Enlightenment

Thomas Hobbes’ major ideas

Believed all humans were naturally selfish and evil

government kept peace and kept people in check

handing over one’s rights to a stronger ruler was the way to maintain law and order → social contract

rulers need total power to keep people under control

Lived through the English Revolution

Thmas Hobbes life span

1558-1679

John Locke

Had a positive view on human nature

believed people can learn and improve on their experiences

people were capable of governing themselves

John Locke main impact on the constitution

Believed people have 3 natural rights: life, liberty, and property

John Locke’s belief in what the government’s job is

Government’s job is to protect people’s natural rights

if the government fails, people have a right to overthrow it

John Locke life span

1632-1704

Baron de Montesquieu

Believed Britain’s government was the best and most politically balanced

Baron de Montesquieu’s idea that influenced the US government

seperation of power would prevent any individuals or group from gaining total control

checks and balances

influenced the U.S constitution

Baron de Montesquieu’s life span

1689-1755

Voltaire

fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech

valued justice, freedom of/from religion, and community

Voltaire’s life span

1694-1778

Jean Jacques Rousseau

committed to individual freedom

was different because he argued that civilization corrupts people’s natural goodness

the only good governments are freely formed ones that are guided by the “general will of society”

believed people should give up freedom for common good

wrote the social contract

Cesare Beccaria

believed laws existed to preserve social order, not avenge crimes

What Cesare Beccaria critisized

the common abuses of justice such as torturing witnesses and suspects, irregular proceedings in trials, and random/cruel punishments.

Argued punishments should be based on the severity of the crime

no death penalty

What Cesare Beccaria believed governments should do

Seek the greatest good for the most amount of people

influenced criminal law in Europe and North America

Cesare Beccaria’s life span

1738-1794

Mary Wollstonecraft

argued women needed an education

women should enter male-dominated fields like medicine and politics

Divine Right of Kings

idea that monarchs get their power from God

justifies their actions

a form of absolutism 

Why does the DIvine Right of Kings happen

happens because of the combined powers of Church and state and also colonization of America and Asia

Absolutism

Having total power

Absolute monarchy

a singular person having total power, a type of absolutism

Social Contract Theory

People live together in a society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior. Both people and the leader must abide by them.

State of nature

a hypothetical, meaning its a thinking device that helped philosophers think of how humans “progressed” over time

Progress

People can learn about the universe beyond the Bible, they can change their
actions, and they can create better societies.

Deism

An idea that basically takes the Church out of the picture. It says god exists, but that god set the universe in motion and that it now operates with natural rights.

predestination

people who said that God already determined your life

ex ante

Beccaria idea that a law has to already exist before you can break it

Who came up with the idea ex ante

Cesare Beccaria.

Ex post facto

This refers to the idea that you should not be convicted of a crime that didn’t
already exist.

consent of the governed

if you live in the USA and want to be a leader, you must have the agreement of the people that your can lead them

Popular sovereignty

thus the core of our government is created and sustained by the consent of the people. A sovereign is a leader that has legitimacy.

Republic

choosing representatives who then run the government for you. This is like our CONGRESS which is the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES and SENATE