Philosophe
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The '''''philosophes''''' ([[French language|French]] for ''[[philosopher]]s'') were a group of intellectuals of the 18th century [[The Enlightenment|Enlightenment]].<ref name="Kishlansky">Kishlansky, Mark, ''et al''. ''A Brief History of Western Civilization: The Unfinished Legacy, volume II: Since 1555.'' 5th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007.</ref> were a result of this new approach to learning who encouraged reason, knowledge and education as a way of overcoming superstition and ignorance. ''Philosophes'' [[Denis Diderot]] and [[Jean le Rond d'Alembert]] edited the ''[[Encyclopédie]]'' (1751-1772,) which represented the ''philosophe'' belief that everything could be known, classified and understood by man. It also questioned religious authority and criticized social injustice. They believed that the role of philosophy was to change the world, not just to discuss it.
Because it was illegal to openly criticize the church and state in France, many wrote plays, novels, histories, dictionaries, and encyclopedias with subtle messages attached. An example is [[Montesquieu]]'s ''[[Persian Letters]]''.
Although many ''philosophes'' disagreed with each other over certain principles the two major tenets the philosophes accepted were [[deism]], and [[toleration]]
==Attitude to religion==
Many ''philosophes'' rejected organized religion, believing that it was holding back human progress. Those ''philosophes'' critical to religion claimed that [[Catholicism]] prevented humanity from seeking improvement and equality, by teaching ideas such as [[divine right]] and by supporting the privilege of the nobility. Many ''philosophes'' came to believe religion promoted intolerance and bigotry. These ''philosophes'' did not espouse atheism through rational inquiry. Some ''philosophes'', such as [[Voltaire]], did not believe in [[organized religion]] itself, but believed it had the purpose of controlling the masses. Also influential was the idea of [[deism]], the theological theory that an omnipotent being created the universe and then left it to its own devices. Many of the Philosophes found Deism appealing because they used reason to understand religion in a factual light rather than in a faith-based one.
==Toleration==
Many ''philosophes'' believed that [[toleration]] was the means to a virtuous life, although some believed otherwise. They believed that toleration would combat the religious fanaticism that prevented humans from bettering their condition. This movement towards toleration was led by [[Voltaire]] in his ''[[Treatise on Tolerance]]'' and [[Gotthold Lessing]] in his play ''[[Nathan the Wise]]''
==Other common causes==
Most ''philosophes'' denounced slavery because it deprived people of their most basic rights. One of the most well-known "[[anti-slavery]]" ''philosophes'' is the potter [[Josiah Wedgwood]]. He designed and produced thousands of anti-slavery medallions, which some ''fashionable people'' wore or put up on display in their homes. Some of the other things ''philosophes'' denounced are: torture and/or cruel punishments for crimes, inhumane treatment of the mentally ill, and mercantilism. A certain group of philosophes called "[[physiocrat]]s" searched for "[[natural law]]s" to explain economics. These "physiocrats" opposed [[mercantilism]] (a closed trading system that influenced the economic policies of most governments at the time). Many argued that land, not the gold and silver that many kings were hoarding, was the true source of wealth. Through this they encouraged farming and a ''[[free market]]'', a market in which all goods could be bought and sold without restraint.
==Famous ''philosophes''==
*[[Jean le Rond d'Alembert]]
*[[Denis Diderot]]
*[[Caesar Chesneau Dumarsais]]
*[[Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu|Montesquieu]]
*[[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]]
*[[Voltaire]]
== References ==
<references />
*[http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/PHIL.HTM The philosophes]
*Kagan, Donald ''et al''. ''The Western Heritage, since 1300: Sixth Edition'', Prentice-Hall, 1998. ISBN 0-13-617374-8
Renee Decartes
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