Enlightenment Philosophers

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Enlightenment Philosophers

• (philosophes)

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I. Thomas Hobbes

• A. 1588-1679, English
• B. Human nature
• 1. people are naturally
• cruel, greedy, and selfish
• C. Wrote The Leviathan

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• C. Wrote The Leviathan
• 1. people fear death and will do whatever
• necessary to stay alive
• a. world in constant war
• 2. Social contract
• a. agreement that people will give up their
• freedom for an organized society
• 3. Only an absolute monarch (powerful
• government) can make sure people do not
  kill

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II. John Locke

• A. 1632-1704, English
• B. People are mostly reasonable
• and moral
• C. Wrote Two Treatises of Government

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• C. Wrote Two Treatises of Government
• 1. Labor (working) is a natural right of man
  
• a. Labor is the way men get property
• b. property is a natural right to man as
  well
• 2. Natural rights
• a. rights that belong to all humans from birth
• 3. People form governments to protect
• their natural rights
• 4. best government is limited in power and
• all citizens will follow the laws
  (social contract)

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III. Baron de Montesquieu

• A. 1689-1755, French
• B. Balanced view of people
• 1. they can be good and bad.
• C. Wrote The Spirit of the Laws

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• C. Wrote The Spirit of the Laws
• 1. Three types of government
• a. Monarchies -
• b. Republics -
• c. Despotism/tyranny -
• 2. Branches of government
• a. legislative -
• b. executive -
• c. judicial -
• 3. Separating the powers of government is the
  best way
• to protect liberty for people and stop
  the
• government from abusing power

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IV. Voltaire

• A. 1694-1779, French
• B. Fought for civil rights
• 1. given to all citizens by
• the law of a government
• 2. Most important is the right to a fair
  trial and
• freedom of religion

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V. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• A. 1712-1778, French
• B. Believed that people were
• basically good in the state
• of nature, but corrupted
• by society
• C. Wrote The Social Contract

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• C. Wrote The Social Contract
• 1. Society forces men to compete with each
  other
• but they also need each others help to
  survive
• 2. the social contract will solve this
  problem
• a. people give up some rights to a
  government to
• achieve order
• 3. General will
• a. conscience (tells you what is right and
  wrong)
• of the people
• 4. People will obey the laws of the general
  will
• because they helped to write the law and
  the
• laws also make sure they survive

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• "Man is born free, and he is everywhere in
  chains.

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Comparing Locke and Jefferson

• What words/phrases do they have in common?
• What three ideas of Lockes does Jefferson use?