The Enlightenment

Hobbes

English, wrote Leviathan, thought humans were selfish and wicked, thought purpose of government was to protect ppl from themselves, thought best government was an absolute monarchy.

Locke

English, wrote Treaties on Government, thought ppl had reason and should be able to govern their own affairs, thought govs. purpose was to protect 3 natural rights (right to life, right to liberty, and right to property), gov. safeguards ppls rights, govs. power comes from consent of the governed, ppl should choose their own gov., believed in a limited/constitutional monarchy.

Voltaire

French, Candide, widely admired philosopher, jailed twice by Louis XV, criticized French laws, fled to Switzerland, believed in religious tolerance, believed in freedom of thought + speech.

Montesquieu

French, On the Spirit of Laws, studied govs. of Europe, believed Britain was best governed, led to separation of powers, Executive, Legislative, Judicial.

Diderot

French, Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia was a 28 volume set of articles and essays, challenged views on society, an attempt to bring all “current” knowledge together, banned by gov. after volume 7, greatly helped to spread Enlightenment ideas.

Rousseau

French, working class, philosophe, Discourse on the Origins of the Inequality of Mankind, adopted laws and gov. to preserve property, ppl were now enslaved by those govs., believed ppl are good but corrupted by society, the Social Contract, everybody agrees to be governed by its general will, general will should be dominant in society.

Beccaria

Italian, believed laws existed to preserve social order, against torture + capital punishment, believed punishment should fit the crime, right to a “speedy” trial.

Wollstonecraft

English, WOMAN, published essay (A Vindication of the Rights of Women), pointed out hypocrisy of the Enlightenment, women should have equal rights in education, political, and economic life.