AP Gov Enlightenment Thinkers

Thomas Hobbes

-People give up freedom in return for strong gov't.

-"In a state of nature, the life of a man is nasty, brutish, and short."

-Powerful gov't is best for society

-Believed in Rule of law (law should govern the nation)

-Wrote Leviathan

John Locke

-People are born neutral with a blank slate (tabula rasa)

-Everything we know and do is shaped by experience (empiricism)

-Challenged divine right, people govern themselves

-People have natural rights (life, liberty, property)

-Wrote two treatises on gov't

Jean Jacques Rousseau

-Humans by nature are born good but are corrupted by society along the way

-People who pure and are not corrupted by society are noble savages

-Wrote The Social Contract (pathway to liberty and freedom)

-Mentioned in his social contract, people should do what's best for the community (general will) instead of own self interest

-"Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains."

Montesquieu

-Criticized Monarchy, was a voice for democracy

-Created separation of powers in 3 branches of gov't (legislative, executive, and judicial)

-Promoted checks and balances to limit power in each branch

-Wrote the spirit of laws

Voltaire

-Advocated freedom of thought, speech, politics, and religion

-His ideas began in Britain and then spread across Europe

-"My trade is to say what I think."

-Wrote candide

Denis Diderot

-Produced and edited the first encyclopedia (in which contained 28 volumes)

-The Encyclopedia was intended to change the way people thought

-It included articles from other enlightened thinkers as well

-He advocated freedom of expression and education for all

-Criticized divine right theory and challenged traditional values and religion

-He was hated by the church and his books were burned

Marry Wollstonecraft

-Feminist enlightened thinker who argued that women had not been included in the enlightenment slogan "free and equal"

-She did argue that the woman's first duty was to be a good mother, but women should be able to make decisions on their own and not subject to her husband

-"If the female mind is strengthened, there will be an end to blind obedience."

-Wrote Vindication of the Rights of Women

Adam Smith aka Father of Capitalism

-Advocated laissez faire

-Believed in natural law of economics (business should operate with no gov't interference)

-Supply and demand will drive economy and the invisible hand of competition is the only needed regulation of economy

-Argued for "market economics" (economic decisions are based around supply and demand)

-Wrote the wealth of nations