euro civ 2

Baruch Spinoza

Advocates for freedom of thought and expression, emphasizing individual liberty and equality under the law, and the importance of societies promoting freedom for moral and intellectual progress.

Molière

Critiques religious hypocrisy. Highlighting the dynamics between characters and the King's political/divine power.

Voltaire

Against abstract thought, focuses on empirical evidence, praises English system for freedom of speech, and political liberty compared to France.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Believes in the natural goodness of humanity, critiques the Enlightenment for corrupting this goodness, emphasizes collective responsibility for a good society.

Edmund Burke

Defines nature as wisdom without reflection, emphasizes the importance of hierarchy and social esteem, and the preservation of traditions for social order.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Advocates for the rights of men and women, focuses on civilization over the state of nature, and stresses the importance of education for women's equality.

Immanuel Kant

Discusses freedom and equality, progress in civilizations, and the Enlightenment, with a critique of religion and secularism.