Enlightenment Philosophers Objective: Describe the main ideas of the Enlightenment philosophers.

Enlightenment Enlightenment PhilosophersPhilosophers

Objective: Describe the main Objective: Describe the main ideas of the Enlightenment ideas of the Enlightenment

philosophers.philosophers.

European PhilosophersEuropean PhilosophersEssential Question: How did European Essential Question: How did European

philosophers use reason to criticize social and philosophers use reason to criticize social and political institutions?political institutions?

Enlightenment ideas led to…Enlightenment ideas led to… Individual Right to Life, Liberty, & Individual Right to Life, Liberty, &

PropertyProperty Social Contract = agreement between Social Contract = agreement between

government and people government and people Freedom of Speech = 1Freedom of Speech = 1stst Amendment Amendment Separation of Powers = Judiciary, Separation of Powers = Judiciary,

Legislature, ExecutiveLegislature, Executive

John LockeJohn Locke

English PhilosopherEnglish Philosopher Power of government came from the Power of government came from the

peoplepeople Natural RightsNatural Rights: Rights to life, liberty, : Rights to life, liberty,

and property that people are born withand property that people are born with The role of government is to protect itThe role of government is to protect it’’s s

citizencitizen’’s natural rights natural right Author of Author of ““Two Treaties on GovernmenTwo Treaties on Governmen

tt ””

VoltaireVoltaire

French philosopherFrench philosopher Religious tolerance Religious tolerance Freedom of speech Freedom of speech ““I may not agree with I may not agree with

what you say, but I what you say, but I will defend to the will defend to the death your right to say death your right to say it.it.””

Author of Author of ““CandideCandide””

MontesquieuMontesquieu Separation of powersSeparation of powers: :

Government should be Government should be divided into three divided into three separate branches separate branches

Checks and balancesChecks and balances: : Each branch would keep Each branch would keep the other in checkthe other in check

Judiciary (Courts), Judiciary (Courts), Legislature (Laws), Legislature (Laws), Executive (President)Executive (President)

Author of Author of ““The Spirit of The Spirit of LawsLaws””

RousseauRousseau Government should be Government should be

decided by the peopledecided by the people Democracy was the best Democracy was the best

form of governmentform of government Opposed absolute Opposed absolute

monarchsmonarchs Believed all people are Believed all people are

created created equalequal Wrote Wrote ““The Social ContracThe Social Contrac

tt ””

Mary WollstonecraftMary Wollstonecraft

English writerEnglish writer Women would help Women would help

create enlightened create enlightened families and should families and should have equal rights as have equal rights as menmen

Championed for Championed for women to be educatedwomen to be educated

Wrote Wrote ““A Vindication of A Vindication of the Rights of Womanthe Rights of Woman””

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes

English philosopherEnglish philosopher People are evil by People are evil by

nature and need nature and need governmentgovernment

Absolute Absolute sovereigntysovereignty

Wrote Wrote ““LeviathanLeviathan””

American FoundersAmerican FoundersEssential Question: How did American founders Essential Question: How did American founders

use Enlightenment ideas?use Enlightenment ideas?

Thomas Thomas JeffersonJefferson Used John LockUsed John Lock

ee ’’s ideas in the s ideas in the Declaration of Declaration of IndependenceIndependence

Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, We hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal, that they that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness; that to secure these rights, Happiness; that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever consent of the governed; that whenever any Form of Government becomes any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.and to institute new Government.

The Magna CartaThe Magna Carta King John of England King John of England

was forced to sign the was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215Magna Carta in 1215

This document was This document was the the beginning of beginning of democratic democratic governmentgovernment

Gave basic political Gave basic political rights to nobles and rights to nobles and showed no one, not showed no one, not even the king, was even the king, was above the lawabove the law

Original purpose: Original purpose: To limit the power To limit the power of the kingof the king

Gave English citizens Gave English citizens rights to…rights to… Jury TrialJury Trial Protection of the Protection of the

LawLaw No Taxation without No Taxation without

RepresentationRepresentation ((Benjamin Benjamin

Franklin later Franklin later used this used this principle to argue principle to argue for the 13 for the 13 colonies)colonies)