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Thomas Hobbes
The Enlightenment started because of the ideas proposed by Thomas Hobbes in the early 1600's. Hobbes, born and raised in England, is famous for his work called, Leviathan. He believed that human beings are born selfish and wicked, and without government, life would be "solitary, pool, nasty, brutish, and short". Hobbes was the first to initiate a social contract between the government and the people, but the ruler had absolute control over it's subjects. -
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Philsophes
Philosophers, also known as Philosophes (french), believed in five important concepts to form their philosophies, including; reason, nature, happiness, progress, and liberty. Philosophes believed that truth could be discovered through logical thinking, laws of nature could be applied to economics and politics. Happiness could be found on earth and was possible to attain. They believed that humankind and society could be perfected and that society should and could be free. -
John Locke
Also, born and raised in England, John Locke believed that people could learn from their experiences and learn from their mistakes, unlike his counterpart, Hobbes. Locke disagreed with absolute monarchy and instead believed in a self-government, giving more power to the people. Locke preached that all people are free and equal, born with 3 natural rights - life, liberty, and property. If the government does not protect their citizens, the people have the right to over throw the government. -
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Impact of the Enlightenment
The theories and ideas formed through the Enlightenment began to spread to the rest of the world, leading to political revolutions in many countries. People started to question the world around them and pushed for reform. The areas most effected by this; society, politics, religion, science, arts and music, saw tremendous growth and evolution. -
Voltaire
Francois Marie Arouet, known famously as Voltaire, is credited as being one of the most brilliant and influential philosophers in history. He published over 70 books focusing on topics such as; politics, philosophy, history, fiction and drama. Voltaire was sent to prison twice, for his critiques over the clergy and aristocracy in France. Voltaire fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech. Voltaire saw the need to eliminate intolerance, prejudice and superstition. -
Baron de Montesquieu
Montesquieu, another French philosopher, was a harsh critic of the corrupt government and preached reform.Like others, he believed that the government in Britain was the best.He believed that a separation of power was necessary to eliminate one faction from gaining too much control. He wrote that the other branches should "check" the others power. -
Beccaria
Ceasare Beccaria, an Italian philosopher, focused his attention on the justice system present in Italy. He believed that punishments should fit the crimes, not avenge crimes. Beccaria felt that the justice system was abusive and corrupt. He argued that if a person is convicted of a crime, they deserved a fair and speedy trail. Beccaria wanted torture and capital punishment to be abolished. -
Rousseau
Jean Jacques Rousseau, believed in individual freedom. He reformed the ideas initially proposed by Thomas Hobbes. Rousseau continued the idea of the social contract, but believed that the people should have more freedom. He believed that the government was responsible for corrupting society. The social contract in Rousseau's eyes was an agreement among free citizens to create their own government, eliminating the rule of the aristocracy. A government run by the people, for the people. -
Mary Wollstonecraft
While many philosophers at the time fought for the rights of free men, they often held "traditional" views towards women. Mary Wollstonecraft, fought for the equal rights of women, specifically in education. Even if women were to be domesticated, staying home with children, etc., they still needed to be educated. She urged women to become active members and participate in politics. She pushed women to further their professions, not stopping at becoming nurses, but pushing to become doctors.
