Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke
Hobbes argued that people were naturally cruel, greedy and
selfish … that life in a state of nature was “solitary, poor, nasty,
brutish and short” … and that only a powerful absolute monarchy
could bring order to society.
Locke argued that people were naturally reasonable and moral …
that they were born with natural rights to life, liberty and
property, and therefore the only legitimate form of government
was limited and focused on securing those rights … and that
people had the right to overthrow a government that didn’t
protect those natural rights.
The Philosophes
Montesquieu – He felt the best way to protect liberty was to set up
three branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive.
With this “separation of powers,” each branch could check on
each other, making sure no one branch becomes too powerful
(system of “checks and balances”).
Voltaire – Perhaps the most famous of the philosophes, he was
highly critical of the French government and Catholic Church.
Best known for his defense of the freedoms of thought, speech and
religion.
Diderot – He compiled thousands of scholarly articles into the
Encyclopedia, which helped to popularize Enlightenment ideas.
Rousseau – He believed the only good government was one
formed freely by people engaged in a “social contract,” whereby
they agree to subordinate their personal interests for the greater
good of the community. Huge inspiration for the French
Revolution.
Wollstonecraft – She spoke out for women’s rights, which were
not championed by most Enlightenment philosophers. Wrote A
Vindication for the Rights of Woman, in which she argued for
equal education for boys and girls.
New Economic Thinking
• Enlightenment thinkers who took a rational approach to
understanding economics were called physiocrats.
• Physiocrats believed in free trade and low tariffs … in laissezfaire economics, which is minimal government interference
with commerce (as opposed to mercantilism, which argued
for government control of business to maintain a favorable
balance of trade)
• Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations (1776) puts forth the
classic argument for free-market economics.