The ENLIGHTENMENT, Explained [AP World History Review—Unit 5 Topic 1]

Summary

In this insightful review of the Enlightenment, we dive into the 18th-century intellectual movement that redefined rationalism, empiricism, and individualism. The video highlights how these ideas laid the groundwork for major revolutions between 1750 and 1900, including the American, French, Haitian, and Latin American upheavals. Enlightenment thinkers challenged traditional authority and promoted natural rights, individual liberty, and the concept of a social contract, paving the way for significant political and social transformations worldwide. Furthermore, the ideas spawned movements for suffrage, the abolition of slavery, the end of serfdom, and early feminist calls for gender equality.

Highlights

• Enlightenment thinkers prized reason and empirical evidence over established authority and emotion, setting the stage for intellectual revolutions 🤔.
• Rationalism and empiricism, originating from the Scientific Revolution, played a pivotal role in shaping Enlightenment thought 🔬.
• Individualism and natural rights were central tenets, emphasizing the power of the people over monarchies and governments 🌟.
• The ideological shift encouraged political upheaval, influencing revolutions in America, France, Haiti, and Latin America 🎆.
• Key social progress included the push for expanded suffrage, the abolition of slavery, and the rise of the women's movement 🚺.

Key Takeaways

• The Enlightenment was crucial for sparking revolutions globally, providing an ideological framework for change 🌍.
• Key concepts like rationalism, empiricism, and individual rights emerged during this period, challenging traditional authority 💡.
• Revolutions such as the American, French, and Haitian were influenced by Enlightenment ideas on liberty and government restructuring 🗽.
• The movement inspired significant social change, including the expansion of voting rights and the abolition of slavery and serfdom ⚖️.
• Women's rights began gaining momentum, highlighting the persistent gender inequalities of the time 👩‍🎤.

Overview

The Enlightenment was an intellectual awakening that emerged in the late 18th century, characterized by a new emphasis on reason, scientific inquiry, and individual rights. Enlightenment thinkers like Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire challenged established norms and authority, advocating for a society governed by logic and empirical evidence rather than tradition or religion. Their ideas fostered a spirit of questioning and inquiry that reshaped the political and cultural landscapes of the time.

This period saw significant advancements in political philosophy, including the concepts of the social contract and natural rights. Such ideas inspired several revolutionary movements, most notably the American and French Revolutions. These upheavals underscored a growing discontent with monarchical rule and a push towards democratic governance, showcasing the power of Enlightenment ideals in shaping history.

Beyond politics, the Enlightenment also sparked social revolutions, leading to reforms in suffrage, the abolition of slavery, and the gradual emergence of women's rights movements. While these changes did not occur overnight, the seeds planted during the Enlightenment grew into profound societal transformations that continue to influence modern thought and values.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Enlightenment The chapter titled 'Introduction to Enlightenment' introduces the time period between 1750 and 1900, emphasizing its significance in historical studies. It's described as an exciting period full of revolutions worldwide. The text highlights that understanding the Enlightenment is crucial as it provided the ideological basis for these significant global changes. The chapter sets the stage for exploring how Enlightenment principles influenced these transformations.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Definition of Enlightenment The chapter titled 'Definition of Enlightenment' discusses an intellectual movement that emphasized new ways of understanding through rationalism and empiricism. Rationalism prioritizes reason over emotion and external authority as the primary source of knowledge, suggesting that one should rely on logical thought processes rather than feelings to gain true understanding. Empiricism highlights the importance of obtaining true knowledge through experience and evidence. Both concepts played a fundamental role in shaping the Enlightenment's approach to understanding the natural world and human relationships.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment The chapter titled 'Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment' discusses the development of new ways of pursuing knowledge that began during the Scientific Revolution in 16th and 17th century Europe and continued during the Enlightenment. It highlights how scientists of the era moved away from reliance on biblical and religious authority, instead using reason and empirical evidence to understand the world. These scientific breakthroughs allowed them to comprehend the complexities of the cosmos and the internal workings of nature.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Role of Religion The chapter discusses how the Enlightenment extended scientific and rationalistic thinking beyond natural sciences to the study of human society. It suggests that if someone wants to develop their intellectual capabilities, resources like an AP World review guide can be helpful for preparing for classwork and national exams.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Deism and Atheism The Enlightenment prompted a reevaluation of religion's role in society, particularly focusing on Christianity, which had long been intertwined with state power in Europe. Enlightenment thinkers criticized Christianity as a revealed religion, meaning that its truths and commandments, as delivered by the Bible and believed to be God-given, were beyond question. For example, the Bible's directive to 'turn the other cheek' when smacked is a mandate from Jesus himself, preventing retaliation, something that might be more instinctive to people. This aspect of Christianity was seen as problematic by enlightenment thinkers, who valued questioning and empirical evidence.
• 03:00 - 03:30: New Political Ideas The chapter titled 'New Political Ideas' covers the significant shift of authority from external to internal sources, brought about by the Enlightenment and influenced by the Scientific Revolution. It illustrates this change by discussing new ways of connecting with the divine, particularly deism. Deists, popular among Enlightenment thinkers, believed in a God who created the universe but no longer intervened in its workings, leaving the natural laws to govern the cosmos.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Enlightenment and Revolutions The chapter 'Enlightenment and Revolutions' discusses key philosophical changes during the Enlightenment period. The Enlightenment is likened to a clock wound by God that runs automatically, indicating a shift away from a divine-managed world to one governed by natural laws. Atheism, as a result, reflects a complete rejection of religious beliefs and divine beings during this time.
• 05:00 - 05:30: Expansion of Suffrage The chapter titled 'Expansion of Suffrage' discusses key Enlightenment thinkers' contributions to political philosophy, particularly the emphasis on individual rights and the concept of the social contract. These thinkers, including John Locke, believed in the natural rights of life, liberty, and property, which were considered God-given and therefore, inalienable by any government or monarch. The Enlightenment's focus on these principles laid the groundwork for broader political philosophies regarding individual freedoms and the rights of citizens within a society.
• 05:30 - 06:00: Abolition of Slavery The chapter titled 'Abolition of Slavery' discusses the ideas that fueled major revolutions across the world. It highlights the Enlightenment principles that societies endowed with natural rights must establish governments to protect these rights. If a government becomes oppressive, citizens have a right to overthrow it and create a new one. These Enlightenment ideas provided the ideological framework for several significant revolutions of the time, including the American, French, Haitian, and Latin American Revolutions.
• 06:00 - 06:30: End of Serfdom The chapter titled 'End of Serfdom' discusses how the Enlightenment's emphasis on rejecting established traditions and introducing new political ideologies significantly influenced major global upheavals. These revolutions, in turn, fostered the rise of nationalism worldwide. Nationalism is defined as a common identity among a people, grounded in shared language, religion, and social customs, and is often tied to the desire for territory.
• 06:30 - 07:00: Call for Women's Rights The chapter discusses the expansion of voting rights, known as suffrage, over time. Initially, only landed white males could vote after the American Revolution. However, in the first half of the 19th century, laws expanded this right to all white males. In the second half of the 19th century, black males were also granted the right to vote. The chapter highlights that Enlightenment ideas such as Liberty and equality, revered in America since the Declaration of Independence, significantly influenced these expansions. Additionally, these Enlightenment values also contributed to the abolition of slavery in certain regions.

The ENLIGHTENMENT, Explained [AP World History Review—Unit 5 Topic 1] Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hey you ready to get enlightened I knew you would be and so welcome to unit 5 and that puts us in the time period 1750 to 1900 which as far as historical time periods go is pretty juicy so if you're ready to get them brain cows milked let's get to it okay now before I tell you exactly what the enlightenment is I should tell you that we're not just talking about this development for funsies no this unit is really about various kinds of revolutions that occurred throughout the world during this period And the reason we're talking about the enlightenment is because it provided the ideological framework for all of these upheavals so tuck that into your brain folds and we'll get back to it so by definition the enlightenment
• 00:30 - 01:00 describes an intellectual movement that applied new ways of understanding such as rationalism and empiricist approaches both to the natural world and to human relationship and there's a whole mess of complicated words in that definition that are going to need further defining if you're going to understand this first the enlightenment majored in rationalism which argued that reason rather than emotion or any external Authority is the most reliable source of true knowledge in other words to get Noy knowy you got to get thinky thinky and not Fey Fey second empiricism describes the idea that true knowledge gained through the
• 01:00 - 01:30 senses mainly through rigorous experimentation now I should tell you that all these new ways of pursuing knowledge didn't just drop down on Humanity fully formed during the Enlightenment no empirical and rationalist ways of thinking were developed earlier during the Scientific Revolution that occurred in Europe in the 16th and 17th century during that juy Revolution scientists toss biblical and religious Authority out the window and used the rigorous process of reason to discover how the world really works and thus using their prodigiously developed thinky thinky Parts they experienced scientific breakthroughs and understanding the complexities of the Cosmos the internal workings of the
• 01:30 - 02:00 human body Etc so the enlightenment is really just an extension of that same kind of scientific and rationalistic thinking but enlightenment philosophers applied those methods to the study of human society oh and I should mention that if you likewise want to develop your thinky thinky parts and get all enlightened so that you can get an A in your class and a five on your exam in May you might want to check out my AP World heimler review guide it is the fastest way to study everything you need to know for your classwork and that National exam in May so get that clicky finger out and check the link in the description anyway I hope it's obvious by now but one of the crucial component
• 02:00 - 02:30 to the enlightenment was the questioning and reexamination of the role of religion in public life now remember that the enlightenment began in Europe where most people were Christians and where the church had been an instrument of state power for a long dang time and here was the problem with a religion like Christianity according to Enlightenment thinkers Christianity is a revealed religion which means that the words of the Bible along with all its commands was revealed by God and therefore could not be questioned like suppose someone slaps you on the cheek your first reaction might be to get all Slappy right back well sorry Jesus himself says that you can't retaliate
• 02:30 - 03:00 and who's going to question the dang ancient of dat so the enlightenment represented a significant shift of authority carried over from the Scientific Revolution from outside a person to inside a person God ain't going to tell us what to do anymore I do what I want and so to that end new ways of relating to the Divine were developed and I'm going to mention two first was deism which was exceedingly popular among Enlightenment thinkers deists believ that there was a God but a God that created all things and then no longer intervened in the created order so God made all the stars and the planets and everything and then threw in a healthy dose of the laws of physics
• 03:00 - 03:30 and then just wound it up like a clock and he's just going to let that thing tick until all the ticks run out second was atheism which was a complete rejection of religious belief and any notion of divine being okay so you've got a broad overview of the Enlightenment and now there are a few specific ideas that grew out of this movement that you need to know and we'll concern ourselves with the new political ideas emerging during this period first Enlightenment thinkers emphasized individualism which describes the phenomenon that the most basic element of society was the individual human and not Collective groups therefore the progress and EXP expion of the
• 03:30 - 04:00 individual over against the society was a key tenant second Enlightenment thinkers emphasized the concept of natural rights which means that individual humans are born with certain rights that cannot be infringed upon by governments or any other entity for example John Lock argued that each human being was born with the natural rights of life liberty and property and that those rights were endowed by God and if those rights were given by God then and you know here's the big reveal those rights can not be taken away by a monarch what I know okay third Enlightenment thinkers also develop the idea of the social contract which is the
• 04:00 - 04:30 idea that human societies endowed with natural rights must construct governments of their own will and the main purpose of that government is to protect their natural rights and by consequence if that government becomes a tyrannical turd trampling on the rights of the people then those people have the right to overthrow that government and establish a new one okay and finally we need to consider the effects of these Enlightenment ideas and I've got five for you first Enlightenment ideas created the ideological context for the major revolutions that occurred during this period including the American French Haitian and Latin American Revolutions now we'll get into more
• 04:30 - 05:00 detail on each of those in the next video but here you just need to understand that the enlightenment's emphasis on the rejection of established traditions and new ideas about how political power ought to work played a significant role in each of these great upheavals and then those Revolutions in turn created the conditions for the intensification of nationalism across the world now by definition nationalism describes a sense of commonality among a People based on a shared language and religion social customs and it's often linked with a desire for territory and again we'll talk a lot more about the details of that in the next video okay second Enlightenment IDE has led to the
• 05:00 - 05:30 expansion of suffrage in some places and suffrage in case you don't know just means the right to vote so for example after the American Revolution only landed white males could vote but in the first half of the 19th century laws were passed that recognized the right of all white males to vote and then in the second half of the 19th century black males had gained the right to vote and look while there are many reasons for that expansion one significant reason is that Enlightenment ideas like Liberty and equality were revered in America as part of the cultural heritage beginning with a declaration of independence okay third Enlightenment ideas also led to the abolition of slavery in some places
• 05:30 - 06:00 I mean it's not that surprising that Enlightenment thinkers criticize slavery on account of its complete disregard for People's Natural Rights most notably Liberty and so in response to a powerful Abolitionist Movement Great Britain abolished slavery in 1807 and hey look credit where credit is due they abolish slavery but Britain was also the wealthiest nation in the world and they gained much of that wealth during the Industrial Revolution by means of paid labor so you know abolition was a natural move but it was also making economic sense at the time but enslave people themselves also contributed to the abolition of slavery as well for
• 06:00 - 06:30 example in 1831 a massive slave rebellion known as the great Jamaica Revolt occurred in British Jamaica the scale and the casualties of that Rebellion played a significant role in Britain's decision to abolish slavery throughout their empire fourth Enlightenment ideas contributed to the end of serfdom in some places so in the midst of the transition from agricultural to Industrial economies during the Industrial Revolution surfs which were peasants Bound in coerced labor became more and more unnecessary to economic flourishing even so peasant revolts in various places induced State leaders in England and France and Russia to AB Surf and finally fifth
• 06:30 - 07:00 Enlightenment ideas led to increasing calls for women suffering like despite revolutionary movements and their basis in Enlightenment ideas of equality women in Europe and the United States did not share in the Harvest of Liberty especially in terms of voting rights and it's during this period that a burgeoning feminist movement arose and women began to demand equality in all areas of life not least voting for example French activist ol de got all kinds of sassy in the face of this persistent gender inequality and her major work the Declaration of the rights of woman and the female citizen harshly critic Iz the French Constitution for
• 07:00 - 07:30 sidelining women in the birth of post-revolutionary France and then over in the United States women organized themselves at a gathering at The senica Falls convention in 1848 to call for a constitutional amendment that recognized women's right to vote Okay click here to keep reviewing for unit 5 and click here to get your hands on the gateway to Enlightenment namely my AP World himler review guide I appreciate you hanging out with me and I'll catch you on the flipflop himler out