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The Start of the Enlightenment
The start of the Enlightenment was from main ideas put together by two English political thinker in the 1600s, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Both men witnessed the political confusion of England early in that century. Although, they came to super complicated conclusions about government and human nature. -
Hobbes view
Thomas Hobbes expressed his thoughts in his book called Leviathan. The views of the English Civil War persuaded him that all people were naturally selfish and wicked. Hobbes said In this state of nature, life would be “solitary poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes also said, there would be “war of every man against every man.” -
Lockes View
John locke held a different, more certain, view of human nature. Locke felt, all humans are born equal and free, with three natural rights which is, life, liberty, and property. The purpose of government, said Locke, is to defend these rights. If a government isn't successful in doing so, citizens have the right to overthrow it. -
Voltaires path
Could be the most influential and brilliant of the philosophes was Francois Marie Arouet. Using the name Voltaire, he published more than 70 books of political essays, history, philosophy, fiction, and drama. -
Montesquieu
An influential French writer, Baron De Montesquieu, Studied political liberty and was an aristocrat and lawyer. Montesquieu studied the history of ancient Rome. He founded that Rome’s collapse was related to its loss of political liberties. His idea, however, became a part of his most famous book, On the Spirit of Laws (1748). -
Woman Impact on Enlightenment
Important contributions from women to the Enlightenment in different ways. In other European cities and Paris, wealthy women had an impact on Enlightenment ideas through social gatherings called salons. -
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft published an essayed named A Vindication Of Woman in 1792. She expressed in the essay how she disagreed with Rousseau about women's education and it should be secondary to men’s. Instead she argued that women, like men, need education to become useful. Even if they become mothers, education will help your mothering. Wollstonecraft also believed women should be aloud to become a nurse and even doctors. She also argued for women’s right to participate in politics. -
Beccaria
Yet another philosophe named Cesare Bonesana Beccaria had turned his ideas into the justice system. He thought that laws were to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes. In his book On Crimes and Punishments (1764), Beccaria nailed against common abuses of justice. They included mistreatment of suspects, punishments that were cruel, and irregular proceedings in trials. -
Rousseau
A third great philosophe, Jean Jacques Rousseau, was committed to individual freedom. Son of a Swiss watchmaker, Rousseau worked as an engraver, tutor, music teacher, and secretary. Finally, he made his way to paris, winning recognition as a essay writer. There he met and befriended more philosophes, although he didn’t feel welcomed in the circles of Paris high society in which they traveled. His ideas inspired many of the leaders of the French Revolution who overthrew the monarchy in 1789. -
Enlightenments impact
Within a few decades, Enlightenment writers challenged ideas about society.They studied such principles as the right of monarchs, the state and union of church, and unequal social classes. They held these beliefs up to the light of reason, coming back unreasonable.