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Published byDustin Hoover Modified over 8 years ago
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The Enlightenment
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Reason 1600s & 1700s, following Scientific Revolution Change in society and politics Applied reason to understanding people and government in a logical way Natural law: law that applied to everyone and could be understood with reason Direct challenge to absolutism and Roman Catholic Church Freedom and equality for all Influenced the development of democracy
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Significant Ideas Positive Human Condition New thinking that put importance on the individual In feudalism/unlimited government, people could not question authority or have rights Change gave people freedom and value Social Contract Theory Government exists to benefit the people Agreement between the citizens and leadership If government failed to protect or serve the people, the people had a right to rebel and set up a new government (break up the contract)
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John Locke England Influence by Glorious Revolution Believed all humans were born with natural rights (rights belonging to all) Challenged absolutism Defined social contract theory Influenced the idea of the “consent of the governed” Approval or “consent” must come from the people - voting and elections Influenced American patriots like Thomas Jefferson Ideas were basis for the Declaration of Independence
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau France Believed government to protect the “general will” of the people Government’s duty to implement policies to benefit the general populace Majority rule General will – what is best for society as a whole Ideas formed “popular sovereignty” Government gets power and legitimacy based on what the citizens want Encouraged “civic virtue” People should be educated on how to be good citizens Laid basis for future totalitarian governments
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Baron de Montesquieu France Focused on governmental organization Admired English model of government Legislative + Executive “Separation of powers” Government must be limited in power by dividing it into branches Branches should “check and balance” each other Suggested a modified model: Legislative + Executive + Judicial Influenced the ideas in the Constitution
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Voltaire France Focused on civil liberties Freedom of speech Freedom of religion Advocated a separation of church and state
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Influences of Enlightenment American Revolution Locke’s ideas inspired the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson argued that colonists could rebel against King’s rule because their rights had been violated (break the social contract) American Constitution Ideas for framework for new limited government Ideas were put into practice
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French Revolution Americans often visited France to engage in intellectual discourse about ideas French citizens influenced by ideas of philosophes French military aided colonists in American Revolution and were influenced by revolutionary ideas French unlimited government was attacked for being undemocratic
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