The Enlightenment “Age of Reason”

The Enlightenment The age of enlightenment was a time in history when people started to question the authority of absolute rulers. People began to develop philosophies on how government should be run. These ideas shaped history going forward and laid the groundwork for many revolutions.

Enlightened Despot An enlightened despot was someone who influenced and discussed the new ideas developed during this time period. Enlightened despots developed philosophies of their own regarding government and the rights of the people.

Scientific Revolution This was a change from religious theories of science, to science to being based on experiment and theory.

Heliocentric Model This idea, put forth by Galileo Galilei, states that the sun, not the earth, is the center of the universe. This model was rejected by the church, but science proved it to be true.

Scientific Method Put forth by Francis Bacon, this theory is a series of steps used to prove scientific theories.

John Locke John Locke believed in Natural Rights. The natural rights John Locke believed in we life, liberty, and property. He believed that every individual were owed those rights. John Locke supported a democratic form of government.

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes believed that people need structure and guidance. He believed without total control, chaos would erupt. Thomas Hobbes supported a absolutist form of government, in which the government has total control of the people.

Montesquieu Baron de Montesquieu believed in a government that contained three branches. This allowed for checks and balances within the government system. The three branches of government being judicial, executive, and legistlative.

Rousseau Jean-Jaques Rousseau’s philosophy stated, “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains”. We live in a free society with rules at every corner. Rousseau wrote the text The Social Contract.

Voltaire Voltaire believed in the freedom of speech and religion. He once said, “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it”.