The Enlightenment

THE 5TH CAUSE

OF THE
AMERICAN

REVOLUTION:

 1) BRITAIN RESTRICTING
WESTERN SETTLEMENT
2) VIOLENCE AGAINST
COLONISTS
3) TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION
4) ATTACKS ON LIBERTIES /
INTOLERABLE ACTS

5) ENLIGHTENMENT
IDEAS

The World Before Enlightenment

PRIOR TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT, BELIEVING IN GOD IN THE WEST WAS LIKE BELIEVING IN THE
SUNRISE; THE ANSWER TO ALL THE BIG QUESTIONS OF LIFE WAS GOD

THE BIBLE WAS THE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HIM, ESPECIALLY THE OLD TESTAMENT,
FOR THERE ONE COULD LEARN, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND AND
THE DIVINE PURPOSES.
EVEN POLITICAL QUESTIONS WERE TO BE SOLVED BY THE OLD TESTAMENT.
EVERYTHING WAS UNDERSTOOD TO WORK ACCORDING TO GODS PLAN.
THE EVENTS OF HISTORY WERE NOT CHANCE OCCURRENCES, BUT EVENTS THAT SERVED TO
CARRY OUT GODS WILL.
THE UNIVERSE WAS FAIRLY YOUNG, HAVING BEEN CREATED BY GOD ABOUT 4000 YEARS
BEFORE CHRIST, AND IT WAS KEPT IN OPERATION THROUGH GODS IMMEDIATE INVOLVEMENT.
THE EARTH WAS AT THE PHYSICAL CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE; SINCE MAN WAS THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF CREATION, CLEARLY GODS PURPOSES WERE CENTERED ON HIM.

Like what?

Logic:
Reason:
THE POWER OF THE MIND TO THINK,
UNDERSTAND, AND FORM
JUDGMENTS BY A PROCESS OF
LOGIC.

Logic requires the

act of reasoning
by humans in
order to form
thoughts and
opinions, as well
as classifications
and judgments

There are two types of Logical Arguments:

DEDUCTIVE LOGIC
THIS TYPE OF REASONING PROVIDES COMPLETE EVIDENCE OF THE TRUTH OF ITS
CONCLUSION. IT USES A SPECIFIC AND ACCURATE PREMISE THAT LEADS TO A SPECIFIC
AND ACCURATE CONCLUSION.

EXAMPLE ALL DOGS HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF SMELL. BAILEY IS A DOG. THEREFORE, DEDUCTIVE
REASONING LOGIC TELLS YOU THAT BAILEY HAS A GOOD SENSE OF SMELL.

ALL SENIORS ARE BAD DRIVERS. MR. JONES IS 70 YEARS OLD AND YOU WON'T LET HIM
DRIVE YOUR CAR BECAUSE YOU THINK HE IS AN UNSAFE DRIVER.

There are two types of Logical Arguments:

INDUCTIVE LOGIC
THIS TYPE OF REASONING IS "BOTTOM UP," MEANING THAT IT TAKES SPECIFIC
INFORMATION AND MAKES A BROAD GENERALIZATION THAT IS CONSIDERED
PROBABLE, ALLOWING FOR THE FACT THAT THE CONCLUSION MAY NOT BE
ACCURATE. OR EXPERIMENTAL.
EXAMPLE :
EVERY THREE YEAR OLD YOU SEE AT THE PARK EVERY AFTERNOON SPENDS
MOST OF THEIR TIME CRYING AND SCREAMING.

YOUR CONCLUSION IS THAT ALL THREE YEAR OLDS SPEND THEIR AFTERNOON
SCREAMING.

The Enlightenment in the

13 colonies THE ENLIGHTENMENT WAS A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON THE POLITICAL IDEAS OF THE COLONISTS WHO
PUSHED FOR INDEPENDENCE FROM GREAT BRITAIN.

ONE OF THE MAJOR IDEAS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT IS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE GOVERNED BY
REASON, NOT BY TRADITION. ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS LIKE JOHN LOCKE SAW NO LOGICAL
REASON WHY KINGS SHOULD RULE RATHER THAN HAVING PEOPLE RULE THEMSELVES. THEY
BELIEVED THAT A MORE LOGICAL SYSTEM WAS ONE IN WHICH GOVERNMENT EXISTED BY THE
CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY BELIEVED IN DEMOCRACY.
THE LEADERS OF THE REVOLUTION CLEARLY TOOK MANY OF THEIR POLITICAL IDEAS FROM
POLITICAL THINKERS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT

The Enlightenment

THIS NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD, OF LISTENING FIRST TO EXPERIENCE RATHER
THAN TO TRADITION AND THE CHURCH, WAS A MAJOR CHARACTERISTIC OF THE
ENLIGHTENMENT.
JAMES TURNER CALLS THIS A NEW CAST OF MIND. NO LONGER WERE PEOPLE TO BE
DEPENDENT UPON THE CHURCH TO TELL THEM ABOUT THEIR WORLD. NOW THEY COULD
LEARN ABOUT IT IN OTHER WAYS.
THE COLONISTS, ORIGINALLY SUBJECTS OF THE ENGLISH MONARCHY, REBELLED AGAINST
ENGLAND IN ORDER TO GAIN MORE PERSONAL LIBERTY AND SOLIDIFY THEIR RIGHTS AS
FREE PEOPLE.
THE POST-REVOLUTION AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WAS FORMED AS A COMPLEX WEB OF
COUNTERACTING BRANCHES (EXECUTIVE, JUDICIAL, AND LEGISLATIVE), UNDERPINNED BY
A REGULATIVE CONSTITUTION, THAT HELPED ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT
BECOME TOO POWERFUL OR UNACCOUNTABLE TO OVERSIGHT.
THIS WAY, THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL COULD BE PROTECTED FROM OPPRESSIVE
GOVERNMENT.