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Moving on to the Enlightenment philosophers, they were influential in shaping the ideas behind
the U.S. Constitution and form of government. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau were some of the prominent thinkers during this period. Hobbes, in his work
Leviathan, emphasized the need for a strong central authority to prevent chaos and maintain
order in society. This idea can be seen in the U.S. Constitution's establishment of a strong
federal government with powers divided among different branches. Locke, on the other hand,
emphasized the natural rights of individuals, including life, liberty, and property. His ideas about
government being formed through a social contract between the rulers and the ruled influenced
the concept of individual rights and limited government in the United States. Rousseau's ideas
about the general will of the people and the importance of popular sovereignty also influenced
the U.S. Constitution. The idea that government should be based on the consent of the
governed can be seen in the U.S. system of representative democracy.
In summary, both the Greek/Roman democracies and the Enlightenment philosophers played
crucial roles in shaping the U.S. Constitution and form of government. The concepts of
democracy, rule of law, individual rights, and the social contract are all reflections of these
influences. The U.S. Constitution was a product of the Enlightenment ideas and the lessons
learned from ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.