1. Enlightenment Ideas
Note Cards

2. Social Contract
Idea from Thomas Hobbes. He said that a social contract was a agreement between people and the government in which people give up their rights to a stronger authority in exchange for protection from the government.
Government needed to have strong power to prevent people from acting in their own interests.
Question: How is a social contract present in our government? What is one right that we give up in exchange for protection?

3. Free Will
The ability of people to make decisions freely for themselves without restrictions. In most governments people to not have TOTAL free will.
Question: What are areas in which we have Free Will in the US? What are areas in which we do not have free will and why not?

4. Natural Rights
The idea of natural rights came from John Locke. He believed that all people were born equal and that all people had the right to life, liberty and property. He believed that the purpose of government was to protect these rights.
Question: How does our government today work to protect these 3 rights?

5. Reason
Enlightenment thinkers (called philosophes) believed that you could apply reason and logic to solve all questions about society, just like in science.
Question: Can you find answers to questions like…why do serial killers kill, and why do people commit crimes suing reason?

6. Liberty
Liberty is the idea that all people should be given some rights and freedoms under government. That no government should have complete control.
Question: What do you believe are the most important liberties that are given to us by our government?

7. Tolerance
Voltaire was a man who spoke out in favor of tolerance in society. He believed that diverse ideas and ways of thinking would produce positive benefits for society. He is known for saying “I do not agree with a word you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it”.
Question: What does this quote mean to you? How does our government show tolerance?

8. Separation of Powers
The idea of separation of powers came from a man named Baron de Montesquieu. He believed that each branch of government should have a “check” or limit to their power so that no one branch was more powerful than another.
Question: Why would this balance of power be so important for government?

9. Feminism
Mary Wollstonecraft was the first woman to call herself a Feminist. She started the ideas of feminism which means that women are, and should be treated as equals to men. She recognizes that women and men are different, but wanted to use those differences for good.
Question: Who is a feminist today (someone who helps to move women forward in society) and what makes them a feminist?

10. Justice
Justice is the quality of being fair and reasonable. Beccaria was the first person to really study justice and try to reform the justice system. He believed that justice should promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Question: Does our justice system today promote Beccaria’s ideals? How yes or how no?

11. Progress
Progress is that idea that society and humankind are capable of improving and getting better. The philosophes believed that using reason and logic we could look at history and improve upon the past.
Question: What is one area that our society has seen tremendous progress?