Enlightenment Philosophers
For each of the following Philosophers:
1. Describe what their quote means in your own words. (Confer with a tablemate for help, if
you aren’t sure!)
2. Rank how much you agree or disagree with the quote.
3. Once each person at your table has explained their quotes, share your answers and
discuss the major theses (Point) of the Philosopher. *Please note that this will be shared
as a class, so although you do not WRITE anything, you will SAY something… BE
READY!
Thomas Hobbes 1588 - 1679
1651 - Leviathan
1. "They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that mislike it, heresy: and
yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. "During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in
that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Last words: "I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
John Locke 1632 - 1704
1690 - Essay concerning Human Understanding
1. "New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but
because they are not already common."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. "No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. "It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of
truth."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. "The end of law is, not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712 - 1778
1. "Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains."
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. “Never exceed your rights, and they will soon become unlimited.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. “The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the
least pleasure.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
Voltaire
1. “Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as
well.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. “I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: “O Lord, make my enemies
ridiculous. And God granted it.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. “Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die
without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments
are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them
nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. “God is a comedian playing to an audience to afraid to laugh.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
Rene Descartes
1. “A state is better governed which has few laws, and those laws strictly observed.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. “I think; therefore I am.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. “If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you
doubt, as far as possible, all things.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
4. “In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn, than to contemplate.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
Socrates
1. “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. And in knowing that you
know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. “People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they
avoid.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. “Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly
reprove thy faults.”
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Strongly Disagree
Neutral
Strongly Agree
______________________________________________________________________________________