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Hobbes and Locke
"Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Both men experienced the
political turmoil of England early in that century. However, they came to very different conclusions about government and human nature" (Black & Beck 551). Both Hobbes and Locke had different views about the government and human nature. Hobbs believed that people are selfish and evil. Locke believed that people could look over themselves and have the ability to govern their own affairs. -
John Locke
"He believed that people could learn from experience and
improve themselves. As reasonable beings, they had the natural ability to govern their own affairs and to look after the welfare of society" (Black & Beck 551). Locke believed that humans had the ability to experience things and improve themselves and be independent. People did not need anyone to tell them what to do, when they are able to do things their- self. -
John Locke idea published
"The purpose of government, said Locke, is to protect these
rights. If a government fails to do so, citizens have a right to overthrow it. Locke published his idea in 1690" (Black & Beck 551, 552). The government have the right to protect these right. life, liberty, and property. Locke's theory had a deep influence in the modern political thinking. Where the political thinking is happening is in the United States and in other countries they need this in order to make things happen. -
Mary Estell
“In 1694, the English writer Mary Astell published A Serious Proposal to the Ladies” (Black & Beck, 554). In her book, she informed the lacks of educational opportunities open for women. In later writings, she had used the Enlightenment arguments about government to criticize the unequal relationship between men and women in marriage. -
Enlightenment reached France
"The Enlightenment reached its height in France... Paris became the meeting place for people who wanted to discuss politics and ideas" (Black & Beck 552). After the Enlightenment reached France people discuss politics and ideas in Paris the meeting place. The philosophers went to Paris to discuss their ideas in the meeting with other philosophers. -
Liberty
“The philosophes envied the liberties that the English people had won in their Glorious Revolution and Bill of Rights. In France, there were many restrictions on speech, religion, trade, and personal travel. Through reason, the philosophes believed, society could be set free. (Black and Beck 552)” In France they were not allowed to speak their mind but the English people were and they were jealous that they could and then the philosophes believed that they could be set free. -
People's Roles
“Before the mid-1700s, people commonly believed that children were naturally sinful. Parents raised their children with a harsh hand and treated them like miniature adults" (Black and Beck 556). People’s roles changed not only men and women who were making great changes for themselves and the government, but even children. -
People's Roles
... It is seen that years ago people played completely different roles than they do today. For example, children were treated like nothing because they were accused of being born with a certain characteristic. -
At this time...
“With the door thus opened, the growth of scientific knowledge seemed to quicken in the 1700's. Scientists made key new discoveries in chemistry, physics, biology, and mechanics (Black and Beck 556). The opportunity to expand individual’s ideas was at its peak. Throughout the 1700's many occurrences of idealistic ideas towards government grew. Both men and women were able to create ways of publishing their beliefs to be seen by the world. -
Future Influences
“...their theories eventually inspired the American and French revolutions and other revolutionary movements in the 1800's. Enlightenment thinking produced three other long-term effects that helped shape Western civilization" (Black and Beck 555).The strong beliefs and ideas of men and women influenced people during this time and centuries to come. They reminded people of how much power they had, even with someone who ruled over them. -
Future Influences
...In the end, those words were able to spark world changing revolutions. -
Jean Jacques Rousseau
“...The son of a poor Swiss watchmaker, … made his way to Paris” (Black and Beck 554). Jean Jacques Rousseau was a great philosopher who established his own ideas and beliefs, and incorporated them into the way nations are governed today. Rousseau had logical ideas that expressed the importance of people’s rights. Yet none of those proposals could have never been propositioned without his arrival in Paris, where he met with several men in power. -
Voltaire
"The French king and France’s Catholic bishops were outraged. In 1734, fearing another unpleasant jail term, Voltaire fled Paris" (Black and Beck 553). Voltaire often spoke his mind but then was imprisoned multiple times because they were not allowed to also because Voltaire was talking about his ideas about a different government. -
Baron De Montesquieu
“....of his most famous book, On the Spirit of Laws (1748). In his book, Montesquieu proposed that separation of powers would keep any individual or group from gaining total control of the government.” (Black and Beck 553). Montesquieu wrote a book on what he believed would control not only people but those in power. His idea of separation of powers controlled all the high rulers in government and divided them into the branches of government. -
Baron De Montesquieu
...By separating the powers, not one individual could overthrow the rest of the population and proceed to do whatever they desired. Montesquieu’s ideas were greatly efficient that they later became known as ‘Checks and Balances’. -
'The Social Contract' By Jean Jacques Rousseau
“In 1762, he explained his political philosophy in a book called The Social Contract.” (Black and Beck 554). Rousseau believed that government was a contract between the government and the people, ‘Social Contract’. He believed that quality governments were those created by the people and nothing less. -
'The Social Contract' By Jean Jacques Rousseau
Although his opinions, along with his voice might have not created revolutions at exactly that time, his words strongly impacted those to come in the future, which they did lead to impacting revolutions in history -
'Crimes and Punishment' by Cesare Beccaria
“...He believed that laws existed to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes. In his celebrated book On Crimes and Punishments (1764), Beccaria railed against common abuses of justice”(Black & Beck, 554). Baccaria believed that creating and establishing rules was crucial for the control of the people. He did not believe that rules were meant to punish and hurt those who had committed crimes. -
Mary Wollstonecraft
“Among the most persuasive was Mary Wollstonecraft, who published an essay called A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792” (Black & Beck 554).In Mary Wollstonecraft’s essay, she disagreed with Rousseau that of women’s education should be secondary to men. For another, she argued that women, just like men, need the education to become virtuous and useful in their work.
