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Montesquieu VS American Revolution
Baron DE Montesquieu was a French political thinker of the enlightenment who incorporated the ideas of a division of state and separation of powers. His ideas would later become the three branches of government that America adopted in the American Revolution. Unlike Thomas Hobbes, "who believed in a single, all powerful monarch," Montesquieu and people of the American Revolution believed that equal power was the ideal form of government. -
John Locke VS American Revolution PART I
John Locke was an English political theorist who focused on the structure of governments. He concurred with Hobbes that humans had a self-driven nature, but "that they could use reason to avoid tyranny." Locke believed that "the duty of that government is to protect the natural rights of the people." This idea consequently influenced American Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, to institute the Declaration of Independence. -
Locke Vs American Revolution PART II
John Locke also believed that "If the government should fail to protect these rights, its citizens would have the right to overthrow that government." This idea prompted Thomas Jefferson to claim that the colonists were rebelling because their rights had been violated thus they had the right to overthrow it. Locke's ideas not only helped create the Declaration of Independence, but also gave a voice to the people of the future to protect and express their rights. -
Voltaire VS American Revolution
Voltaire was a French writer and the "primary satirist of enlightenment, who criticized religion and leading philosophies of the time." This lead him to advocate for civil rights. His ideas for fair trials and freedom of religion influenced the Founding Fathers to hold these rights in high esteem. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau VS American Revolution
Rousseau was a Swiss-French thinker " who brought his own approach to the Enlightenment, believing that man was at his best when unshackled by the conventions of society." His ideas helped mold the 'Social Contract' that the Founding Fathers created because he advocated for equality and society "that men need for achieving his best." These ideas were pivotal and crucial to the "emerging society of America." -
Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes was a philosopher whose theory was "that all humans are inherently self-driven and evil and that the best form of government is a single, all-powerful monarch." Hobbes believed that to enforce law and prevent the chaos of the state of nature, people approved to forming a government. In the Revolution, this idea was enforced in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution when "We the People" establish a government to do things like "ensure domestic tranquility" and "promote the general welfare." -
WORKS CITED
SparkNotes, History. "The Enlightenment (1650–1800)." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 03 May 2017.
"Foundations of American Government." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 03 May 2017.
Blog, Gerald Boerner's. "Today's Thought..." Voltaire & Rousseau: Thinking about the American Revolution. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 03 May 2017.