Search

This resource book provides 26 learning activities with background materials for teaching about the Enlightenment. Topics include: (1) "What Was the Enlightenment?"; (2) "An Introduction to the Philosophes"; (3) "Was the Enlightenment a Revolt Against Rationalism?"; (4) "Were the Philosophes Democrats? A Comparison of the 'Enlightened' Ideas of Voltaire and Rousseau on Democracy and Equality"; (5) "What is the Significance of the Term Enlightenment in the Context of the 18th Century?"; (6) "Were the Philosophes Atheists?"; (7) "How was French Society Portrayed in the 'Encyclopedie?'"; (8) "Were the Philosophes True Philosophers, or Illogical Extremists?"; (9) "Did the French Philosophes Inspire the French Revolution?"; (10) "The Salon' as a Center for Enlightenment in the 18th Century"; (11) "Reader's Theater on the Salon'"; (12) "How Important Were the Periodicals and Coffeehouses to the Enlightenment?"; (13) "How Did the Enlightenment Account for the Existence of Evil Governed by a Benevolent God?"; (14) "How Did the Enlightenment View the Role of Women?"; (15) "Were the Enlightened Despots Enlightened?"; (16) "What Were Montesquieu's Views on Government?"; (17) "What Are the Democratic and Totalitarian Implications in Jean Jacques Rousseau's 'The Social Contract and Discourses?'"; (18) "What Influence Did the Enlightenment Have on Citizen Rights for Men and Women during the French Revolution?"; (19) "Is There a Relationship between Enlightenment Ideals and Architecture?"; (20) "What Enlightenment Themes Were Reflected in Eighteenth Century Poetic Form?"; (21) "How Did the 'Salon' Serve as a Forum for Political Ideas?"; (22) "Did the European Enlightenment Influence the American Revolution?"; (23) "How Did the Philosophes of the Enlightenment Address the Issue of Slavery?"; (24) "How Did Immanuel Kant Influence Ralph Waldo Emerson?"; (25) "Can Thomas Jefferson Be Considered a Product of the Enlightenment?"; and (26) "Was There a Russian Enlightenment?" (EH)