1. People of the Enlightenment

2. Thomas Hobbes English
Life without government is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To escape this kind of life, people needed to give up their rights to the strong and law and order will be achieved.
“Social Contract” theory – humans are born naturally selfish and wicked, government exists to control all that.
Strong central government

3. Citizens have the right to overthrow the government when their “natural rights” are violated?
Yes No

4. Man is not born a good or evil person; he becomes one or the other according to his life experiences and the environment in which he lives?
Yes No

5. John Locke English
Government exists to “preserve life, liberty, and property (the pursuit of happiness).”
Declaration of Independence
People can learn from experience and improve themselves.
Humans are born with natural rights and can self-govern themselves.
Rebellion is OK, if it becomes necessary.

6. An intelligent person should not accept all religious beliefs
An intelligent person should not accept all religious beliefs. We should only accept those beliefs about God that are based on reason and common sense?
Yes No

7. All men should be treated as equals, and should have freedom of speech and freedom of press?
Yes No

8. Voltaire French Life is better with liberty.
He believed that people should never stop fighting for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech.
First Amendment of our Constitution
Coined the term “separation of church and state.”

9. When one country increases its military power, so do other countries
When one country increases its military power, so do other countries. Therefore, all nations should limit their military forces in order to reduce the threat of war?
Yes No

10. A man is innocent until a jury finds him guilty?
Yes No

11. Baron de Montesquieu French
Government should have separate powers.
3 branches of government
Checks and Balances
One branch doesn’t have any more power then another and they work together to form the perfect government

12. Social and political reforms must be made before man can be a good person?
Yes No

13. It is unfair that some people are rich while others are poor?
Yes No

14. Jean Jacques Rousseau French
Gov’t contract between people and rulers is what people want
Individual freedom
Constitutions or Declarations of…
Too much freedom equals less individual freedom
That is why we have laws and documents
A good government was one that was freely formed by the people and guided by the general will of society – Democracy!!

15. Cesare Bonesana Beccaria Italian
Laws exist to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes.
No more “off with your head”
Capital punishment should be abolished and people have the right to a speedy trial
6th Amendment
8th Amendment of the US Constitution
Government should seek the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

16. Mary Wollstonecraft French
Women need education to become useful. Being more educated would also make them better mothers.
More thoughtfulness and less violence = better control
Women should be a part of politics
Vote, hold offices, be on the same playing field

17. 1. People are greedy and selfish
Locke
Wollstonecraft
Voltaire
Hobbes

18. 2. People have natural rights
2. People have natural rights. The government exists to protect those rights and people have the right to overthrow the government.
Voltaire
Rousseau
Locke
Hobbes

19. 3. “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains”
Locke
Hobbes
Rousseau
Montesquieu

20. 4. The powers of government should be separate.
Locke
Hobbes
Voltaire
Montesquieu

21. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Locke
Hobbes
Voltaire
Rousseau