CU5-22

** Goal ** Students will study the European Enlightenment, with an emphasis on democratic egalitarianism and its threat to religious, state, and other authority. **1. Gain the attention of the learner** ** 2. Relevant past learning ** Summarize the material from the last two classes. ** 3. Introduce new material ** Since Enlightenment philosophers presumed that all people were capable of rational thought, they tended to think of all individuals as essentially the same and accordingly reached political positions that tended to be democratic. Besides believing that democracy was the best form of government because he thought it would most likely insure that rational policies were implemented by the government, Spinoza also believed that thoughts and beliefs should be freely tolerated so that people would be free to apply reason to important human problems. ** 4. Provide guided practice ** Discuss how the rabbis might have reacted to Spinoza’s belief in toleration of dissident beliefs. How might he have responded to their concerns. ** 5. Provide independent practice ** Hold the debate on whether one can be properly considered a Jew and still hold Spinoza’s beliefs.  **6. Close the lesson** Give feedback on the debate.
 * 5:22 ** **The Enlightenment (Part III): Egalitarianism**