1. People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s
Name From Wrote Main Ideas
Locke
Hobbes
Montesquieu
Rousseau
Voltaire

2. People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s
-People are naturally good willed and reasonable
-Observation: gov’t exists to “preserve life, liberty, & property”
-Hypothesis: governments exist to serve the people and protect their rights
Locke
From: England
Wrote: Two Treatises on Government

3. People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s
-People are naturally selfish and prone to evil
-Observation: Life without gov’t is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, & short.”
-Hypothesis: Absolute gov’t needed to control evil behavior
Hobbes
From: England
Wrote: Leviathan

4. People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s
-Observation: “When the legislature & executive are united in the same person, there is no liberty (freedom)”
-Hypothesis: Gov’t must have “Separation of Powers” -- 3 branches
Montesquieu
From: France
Wrote: The Spirit of Laws

5. People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s
-People’s naturally good instincts are corrupted by society
-Observation: “man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.”
-Hypothesis:Direct democracy is the best form of government -people should be ruled by the majority
Rousseau
From: France
Wrote: The Social Contract

6. People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s
-Observation:Authority (church, government, nobility) should be questioned
-Hypothesis: Freedom of speech & religion, separation of church & state
-“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. “
Voltaire
From: France

7. KEY IDEAS Humans are unique because they have the ability to reason
This ability should be used to solve problems and improve lives
Reason will free us from superstition and unfair government
Just like science has natural laws, so does human behavior

8. People of the Enlightenment -1600s & 1700s
Name From Wrote Main Ideas
Two Treatises on Gov’t
-Observation: gov’t exists to “preserve life, liberty, &
property”
- People can rebel if government does not protect their rights
-Hypothesis: people are shaped by their environment
England
Locke
-Observation: Life without gov’t is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, & short.”
-Hypothesis: Absolute gov’t needed to control evil behavior (not divine right)
England
Leviathan
Hobbes
-Observation: “When the legislature & executive are united in
the same person, there is no liberty (freedom)”
-Hypothesis: Gov’t must have “Separation of Powers” -- 3
branches
The Spirit of Laws
France
Montesquieu
-Observation: “man is born free, but everywhere he is in
chains.”
-Hypothesis: Gov’t is contract between people & rulers.
-Hypothesis: people should be sovereign (rule)
The Social Contract
France
Rousseau
-Observation: Life is better with liberty Hypothesis: Freedom of speech & religion, separation of
church & state -“I disapprove of what you say, but I will
defend to the death your right to say it. “
France
Voltaire