Enlightenment Thinkers:

Core claim: People are naturally evil and cannot be trusted to govern themselves; thus, all power in the hands of a king or queen would be most beneficial for the people
— an absolute monarchy.
View of government: Government is for protection; people are selfish and would pursue their own interests without a strong ruler

Divine right: Locke did not believe in the theory of divine right. Kings and queens were not chosen by God, and their decisions should not be considered the will of God. Challenging monarchy should not be equated with challenging God.
Purpose of government: To protect the natural rights of the people.
Natural rights: ${ \text{life}, \text{liberty}, \text{properties} }$
If government fails to protect these rights, citizens should have the power to overthrow that government.

Core claim: Humans are naturally good but corrupted by society.
Published The Social Contract. He argued that all humans are corrupted by society and must enter into a social contract that requires everyone to live for the common good.
Liberty and equality, according to Rousseau, flourish if all citizens commit to promoting the well-being of the community above themselves.
Education: Advocated education for both women and men.

Published Vindication of the Rights of Woman, advocating equality between men and women; argued that women deserve and need an education to prove themselves equal to men.
Application of Enlightenment ideals to women: Feminist ideas were revolutionary for the time; argued that women should have equal representation in government and that schools serve both boys and girls.

Three types of government: ${ \text{Monarchy}, \text{Tyranny}, \text{Republic} }$
- Monarchy: led by a king or queen.
- Tyranny: rule with total power.
- Republic: form of government where people have some power in how it is run.
Key concept: Checks and balances; the idea that government branches should be separate to ensure fairness and equality.

Civil rights advocate: Fought for basic liberties such as the right to a fair trial and freedom of religion; opposed religious intolerance; favored practical laws of science to improve human life rather than religion.
He critiqued the social class system in France, arguing that the noble elite were corrupt, the rich upper class was too small, and the commoners lacked intelligence.
He believed that a strong monarchy was needed to guide the people, while also promoting civil rights and religious tolerance.