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Thomas Hobbes
"The horrors of the English Civil War convinced him that all humans were naturally selfish and wicked. Without governments
to keep order, Hobbes said, there would be 'war of every
man against every man.' " Hobbes believed that all people were evil and should not have a free government. He thought that it was best if they had an absolute monarchy, or a single ruler, to make sure that the people did not get out of control. -
John Locke
"Locke criticized absolute monarchy and favored the idea of self-government. According to Locke, all people are born free and equal, with three natural rights--- life, liberty, and property. The purpose of government, said Locke, is to protect these rights" (Black and Beck). Locke believed that people could learn and improve themselves and is the government fails to protect their rights, the citizens have a right to overthrow it. -
Newton
"Philosophers admired Newton because he had used reason to
explain the laws governing nature. People began to look for laws governing human behavior as well" (Black and Beck 551). Issac Newton was a role model for many philosophers. He wanted to apply the scientific method to all aspects of society. The ideas of the Scientific Revolution created the Enlightenment. -
Voltaire
"Although he made powerful enemies, Voltaire never stopped fighting for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech. He used his quill pen as if it were a deadly weapon in a thinker’s war against humanity’s worst enemies—intolerance, prejudice, and superstition" (Black and Beck 553). Voltaire believed that everyone should be able to have their own religious beliefs and opinions. -
Montesquieu
"Montesquieu proposed that separation of powers would keep any
individual or group from gaining total control of the government. 'Power,' he wrote, 'should be a check to power.' Each branch of government would serve as a check on the other two. This idea later would be called “checks and balances.' "(Black and Beck 553). Montesquieu thought that there should not just be one ruler. It would be better if the government had three separate branches that would check in on each other. -
Rousseau
"Rousseau believed that the only good government was one that was freely formed by the people and guided by the 'general will' of society—a direct democracy. " (Black and Beck 554). Unlike Hobbes, Rousseau believed that a social contract should be an agreement among free individuals to create a society and a government instead of an agreement between society and the government. He thought that all people were equal and nobility should be abolished. -
Beccaria
"...turned his thoughts to the justice system. He believed that
laws existed to preserve social order, not to avenge crimes... He argued that a person accused of a crime should receive a speedy trial, and that torture should never be used" (Black and Beck 554). The punishment given should depend on the seriousness of the crime, but a torture method or capital punishment should never be used even in serious cases. -
Wollstonecraft
"...she disagreed with Rousseau that women’s education should be secondary to men’s. Rather, she argued that women, like men, need education to become virtuous and useful" (Black and Beck 555). She thought that women should be able to do some of the same things that man could such as getting an education and participating in politics. Wealthier women spread Enlightenment ideas through social gatherings.
