GESCHICHTE 150 Wednesday September 25 2013 Voltaire Treatise on Toleration 1763 OUTLINE The Enlightenment 18 th century Spreading Enlightenment Thought Salons Mid 18th century Madame Geoffrin hosted a famous salon in Paris The Encyclopedia edited by Denis Diderot created between 1751 and 1772 28 volumes of text 11 volumes of illustrations Diderot s objectives for this project issue of censorship Purchasers belonged to the elite aristocrats government officials members of the clergy lawyers and doctors Outline in today s handout The French Revolution 1789 1799 NOTE Discussion of people as individuals Voltaire Jean Calas Appalled by blood spilled by religion history of religious warfare and persecution Protestant victim of unfair persecution Unjustly convicted and executed for killing his son tortured Supposedly killed his son to prevent him converting to Catholicism Lived in France where tensions between Catholics and Protestants were very strong Treatise on Toleration 1763 Individuals should be free to practice their religion without interference from others Salons Most famous salon in Paris Hosted by Madam Geoffrin The elite in French society come together discuss new ideas oral culture typically male elites GESCHICHTE 150 Denis Diderot Wednesday September 25 2013 Edited the monumental work of the enlightenment The Encyclopedia Took over 20 years to compile and compose 150 contributors Objectives for The Encyclopedia 1 To compile and spread all of the scientific and technological knowledge of the day 2 To compile and spread Enlightenment ideas in order to change the general way of thinking 1757 royal censors suspended publication of The Encyclopedia because they claimed it contained dangerous maxims ideas Pope additionally banned the book for negative entries regarding the Catholic faith Diderot devised a clever strategy of burying the real meaning and controversial definitions within the body of the entries knowing that the censors would focus on the beginning and end to save time Innocuous definitions at the beginnings Purchasers were of the elite Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin upper class French audience Bourgeois did not participate in buying reading The Encyclopedia Louis XVI 1789 limited view of what he wanted to accomplish in France Convene the Estates General for one issue tax reform Government in huge debt following the American Revolution and other military endeavors The Deficit political cartoon depicting the king over empty coffers and members of the First and Second Estate running off with the reserves First Second estates are tax exempt Third class common people bear the brunt of taxation Tax reform First and Second Estate should pay as well Estates General is needed to institute the reform 1st 2nd estates think they can block it Political gridlock kicks in 1st 2nd estates want to maintain voting procedures 3rd estate wants to change them Typically 2 1 vote for estates old way new way would be individual votes June 17 Gridlock kicks in members of the 3rd estate make radical move and declare themselves the National Assembly true representatives of the nation Get locked out of their meeting place June 20 members of the N A convene in a nearby indoor tennis court Tennis Court Oath