Scientific Revolution sparked idea that intellectual reason and thinking could solve ANY social and political problem! What is Enlightenment?

Rules discoverable by reason This could help explain aspects of mankind Natural Law

Believed in a POWERFUL GOVERNMENT (absolute monarchy “ABSOLUTISM”) Thought people were naturally greedy and cruel and needed to be forcefully controlled by laws Without laws, or “state of nature” people would be mean, poor and nasty SOCIAL CONTRACT: people must give up natural freedoms for an organized society Thomas Hobbes

Believed in NATURAL RIGHTS Rights belong to all humans from birth…LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY Best type of government was one that all accepted and had limited power TO PROTECT NATURAL RIGHTS Rejected idea of ABSOLUTE MONARCHY If government does not preform people should have option to GET A NEW ONE. John Locke

SEPARATION OF POWERS will protect personal liberties 3 Branches of government that would “check and balance” one another Montesquieu

Fought for Freedom of Thought! Voltaire

Believed in the Social Contract People were basically good in natural state People only become corrupt by evils of society Let people choose and not be tightly controlled by laws Rousseau

Economist Laissez faire “hands off” approach to controlling goods…FREE MARKET NO GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS OR REGULATIONS on business activity Let things unfold naturally…supply and demand Adam Smith

Karl Marx Father of Communism World divided into “Haves” (Owners) and “Have-Notes” (Workers) Believed that both groups would be pitted against each other and the “have-nots” would take over. Favored Communism= no more social classes/community owned Wrote Communist Manifesto About how workers need to unite!