Philosophers of The Enlightenment Kayleigh Williams MontesquieuVoltaireDiderot

Montesquieu Charles-Louis de Secondat came from the French nobility. His most famous work, The Spirit of the Laws, was published in Montesquieu tried to use the scientific method to find the natural laws that govern the social and political relationships of humans. He identified three basic kinds of governments. (1) Republics, suitable for small states; (2) despotism, appropriate for large states; and (3) monarchies, perfect for medium-sized states. He believed that England’s government had three branches: the executive (the monarch), the legislative (parliament), and the judicial (the courts of law). The government worked through a separation of powers. Each branch limits and controls each other. Montesquieu’s contribution is still used today in the United States.

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet is known as the greatest figure of the Enlightenment. Voltaire came from a successful middle- class family in Paris. He wrote countless pamphlets, novels, plays, letters, essays, and histories that brought him fame and wealth. He was well known for his criticism of Christianity and his strong belief in religious acceptance. In 1763, he wrote his Treatise on Toleration, where he reminded governments that “all men are brothers under God.” Throughout his life, Voltaire supported deism.

Diderot Denis Diderot attended the University of Paris to achieve his father’s goal that he would be a lawyer or have a career in the Church. He did neither. He became an independent writer so that he could study and read many different subjects and languages. Diderot stayed dedicated to new ideas for the rest of his life. His most famous contribution to the Enlightenment was the Encyclopedia, or Classified Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Trades. This 28-volume collection was published between 1751 and His purpose of the Encyclopedia was to “change the general way of thinking.”

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the most famous philosophe in the late 1760s. He wandered through France and Italy working various jobs. He eventually made his way to Paris, where he was introduced to the circle of the philosophes. He didn’t like the city life and often went into long periods of solitude. His most famous work was The Social Contract. This was published in He voiced his idea and understanding of the social contract. Another important work by Rousseau is Emile. It was written in the form of novel, and it is a general discussion “on the education of the natural man.” He argues that education should foster, and not restrict, children’s natural instincts. Although, Rousseau didn’t exactly practice what he preached. His children were sent to orphanages, where many children died at a young age.