Name:_________________________________
Date:_____________________
Period:___________
Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz
Directions – Write the name of the Enlightenment thinker that matches the description.
1. I am the only Enlightenment philosopher from Switzerland. I wrote “The Social Contract” which said
that people are born good and the world corrupts them. I believed that a good government can
maintain human goodness, and supported the idea of popular sovereignty.
2. I am from England. I wrote the “Leviathan” and supported the social contract theory which said that
government can only exist with the consent or permission of the people.
3. I am also from England and I agree with the author of “Leviathan” except that I don’t think people
should have to give up their rights in order for the government to protect them. I actually think it is
the job of the government to protect people’s rights to “life, liberty, and property.”
4. I am a French Enlightenment philosopher who wrote “Candide”. I criticized the intolerance of
government. I am famous for the quote, “I may disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the
death your right to say it.”
5. I am from France and I wrote “The Spirit of the Laws”. I believe in separation of powers in government
and that there should be a system of checks and balances to ensure that one person does not have too
much power in the government.