The Enlightenment Spread democratic ideas that led to revolutions Spread democratic ideas that led to revolutions

The Enlightenment During the 1600s and 1700s, belief in the power of reason grew. Writers of the time sought to reform government and bring about a more just society. Despite opposition from government and Church leaders, Enlightenment ideas spread, and helped to form the concepts of democracy and nationhood. Overview

The Enlightenment Enlightenment – The period in the 1700s in which people rejected traditional ideas and supported a belief in human reason. Thinkers: Thomas Hobbes John Locke Montesquieu Voltaire Jean-Jacques Rousseau Natural Laws – According to some philosophers, rules that govern human nature.

John Locke  All people are born with NATURAL RIGHTS  Life  Liberty  Property  The government is supposed to protect those rights  If it doesn’t, the people should OVERTHROW it.  All people are born with NATURAL RIGHTS  Life  Liberty  Property  The government is supposed to protect those rights  If it doesn’t, the people should OVERTHROW it.

Baron de Montesquieu  Power separated into 3 branches  SEPARATION OF POWERS to stop rulers from getting absolute power  Power separated into 3 branches  SEPARATION OF POWERS to stop rulers from getting absolute power

Also said…  Need a system of checks and balances to ensure that 1 branch can not dominate the other 2!

Jean Jacques Rousseau 1.People are born free. 2.But if everyone is free, there is chaos. 3.So we agree to join together so that we can keep each other safe. 4.We agree to a SOCIAL CONTRACT 5.We give the government the power to make us follow laws… 6.…and those laws keep us all safe AND protect our rights. 1.People are born free. 2.But if everyone is free, there is chaos. 3.So we agree to join together so that we can keep each other safe. 4.We agree to a SOCIAL CONTRACT 5.We give the government the power to make us follow laws… 6.…and those laws keep us all safe AND protect our rights.

Voltaire  Believed in FREE SPEECH  “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”  Believed in FREE SPEECH  “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Declaration of Independence

[T]hat, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed… [T]hat whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it… We hold these truths to be self- evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…  Natural Rights  Natural Rights  Right to overthrow The gov’t  Right to overthrow The gov’t  Social Contract  Social Contract