Philosophy

18th Century Europe was dominated by an intellectual and philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment. Generally, the Enlightenment can be considered to take place between 1715 (the beginning of the reign of French King Louis XV) and 1789 (the beginning of the French Revolution).

SALON DE MADAME GEOFFRIN (LEMONNIER)

The basic tenants of Enlightenment philosophy include:

• the primary source for knowledge should be reason and evidence rather than faith
• the separation of church and state
• the opposition to absolute monarchy
• the opposition to religious dogma
• the questioning of religious orthodoxy
• the protection of individual liberty
• the freedom of expression
• the emphasis on the scientific method

One of the most influential leaders in Enlightenment philosophy was the French writer, Voltaire.  Throughout his long and eventful life, Voltaire's massive amounts of books, letters, plays, and pamphlets that he authored advocated for civil liberties, free speech, and separation of church and state while at the same time denouncing the religious and political institutions of his time.

VOLTAIRE (1694-1778)

Another highly influential Enlightenment figure was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a writer and music composer from Geneva. In his writings, Rousseau advocated for a government in which sovereignty was derived from the governed instead of a divinely appointed monarch.

ROUSSEAU (1712-1778)

Voltaire, Rousseau, and other Enlightenment figures planted the seeds of a philosophical and political movement that would eventually result in the French Revolution.