Enlightenment Thinkers

Enlightenment Thinkers

The ideas of these philosophersThe ideas of these philosophers

John Locke

1632 - 1704“The

Philosopher of Freedom”

Locke’s Views✦ Defended the English Bill of Rights that

placed limitations on the monarch’s power.

✦ Born with “Natural Rights” to life, liberty and property.

✦ Governments are formed to protect the people.

✦ If a government is bad or unjust the people have the right to rebel.

✦ “The Two Treaties”

✦ Published anonymously 1689.

✦ The Second Treaties - outlines a theory of political/civil society based on natural rights.

What documents were effected by his

ideas?

Thomas Hobbes

View’s of Hobbes✦ People need a strong Monarchy - giving all

the power to a king or queen.

✦ Wrote the book “Leviathan”.

✦ Governments are created to protect people from themselves.

✦ Democracy won’t work because the people are only interested in promoting their own interest.

Leviathan

Baron de Montesquieu

Views of Montesquieu views

✦ Wrote the book, “The Spirit of Laws”

✦ You must have a separation of power in government to prevent any single group form abusing or having too much power.

✦ We see this idea today. Where?

Separation of Power

Written into the U.S. Constitution

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

View’s of Rousseau✦ People are born good, independent, and

compassionate. If left alone in a state of nature people would live happy and peaceful with no need for laws. It is society that corrupts the individual.

✦ He believed that the governments of England and the United States were corrupt. “Any law which the people has not ratified in person is void; it is not law at all”.

✦ Wrote “The Social Contract”

✦ Individuals, not government would be willing to make and obey the laws.

✦ Government should exist on the basis of a democratic “Social Contract”, where people have a direct say in the way their society is governed.

✦ He promoted the “Common Good”

✦ He had an impact on Thomas Jefferson

View’s of Rousseau

Mary Wollstonecraft

View’s of Wollstonecraft✦ During the late 1700’s women were believed to

have an inferior intellect and considered weak by nature.

✦ Wrote “A Vindication of the “Rights of Women” an important work which advocated equality of the sexes, and the main doctrine of later women’s movements.

✦ Believed that the progress of humanity is held back by the fact that women are not allowed to fully contribute to society.

Adam Smith

View’s of Adam Smith

✦ Wrote “Wealth of Nations”

✦ Free Market Economy

✦ Supply and Demand

✦ Laissez Fair - Little or no government intervention

Voltaire

View’s of Voltaire

✦ Supported freedom of speech and expression.

✦ Criticized government and the church.

Voltaire Wrote

Denis Diderot

Diderot

Created the Encyclopedia

Why was this controversial?

Lets test your knowledge.

✦ The statement, “Taxation without representation” was partly influenced by the thinking of?

Rousseau

The natural force of supply and demand?

Free Market

“I don’t agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”

Voltaire