Enlightenment

Thinkers
 What is the
Enlightenment?
•  The Enlightenment: an
intellectual and
philosophical
movement of the 18th
century that rejected
traditional social,
religious, and political •  “Have courage to use
ideas and instead your own reason—that
emphasized the is the motto of the
importance of reason. Enlightenment.”
o  -Immanuel Kant, German
philosopher
“I do not agree with what
you have to say, but I’ll
defend to the death your
right to say it.” -Voltaire
Question: What fundamental right that is protected under
our Bill of Rights does the above quote apply to?

Why is that right so important/valuable?

Enlightenment Thinkers
Thomas Hobbes
•  Argued for strong
central government.

•  People’s basic instincts

would lead to chaos.

•  Social Contract:
people give power to
strong government,
give up some rights, to
get guarantee of
protection and support.
 John Locke
•  Men are capable of
REASON and of
governing themselves.

•  Govt’s. job is to protect

rights of people, if govt.
fails to do so, citizens
have the right to
overthrow it.

•  Influenced struggles for

liberty in America and
Europe.
Charles Montesquieu
•  Separation of Powers:
o  Keeps any individual or group
from abusing their power or
taking over the government.

•  Each branch has a

check on the other
branches.

•  Became a basis of the

U.S. Constitution
o  Executive
o  Legislative
o  Judicial
 Which of the three
philosophers (Hobbes,
Locke, Montesquieu) do
you most agree with? Why?
Partner Discussion
 Jean-Jacques Rousseau
•  Wanted direct
democracy.
o  Government formed by the
people, for the people, and
guided by “general will” of the
people.

•  Legitimate government
only exists by the consent
of the governed.

•  All men are equal-should

abolish titles of nobility.

•  Plagiarized many of his

ideas from other thinkers.
Voltaire
•  Critic of the French
government and Catholic
Church

•  Argued for free speech, end

of slave trade, freedom of
religion, & separation of
church and state.

•  Thought people were too

stupid to have a
democracy (at that time).
Thought an educated
monarchy would be better
instead.
 Mary Wollstonecraft
•  One of the first
“feminists”.

•  Argued that both men

and women are capable
of reason and should be
treated as equals.

•  Women are not naturally

inferior to men, they only
appear that way due to
lack of education.
Is there an Enlightenment
thinker (or idea) that you
disagree with? Why?
Partner Discussion
Adam Smith
•  Political Economist

•  Argued for Laissez-faire

economy.

•  Govt. shouldn’t
interfere with
economy. Instead it
should focus on
protecting and
defending its citizens.
 Thomas Jefferson
•  One of America’s
Founding Fathers.

•  Author of Declaration of
Independence.

•  Argued for:
o  Free speech
o  Religious freedom
o  Other civil liberties

•  Governments derive their

power from the consent
of the governed.