Enlightenment Thinkers

NATURAL LAW: a universal truth or principle that 17th century thinkers believed could be found though reason. NATURAL RIGHTS: rights belonging to all persons from birth. PACIFISM: opposition to war or violence as a way to settle disputes. DEISM:new religious philosophy of the 1700s based on reason and the idea of natural law. Believed in God but often denounced organized religion because they exploited peoples ignorance and superstitions. Intended to construct a simpler and more natural religion based on natural law. Believed in the rightness of humanity’s place in an orderly universe. Royal Society of London Coat- of-Arms

THOMAS HOBBES & JOHN LOCKE: English philosophers that grappled with the idea of natural law and government during the 1600s.  HOBBES: Used the idea of natural law to argue that absolute monarchy was the best form of government. Violence and disorder came naturally to human beings. Published Leviathan in 1651 in which he explained that people would be protected by a monarch and should give up their freedom to live under a ruler. Then their world would be peaceful and orderly. People did not have the right to rebel against their government.

 LOCKE Based views on natural law. People in a state of nature are reasonable and moral. In his Two Treatises of Government he explained that government was created to protect natural rights and government powers should be limited. People had the right to overthrow the government if it failed to protect their natural rights. American colonists used his ideas to justify their independence from Britain.

 HUGO GROTIUS Called for international code based on natural law. One body of ruler(s) could reduce dealings of government(s) to a system of reason and order.

 THOMAS JEFFERSON Based much of the Declaration of Independence on Locke’s ideas about social contract and the right of people to overthrow unjust government(s).

 WILLIAM PENN Founded the Quaker colony in Pennsylvania. He believed in “pacifism” or opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes. He advocated an assembly of nations committed to world peace. This idea led to today’s United Nations.

Baron de Montesquieu He believed in separation of governmental power where the power is equally divided among the branches of government: legislative, executive branch, and the judicial branch  James Madison’s Virginia Plan. Voltaire  As a deist, he mocked the Church and admired the English ideal of religious liberty and its relative freedom of press  US “Founding Fathers”.

Criticized what he saw as excessive reliance on reason. Claimed people should rely more on instinct and emotion. Concluded that humans were naturally good but institutions made them evil. Famous answer “yes” that science and the arts corrupt people made him famous. Inspired people to live humbler lives.