Philosophy in the Age of Reason
Feb 16, 2016
Philosophyin theAge of Reason
The Enlightenment
A new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems
Philosophes• Hobbes• Locke
• Montesquieu• Voltaire• Diderot
• Rousseau• Adam Smith
THOMAS HOBBES• Social Contract
Theory:People
submit to an authoritarian leader in return for protection & an orderly society.
Leviathan
JOHN LOCKE• Natural rights:
LIFELIBERTYPROPERTY
• People have a right to rebel against a Gov’t that doesn’t protect their rights.
MONTESQUIEU• Natural right:
Liberty• 3 Branches of Gov’t
LegislativeExecutiveJudicial
Denis Diderot• Encyclopedia
• Provided a medium for Enlightenment thinkers of the period
• When translated, helped to spread Enlightenment ideals across the world
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
• The Social Contract
• Real Gov’ts exist only by consent of the people
Adam Smith• Wealth of Nations• Scottish economist• Supply & Demand dictate market
• “Father of Capitalism”
Natural Law• The result of scientific
successes• Rules discoverable by
reason• Applied to areas outside
science:– Social– Economic– Political
Natural Rights• Rights guaranteed to individuals from birth
• Locke–Life, Liberty, Property
Laissez - faire• “Hands – off”• Allowing business to operate with little or no government interference or regulation