People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s Name From Wrote Main Ideas Locke Hobbes Montesquieu Rousseau Voltaire
People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s -People are naturally good willed and reasonable -Observation: gov’t exists to “preserve life, liberty, & property” -Hypothesis: governments exist to serve the people and protect their rights Locke From: England Wrote: Two Treatises on Government
People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s -People are naturally selfish and prone to evil -Observation: Life without gov’t is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, & short.” -Hypothesis: Absolute gov’t needed to control evil behavior Hobbes From: England Wrote: Leviathan
People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s -Observation: “When the legislature & executive are united in the same person, there is no liberty (freedom)” -Hypothesis: Gov’t must have “Separation of Powers” -- 3 branches Montesquieu From: France Wrote: The Spirit of Laws
People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s -People’s naturally good instincts are corrupted by society -Observation: “man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” -Hypothesis:Direct democracy is the best form of government -people should be ruled by the majority Rousseau From: France Wrote: The Social Contract
People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s -Observation:Authority (church, government, nobility) should be questioned -Hypothesis: Freedom of speech & religion, separation of church & state -“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. “ Voltaire From: France
KEY IDEAS Humans are unique because they have the ability to reason This ability should be used to solve problems and improve lives Reason will free us from superstition and unfair government Just like science has natural laws, so does human behavior
People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s Name From Wrote Main Ideas Two Treatises on Gov’t -Observation: gov’t exists to “preserve life, liberty, & property” - People can rebel if government does not protect their rights -Hypothesis: people are shaped by their environment England Locke -Observation: Life without gov’t is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, & short.” -Hypothesis: Absolute gov’t needed to control evil behavior (not divine right) England Leviathan Hobbes -Observation: “When the legislature & executive are united in the same person, there is no liberty (freedom)” -Hypothesis: Gov’t must have “Separation of Powers” -- 3 branches The Spirit of Laws France Montesquieu -Observation: “man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” -Hypothesis: Gov’t is contract between people & rulers. -Hypothesis: people should be sovereign (rule) The Social Contract France Rousseau -Observation: Life is better with liberty -Hypothesis: Freedom of speech & religion, separation of church & state -“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. “ France Voltaire