enlightenment thinkers world history – libertyville hs
TRANSCRIPT
Enlightenment Thinkers
World History – Libertyville HS
“The Big Picture”• Renaissance – changed the
way man interpreted MAN• Reformation – changed the
way man interpreted GOD• Age of Exploration – changed
the way man interpreted the WORLD (& Europe’s place in it)
• Scientific Revolution – changed the way man interpreted the UNIVERSE
• WHAT’S NEXT?!?!
“The Big Picture”
• What’s the most common form of government in the 18th C.?
• Enlightenment – examination of the relationship between the people and government
• Examination based in reason, thought – not emotion!
John Locke
• Wrote during the Glorious Revolution, in England (1688)
• Social Contract idea: People give up some rights, but retain others
• Inalienable rights– Life– Liberty– Property
John Locke• Wrote Two Treatise on
Government– Purpose of government is to
protect inalienable rights– People have right to
overthrow unjust government
Jean Jacques Rousseau• Wrote The Social Contract
– People are good – People need gov’t to keep
them that way– People must have say in their
gov’t• Spoke a lot about Popular
Sovereignty– Gov’t created by people– Gov’t subject to will of
people– Power o gov’t = people
Thomas Hobbes• Believed that man is evil and
acts only in own self-interest• A strong ruler was needed to
keep people in check• Believed in absolute
monarchs• Hobbes’ Social Contract:
People give rights to gov’t to ensure their own safety
• Wrote The Leviathan– Gov’t should be very strong– “W/o gov’t, life would be nasty,
brutish and short”
Voltaire• Leading philosophe• Salons
– Rich people’s sitting rooms– Philosophes gathered to argue, debate
ideas• Voltaire wrote Candide
– Supported freedom of speech, religion– Often made fun of intolerant nobles,
churchmen• “I disapprove of what you say, but
will die defending your right to say it”
Montesquieu• Wrote about gov’t structure
– All gov’ts made up of executive, legislative, judicial powers
– Separation of powers important: E, L & J should be divided to avoid dictatorship
– Checks and balances: each branch of gov’t should balance other branches
• Avoid gov’t with all power in one pair of hands!
Beccaria
• Legal thinker• Wrote about crime and
punishment– Laws exist to preserve order– Criticized torture, unfair trials,
cruel punishment– Against capital punishment– Punishment should be fair and
fit the seriousness of the crime– All people had right to a fair and
speedy trial