Enlightenment Thinkers

Essential Question: How did the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers influence American government today?

Quickwrite

What do you think life would be like if we had no government?- Things to think about:

- What would everyday life be like?- How would we make laws?- Who would be in charge?

8 Minutes: minimum 6 sentences

Enlightenment Thinkers

Essential Question: How did the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers influence American government today?

For your Enlightenment thinker…- Take Cornell notes on the following:

1. Their nationality

2. What they wrote

3. Their thoughts on State of Nature

4. Their thoughts on Social Contract

5. Their thoughts on Government

6. Other main ideas they contributed

Thomas Hobbes

- English

- Wrote The Leviathan

State of Nature- State of nature: before government there

were no laws or anyone to enforce them, so government was necessary

- All individuals were naturally equal; people were wicked and quick to fight

- Every person is free to do the necessary in order to survive

Social Contract- People agreed to give up their rights and give

absolute power to a sovereign

- It was the sovereign’s job to make/enforce laws

- He believed social contract was an agreement between the people, not between the people and the king

Thoughts on Government

- Government headed by a sovereign was the best

- Believed in a strong central authority that should have total power

Other Main Ideas

- Feared religion could become a source of civil war

- The people should listen to the king over the church if an argument were to arise

John Locke

- English

- Wrote Two Treatises of Government

State of Nature- Agreed with Hobbes on the brutality of the

state of nature

- However, he believed inalienable rights of life, liberty and property existed and could never be taken away

- People could govern themselves because they have reason

Social Contract- Believed it was an agreement between the

people and the king

- If a sovereign violated peoples’ natural rights, the contract was broken and people could revolt

Purpose of Government

- Favored a representative government such as English Parliament

- Only wanted men of property and business men to be involved in government

Other Main Ideas

- Natural rights of the people limited the power of the king

Montesquieu

- French nobleman

- Wrote The Spirit of Laws

State of Nature

- Believed individuals were so fearful that they avoided violence and war

- Need for food caused humans to associate with each other and live in a peaceful society

Social Contract

- State of war among individuals and nations led to human laws and government

Purpose of Government

- Main purpose of government is to maintain law and order, political liberty and the property of the individual

- Opposed absolute monarchy and favored English system as the best model of government

Other Main Ideas

- Developed the theory of separation of powers

- Each branch would have powers (checks) over the other branches

- This idea became the basis for the United States Constitution

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

- Genevan philosopher

- Wrote The Social Contract

State of Nature

- Man was naturally good and was corrupted by society

- Savages in a state of nature were free, equal, peaceful and happy; when people began to claim ownership of property, inequality, murder and war was the result

Social Contract

- Meant to alleviate the problems that society has created for us

- Man should never be forced to give up their natural rights to a king, but instead give them up to the whole community

Purpose of Government

- Believed in a direct democracy on a small scale

- Everyone voted to express their opinions and make the laws of the land

Other Main Ideas

- All political power must reside with the people

- Argued that there can be no separation of powers; the laws must represent the general will of the people

- Believed religion divided and weakened the state

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