Enlightenment thinkers

Who believed people are naturally selfish and need a strong ruler to maintain order?

Thomas Hobbes – Leviathan – Supported absolute monarchy and the social contract.

Who argued that people have natural rights: life, liberty, and property?

John Locke – Two Treatises of Government – Believed in limited government and consent of the governed.

What thinker believed in the general will and the idea of a social contract?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau – The Social Contract – Government must follow the collective will of the people.

Who introduced the idea of separation of powers in government?

Baron de Montesquieu – The Spirit of the Laws – Inspired the structure of modern democratic governments.

Which Enlightenment thinker defended freedom of speech and religion?

Voltaire – Criticized intolerance and supported civil liberties in Candide and essays.

Who argued for equal education and rights for women?

Mary Wollstonecraft – A Vindication of the Rights of Woman – Early feminist thought.

Which thinker wanted to reform criminal justice and end torture?

Cesare Beccaria – On Crimes and Punishments – Advocated fair and humane legal practices.

Who edited the Encyclopédie to spread Enlightenment knowledge?

Denis Diderot – Promoted education, reason, and knowledge as tools of progress.