The Enlightenment in Europe

Group: Ornella Giecco, Camila Perotti, Enzo Saccoccia Caggiano.

1. Which impact of the Enlightenment do you consider most important? Why?

2. What are the natural rights with which people are born, according to John
Locke?
3. Who were the philosophes and what did they advocate? You can use a chart
to organize the information.
4. What was the legacy of the Enlightenment?
5. Explain how the following statement reflects Enlightenment ideas: “Power
should be a check to power.”
6. Why might some women have been critical of the Enlightenment?
7. Do you think the philosophes were optimistic about the future of humankind?
Explain.

1) We think that most important impact of the enlightenment were Locke's ideas
because they practically caused the independence in the Americas and helped
inspire struggle for liberty in Europe. However, we think that it’s worth mentioning
Montesquieu's concept of having separated powers, would cause France, United
States and Latin American nations to literally shape their constitutions in pro of this
idea. Even though Montesquieu inspired his concept on Britain’s government, we
think that he was a visionary. These nations would be drastically different without
him. The separation of powers is a principle that ensures that no individual has
absolute power, no one should be above the law.

2) Locke believed that humans are born with three natural rights: life, liberty, and
prosperity. The government should protect and ensure these rights, if not the people
had the right to overthrow it, as the government's power resides in people's consent.

3)

Philosophes What they advocated for

Hobbes Monarchy.
Strong ruler with total power to impose
order.

Locke The three natural rights: life, liberty, and

prosperity.
Voltaire Defense of liberty.
Tolerance, freedom of religious belief,
freedom of speech.

Montesquieu Separation of powers.

Laws ensure security.
Consent to govern.

Rousseau Individual freedom.

Direct democracy: government freely
formed, guided by the general will.
Equality (abolish titles of nobility).

Beccaria Laws exist to preserve order, not to

avenge crimes.
Rejected abuses of justice: torture,
irregularities in trials, arbitrary or cruel
punishments.

Wollstonecraft Women's education; to become virtuous

and useful.

4) We have to thank the Enlightenment and its philosophers for various of the
freedoms we enjoy today.
● Locke's idea that a government's power should come from people's consent
led to the foundation of modern democracy as well as the inspiration for
Europe and the Americas to struggle for liberty.
● Montesquieu's separation of powers and the so-called check and balances
became, for instance, the basis for the United States Constitution.
● Rousseau's thoughts of equality and abolition of nobility titles inspired the
leaders of the French Revolution to overthrow the monarchy.
● Beccaria's critiques of abuses of justice led to reforms in criminal laws both in
Europe and North America.
During this time, people also began to question their religion together with the
Church itself. Many people were turning away from the Church as they realized that
many of the universe's mysteries could be explained beyond God's creation, they
could have a mathematical explanation. The philosophes promoted religious'
tolerance while encouraged people to use their own ability to reason for judging right
or wrong. This is known as individualism.

5) The statement "power should be a check to power" is based on Montesquieu's

proposal for separation of powers; through this, the power being held by one group
would be prevented. In order to function, all three powers should work together in
balance.
This reflects the Enlightenment ideas in the sense that a government should not
have total power for imposing laws, but multiple people chosen by popular consent
should be in charge of different parts of the process as to avoid inequity.

6) Even though the philosophes challenged the established ideas about government
and society, they held a traditional view toward women. This conceptions were
publicly criticized by women writers. They argued their lack of opportunities in
education, which was considered as secondary to men’s, and should be limited to
teach girls on how to be helpful mothers and wives. They also argued the irony held
in the Enlightenment ideas about government and individual liberties, since
meanwhile the philosophes stood against the absolute sovereignty in the ruling of a
state and defended freedom of all men, kept women in a subordinated and
disadvantageous position.

7) The philosophes were optimistic about the future of humankind, since the very
name of the movement expresses the positiveness they held toward the new
spreading ideas. The thinkers of the time of the light believed all the truths could be
discovered through reason, which would lead the way to progress and the
improvement of life, where people would enjoy the benefits from the advances of
science and individual freedoms.