The Age of
ENLIGHTENMENT
According to the picture, what do you think influenced Enlightenment thinkers?
Learning Goal
• Understand the significance of
Enlightenment thinkers and influence on
US Government and history.
ENLIGHTENMENT
• Shift in thinking
"enlighten"—the idea of
shedding light on
something, illuminating
it, making it clear.
• New philosophies dealt
with government,
religion, & relationships
between people
• Reason, natural law,
hope, progress
Philosophes
(philosophers)
• Most were writers, professors
• Were concerned with idea of
human reason
–It can be applied to all areas of
life
philosophes cont.
• Opposed divine right to
rule, no absolute
monarchies & privileges
of nobility & clergy
• People can govern
themselves!!
• NO traditional religious
values – some were
atheist or Christian –
most were deist
JOHN LOCKE
• People are basically good.
• They enter into a contract with
gov’t, and the gov’t is
responsible for securing
unalienable rights (life, liberty
& property).
• If ruler becomes a tyrant,
people have the right & duty
to overthrow
• all people have natural rights
• Life, liberty, propertyinfluenced what?
THOMAS HOBBES
• Leviathan – 1651
• Man was basically bad
If there is no government,
humankind would fight
& destroy themselves
• therefore they make an
agreement with the
government for
protection
VOLTAIRE
• believed in
reason,
tolerance, and
limited
government
• Critic of
Christianity
• deist
MONTESQUIEU
• separation of
powers in the
government (3
Branches)
• liberty of the
people must be
guarded from
corrupt leaders
ROUSSEAU
• Social Contractsociety agrees to be
governed
• People in civilized
society were unhappy
& selfish
• Government should
what's best for
everyone-majority rule
Mary Wollstonecraft
• Considered the founder of
women’s rights movement.
• Self-educated, magazine publisher
• Daughter was Mary Shelley-wrote
Frankenstein
• “Make women rational creatures,
and free citizens, and they will
quickly become good wives; - that
is, if men do not neglect the duties
of husbands and fathers.”
Thomas Jefferson
• Influence from Locke
and Rousseau- Life
liberty & pursuit of
happiness/social
contract
• Declaration of
IndependenceIndividual liberties
William Blackstone
• Blackstone's main contribution
was in his theory of common
law (basis of legal system).
• Influenced U.S. Constitutionespecially impeachment and
the 2nd Amendment
• "... to the right of petitioning the king and
parliament for redress of grievances; and, lastly,
to the right of having and using arms for selfpreservation and defense."
HOW IT SPREAD
• Diderot –
Encyclopedia
• Salons-gathering
places
• more secular outlook
3-2-1
• 3- Give three new ideas from Enlightenment
thinkers
• 2- Name two Enlightenment thinkers and
explain their philosophy
• 1- What idea from John Locke was used later in
the Declaration of Independence? (one part
was changed to fit their ideology)