efforts to have good governments
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Unit 5.1 - Origins of the Enlightenment
1. Te Enlightenment originated in ______________ in the _____________st century. (2)
2. The Enlightenment was also called _____________________________________________ (1)
3. What type of people can be seen in source A? ____________________________________ (1)
4. What is their social status? ___________________________________________________ (1)
5. Where do you think such meetings took place? ____________________________________ (1)
6. What did they usually do during such meetings? ___________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________ (1)
7. Why there are no women in the picture? ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________ (2)
8. What may have been the motive for the artist to paint such a picture?
__________________________________________________________________________ (2)
9. Look at source B. Why are the peasants attacking the balloon?
__________________________________________________________________________ (1)
10. What was the contribution of Diderot to the spreading of Enlightenment ideas?
_________________________________________________________________________ (1)
11. What stand did the Catholic Church take about the Enlightenment? Why did it do so?
_________________________________________________________________________ (2)
12. Name the philosopher and the movement that challenged the ideas of the Enlightenment?
(a) philosopher: ______________________ (b) Movement: ________________________ (1)
13. (a) Which event in European history made many people abandon the ideas of the Enlightenment
bring in after 1789?
_________________________________________________________________________ (1)
(b) Give a reason why many people changed their mind about the Enlightenment.
_________________________________________________________________________ (1)
14. Give two examples of long-term achievements of the Enlightenment.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ (2)
(Total marks = 20)
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Unit 5.2 - The Main Philosophers of the Enlightenment
Voltaire Montesquieu
Adam Smith Rousseau
Diderot John Locke
1. John Locke (English) - Two Treatises of Government (1690) arguing that men are created with
equal rights to life, liberty and property. One of man’s rights is to revolt against a bad or unjust
government.
2. Voltaire (1694-1778) (French) - His writings filled 70 volumes of plays, novels, histories, poems,
pamphlets and letters. He attacked the Catholic Church for having left the people ignorant. He criticized
the French monarchy for its bad government. But Voltaire was against government by the people. He
admired enlightened despots like Frederick the Great of Prussia and Joseph II of Austria. Once he
wrote, “No government can be in any manner effective unless it possesses absolute power.”
3. Charles, Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) (French) – The Spirit of the Laws (1748). He was
against both absolute monarchy and enlightened despotism. He admired the English constitutional
monarchy. His greatest work was He divided governments into republics, monarchies and despotisms.
His ideas influenced the Constitution of the United States in 1789.
4. Denis Diderot (1713-84) (French) – Editor of the first published encyclopedia (1751-72) – 28 volumes
contained the ideas of the Enlightenment. The Encylopédie was a great success: 4,300 people subscribed to
its first edition. The Catholic Church condemned it the as the ‘gospel of Satan’.
5. Adam Smith (1723-1790) (Scottish) – His book The Wealth of Nations (1767) He is the founder of
economics as a human science. He analyzed the division of labour, money, prices, wages and the means of
production. His ideas gave rise to the political and economy theories of liberalism and capitalism.
6. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1788) (Swiss) - The Social Contract (1762). He believed that man in the
state of nature (without civilization) is good and harmless. It is society that corrupts him with greed and
ambition over other men. The right for private property was the cause for all ills. The best form of
government had to be based on the ‘general will’ or ‘the will of the majority’. This is how modern
democracies work today where free elections take place. The Social Contract influenced the republican
radical leaders of the French Revolution. Robespierre used it as the model for his Republic of Virtue
(1793-94).
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Unit 5.2 - The Philosophers of the Enlightenment
1. What did Locke say about the government of a country?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ (2)
2. What did Voltaire say about the Catholic Church?
_________________________________________________________________________ (1)
3. Why did Montesquieu prefer the English political system?
_________________________________________________________________________ (2)
4. Adam Smith is held to be the first modern economist. State why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ (2)
5. (a) What did Rousseau say about the state of man in nature?
_________________________________________________________________________ (1)
(b) What did he say about the state of man in society?
_________________________________________________________________________ (1)
6. Who wrote the following famous books on political theory?
(a) Two treatises of Government: __________________________________________ (1)
(b) The Spirit of the Laws: __________________________________________ (1)
(c) The Wealth of Nations: __________________________________________ (1)
(d) The Social Contract: __________________________________________ (1)
(e) Anti-clerical satirical play: __________________________________________ (1)
7. Match Column A with Column B.: (5)
Column A Column B
Enlightened philosopher Main political theory
Anti-clericalism - the movement against the
a Locke
influence of the Catholic Church in society
Liberalism – the right for everyone to be free
b Voltaire
and treated equally in society
Democracy – when the government is chosen
c Montesquieu
by the people
Capitalism – the right for everyone to work for
d Rousseau
profit and wealth
Separation of Powers between Parliament,
e Adam Smith
the Government and the Law Courts
4. Name the philosopher that had the greater influence on the course of the French Revolution?
__________________________________________________________________________ (1)
(Total marks = 20)
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Unit 5.3 - Enlightened Despotism
1. Expulsion of the Jesuits from Austria by Joseph II. 2. Carlos III 3. Joseph I
4. Gustavus III 5. Christian VII 6. First Partition of Poland in 1772
1. What is the meaning and origin of ‘enlightened despotism’ and ‘enlightened despots’?
Enlightened despotism is a term given to kings, queens and emperors having absolute powers but who
put into practice the political ideas of the philosophers of the Enlightenment. They hoped to win the
loyalty of their subjects by reform from above. In this way they hoped to stop the people from trying to
bring to change society by revolution from below. By reforming the ills of society they could: (a) have a
more efficient government, (b) bring greater prosperity to their country and (c) have a stronger army. To
meet these objectives enlightened despots needed a team of well-trained and loyal (obedient) minister and
civil servants.
2. Who where the most famous enlightened despots
The greatest enlightened despots sat on the thrones of Prussia, Austria, and Russia. There were a
number of petty (lesser) despots who ruled over Spain (Charles III, 1759-88), Portugal (Joseph I,
1750-77), Sweden (Gustavus III, 1771-92) and Denmark (Christian VII, 1766-1808). Most
enlightened despots followed the same patterns of reform: they improved agriculture, reduced the
hardships of the peasants, reformed the courts, codified the laws, abolished torture, granted religious
toleration, opened hospitals and schools, encouraged scientific and technical research. In Catholic states
like Austria, Spain and Portugal, they reduced the influence of the Catholic Church and expelled the
Jesuit Order because of its control over education, especially the universities.
3. How did enlightened despotism end?
Enlightened despots had to meet a common danger. While they were trying to bring about reforms, the
nobility of Europe, and of France in particular, began to demand more privileges from the monarchy.
The reforms of the enlightened despots worked against their vested interests (e.g. they refused to pay taxes
like the rest of the common people). The nobility as a class became more determined to oppose these
reforms. This was what happened in France a few years before the outbreak of Revolution in 1789. Most
of the work of the enlightened despots were stopped because of the confusion brought about in Europe by
that Revolution.
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Unit 5.4 - The Great Enlightened Despots
1. Frederick II ‘the Great’ 2. Maria Theresa
King of Prussia, (1740-1786) Empress of Austria (1740-1780)
Frederick II of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia as an Maria Theresa of Habsburg was not a great
absolute king. He held that all persons, including leader herself. But she employed ministers who
himself were servants of the state. The king was simply were able to put her policies in practice. She set up
‘the first servant’ and his duty was to promote the a Council of State to examine the laws and make
welfare of his people. Fredrick’s reform made Prussia reforms, reformed the criminal code, strengthened
the most efficient and powerful state in Europe. Prussia the army, improved the conditions of the peasants,
fought and won the Seven Years’ War (1757-63) alone set up primary schools and reformed the
against Austria, Russia and France. He reduced University of Vienna. Maria Theresa was a
censorship of the press and gave religious toleration to devout Catholic and thus left the Catholic Church
religious minorities. But he still excluded Jews from the to enjoy a position of great influence in the
civil service and imposed a special tax on them. country.
3. Joseph II of Habsburg
Holy Roman Emperor (1780-1790) 4. Catherine II the Great
Joseph II was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1765. Czarina (Empress) of Russia (1762-1796)
In 1780 he succeeded his mother Maria Theresa as Under her rule, the Russian Empire won new
ruler of Austria. He set up a secret police to inspect the lands from the Ottoman Empire and from Poland.
work of the civil service, abolished the death penalty in Catherine II was a friend and sponsor of Voltaire
many offenses and gave Protestants, Orthodox, and Diderot. She applied some of the ideas of the
Catholics and Jews equal status before the law. He Enlightenment to reform the government. She set
took over hundreds of monasteries from the Catholic up state primary schools and of a medical college.
Church which he turned into state schools or hospitals. But instead of abolishing serfdom, she expanded
Bishops were made to swear an oath of loyalty to the it further to new conquered lands and gave nobles
state. Joseph relaxed the press censorship and more powers over their peasants. But when the
encouraged the publication of books about the French Revolution broke out in 1789, Catherine
Enlightenment. But the nobility refused to accept most became afraid to make more liberal reforms.
of his reforms. The peasants revolted when promises Although Catherine was held to be at times cruel
of reform were not carried out. Most of his reforms and ruthless, she helped to make Russia a modern
were stopped after his death. Joseph had tried to go too European state.
fast and too far. Frederick II of Prussia said of him: ‘he
always took the second step before he took the first.’
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Unit 5.3 and 5.4 - Enlightened Despotism
1. Explain the term ‘enlightened despotism’.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ (2)
2. What type of people were enlightened despots? Underline two from the following:
(popes, presidents, kings, prime minister, emperors, mayors, lawyers) (2)
3. Fill in the following table as shown in the examples given. (10 x 1 = 10)
Name of
Dates when
enlightened Country One enlightened achievement
ruled
despot
1 Frederick II 1740-1786
2 Austrian Lands 1740-1780
3 1780-1790
4 Russian Empire
4. Identify two not so good measures taken by one or more of the above enlightened despots.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________ (2)
5. Name two other petty despots and the country over which they ruled.
(a) __________________________________ _________________________________
(b) __________________________________ _________________________________ (2)
5. Why did the nobility came out against the changes of the enlightened despots?
__________________________________________________________________________ (2)
(Total marks = 20)
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Unit 5.5 - The Enlighenment
Read carefully the following essay titles and answer any ONE in about 200 to 300 words.
Essays carry 20 marks each.
PAPER 2A
On the Enlightenment and enlightened despotism
1. (a) What do you understand by ‘the Age of Reason’? (6)
(b) What contribution to the development of new ideas was made before 1763 by
French philosophers? (SEC 1996) (14)
2. How far can Frederick II of Prussia and Catherine the Great of Russia be described as
enlightened monarchs? Discuss with reference to their ideas and policies.
3. Who were the enlightened philosophers and what impact did they have on the French
Revolution of 1789? (SEC 2011)
PAPER 2B
On the Enlightenment and enlightened despotism
1. (a) What do you understand by ‘Enlightened Despotism’? (8)
(b) Who were the main enlightened despots of Europe in the 18th century? (6)
(c) What did any one of these enlightened despots achieve?(6) (SEC 1995)
2. (a) What was the Enlightenment? (2)
(b) Name two philosophers that profess enlightenment ideas. (2)
(c) Outline the teaching of one of these philosophers. (6)
(d) Frederick II of Prussia is described as an enlightened despot. Explain why. (10)
(SEC 2010)
3. (a) What was the Enlightenment? (4)
(b) Name one philosopher and discuss his significance. (4)
(c) Name one enlightened despot and discuss his/her policies. (4)
(c) What effect did the Enlightenment have on the French Revolution? (4)
(d) Explain was slavery was. (4) (SEC 2011)
4. (a) What was the Enlightenment? (4)
(b) What caused this movement? (4)
(c) Name two philosophers of the Enlightenment and two enlightened despots. (4)
(d) Choose any one of these philosophers and explain his ideas. (4)
(e) What were the main results of this movement? (4) (Annual Paper 2009)
