Enlightenment was a period where people began to use reason to view what was happening in society in the ’s During Absolutism is when many enlightened thinkers started to form their ideas on society

Two Views of the “Social Contract” Thomas Hobbes: People are born cruel, greedy, and selfish Need to enter a (Social Contract- A contract between the government and the people) Believed you needed a Powerful Government to keep the citizens in line (Supported Absolutism) Believed people should give up their rights to have a more organized society

Two Views of the “Social Contract” John Locke Was inspired by the Glorious Revolution People were basically reasonable and moral they were born with tabula rasa (blank slate) We have Natural Rights; the right to Life, Liberty and Property

Believe that the purpose of social contract was for the Governments to protect the Natural Rights of its citizens Locke believe that if government failed to protect rights of people, than the people have the right to abolish (get rid of) the government His ideas where the basis for the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution

Montesquieu Supported limited governments through a separation of power (division of power among the different branches of government) Government should be divided into 3 branches; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial (inspired the US constitution) This provided a system of checks and balances (Allows each branch to have power over the other branches)

Voltaire Said what he thought; Believed people should have civil liberties (Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and the Rights of Citizens)

Rousseau General Will-People agree to be governed by the majority Rousseau’s philosophy was that the “MAJORITY” make the laws and those laws work for the common good Believed in popular sovereignty- Power given to ruler by the people In ideal society people make laws and obey willingly believed that society corrupted the people

Enlightened Thinkers that impacted the United States Locke Montesquieu Rousseau Voltaire

Montesquieu’s ideas were the basis for the main body of the US Constitution (separation of powers, checks and balances) Voltaire’s ideas were the basis for the US Bill of Rights (1st 10 Amendments to the US Constitution) Rousseau’s ideas was the concept behind the development of laws in this country (General Will, Civic Virtue) Locke’s ideas of (Natural Laws)was the influence for Thomas Jefferson’s (Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness) in our Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was written to inform the British of why the Colonies were separating from England (Locke Inspired this document)

Social Contract: Agreement between the people and the government (US Preamble and Constitution) Natural Law: Laws that apply to everyone (Declaration of Independence) Separation of Powers: Division of powers among the branches of government (US Constitution) Checks and Balances: Stops one branch from having too much power

General Will: People agree to be governed by the majority Constitution: Formal written plan for government (US Constitution is our Social Contract) Civic Virtue: Duty as a good citizen Natural Rights: The right to Life, Liberty and Property

Preamble: Agreement between the people and the government It states the purpose of our government Based on Locke’s ideas of the responsibility of the Government to protect our natural rights States our natural rights Constitution: Framework for government Establishes laws Provides for shared power between the people and the government Receives its power from the people through the Preamble The oldest written constitution still in effect

The Enlightenment influences: The American Revolution The French Revolution Independence in Haiti Independence movements in Central and South America The Unification of Germany and Italy