AGE OF REASON

JOHN LOCKE
-” father of liberalism”
-believed that it was how a man was raised and the
experiences that he would liv through would determine what a
man could become.
-his contention that human beings possessed natural rights
that include the right of life, liberty and property. It was for the
protection of these natural lights that human beings would
enter into a social contract to establish a state.
BARON CHARLES DE MONTESQUIEU
-published his masterpiece, The Spirit of the Laws that
purported that the powers of government resided in three
separate and independent bodies.
• Executive power-in the hands of the head of state(prime
minister or president)
• Legislative power-in the hands of an elected assembly
• Judicial power-resided in the courts
-Principle of Separation of Powers is still used today
JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU
-most important work was Le Contract Social or The Social
Contract.
-main thesis was that the ideal state must be governed by the
general will of the people. His concept of general will was the
common good or the general welfare of all.
VOLTAIRE
-a dominant force during the Age of Reason
-considered as one of the “intellectual fathers of the French
Revolution”
-advocated of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and
separation of church and state.
DENIES DIDEROT
-editor of the French Encyclopedia
ADAM SMITH
-Wealth of Nations was perhaps the most important work of
Adam Smith. Here, he explained the concept of “laissez-faire”
economics. According to him, prosperity could be best
achieved by simply allowing individuals to pursue their
interests without the interference of the state.
-Smith argued that by giving everyone freedom to produce
and exchange goods as they pleased (free trade) and
opening the markets up to domestic and foreign competition,
people's natural self-interest would promote greater prosperity
than with stringent government regulations