Lecture Notes: Key Enlightenment Thinkers and Political Philosophers

Vocabulary flashcards covering major philosophers and their core ideas from the notes.

John Locke

English philosopher who wrote Two Treatises of Government; introduced natural rights (life, liberty, property), promoted social contract theory, religious tolerance, and influenced the U.S. Constitution.

Thomas Hobbes

English philosopher who wrote Leviathan; believed humans are naturally self-interested, live in a state of nature of constant conflict, and argued for an absolute sovereign to maintain order.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

French philosopher who believed humans are naturally good but corrupted by society; promoted the general will, direct citizen participation, wrote Emile on natural education, and warned against wealth inequality.

Charles Montesquieu

French thinker who developed separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial), emphasized civic virtue, promoted checks and balances and judicial independence, and influenced constitutional governments.

Voltaire

French writer who championed freedom of expression and religious tolerance, criticized the church, opposed clerical authority in government, and supported a rational monarchy.

Mary Wollstonecraft

British feminist who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman; argued women's equality is based on human rights, promoted education and economic independence, and supported political participation for women.

Olympe de Gouges

French revolutionary feminist who wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen; advocated women’s voting rights and social reforms, opposed slavery, and was executed during the Reign of Terror.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Italian political thinker who wrote The Prince and Discourses on Livy; focused on political realism, analyzed how rulers gain and maintain power, and emphasized the link between military strength and political power.

Alexis de Tocqueville

French thinker who wrote Democracy in America; studied U.S. democracy, emphasized civic organizations, analyzed the tension between individualism and community needs, and warned about majority tyranny and government centralization.