Enlightenment Thinkers

World History – Libertyville HS

“The Big Picture”• Renaissance – changed the

way man interpreted MAN• Reformation – changed the

way man interpreted GOD• Age of Exploration – changed

the way man interpreted the WORLD (& Europe’s place in it)

• Scientific Revolution – changed the way man interpreted the UNIVERSE

• WHAT’S NEXT?!?!

“The Big Picture”

• What’s the most common form of government in the 18th C.?

• Enlightenment – examination of the relationship between the people and government

• Examination based in reason, thought – not emotion!

John Locke

• Wrote during the Glorious Revolution, in England (1688)

• Social Contract idea: People give up some rights, but retain others

• Inalienable rights– Life– Liberty– Property

John Locke• Wrote Two Treatise on

Government– Purpose of government is to

protect inalienable rights– People have right to

overthrow unjust government

Jean Jacques Rousseau• Wrote The Social Contract

– People are good – People need gov’t to keep

them that way– People must have say in their

gov’t• Spoke a lot about Popular

Sovereignty– Gov’t created by people– Gov’t subject to will of

people– Power o gov’t = people

Thomas Hobbes• Believed that man is evil and

acts only in own self-interest• A strong ruler was needed to

keep people in check• Believed in absolute

monarchs• Hobbes’ Social Contract:

People give rights to gov’t to ensure their own safety

• Wrote The Leviathan– Gov’t should be very strong– “W/o gov’t, life would be nasty,

brutish and short”

Voltaire• Leading philosophe• Salons

– Rich people’s sitting rooms– Philosophes gathered to argue, debate

ideas• Voltaire wrote Candide

– Supported freedom of speech, religion– Often made fun of intolerant nobles,

churchmen• “I disapprove of what you say, but

will die defending your right to say it”

Montesquieu• Wrote about gov’t structure

– All gov’ts made up of executive, legislative, judicial powers

– Separation of powers important: E, L & J should be divided to avoid dictatorship

– Checks and balances: each branch of gov’t should balance other branches

• Avoid gov’t with all power in one pair of hands!

Beccaria

• Legal thinker• Wrote about crime and

punishment– Laws exist to preserve order– Criticized torture, unfair trials,

cruel punishment– Against capital punishment– Punishment should be fair and

fit the seriousness of the crime– All people had right to a fair and

speedy trial