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Enlightenment Philosophes

World Café Review

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Thomas Hobbes

  • Believed people were nasty and would act in their own self-interests.
    • People are not capable of creating and maintaining a successful government – anti democracy
  • Social Contract – people hand over their rights to a strong ruler, and in exchange they gain law and order
    • absolute monarchy is best
    • Can impose order and demand obedience
  • Expressed his views in his work called Leviathan, meaning sea monster.

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Key Ideas:

  • Social Contract
  • Absolute Monarchy
  • Anti-Democracy
  • Leviathan

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Cesare Beccaria

  • Believed in fair and impartial criminal justice system
  • Was strongly against torture
  • People should be treated equally under the law, regardless of social or political status
  • The punishment should fit the crime

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Key Ideas:

  • Justice System
  • Laws exist to

preserve order

  • Speedy trials
  • No torture!

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John Locke

  • Had a positive view on human nature, they could govern themselves
  • Favored self government – democracy
  • Natural Rights – life, liberty, & property
  • If a government does not guarantee citizen’s natural rights, they have the right to overthrow it.

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Key Ideas:

  • Self government
  • Natural rights
  • Democracy
  • People are born

free and equal

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Voltaire

  • Believed in tolerance, reason, & freedom of religion & speech.
  • Was against oppressive control of governments and religions
    • Targeted clergy, aristocracy, and the government

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Key Ideas:

  • Freedom of Speech
  • Freedom of

Religion

  • Against intolerance

and prejudice

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Baron de Montesquieu

  • Separation of Powers & Checks and Balances
    • Executive Branch – Carry out the laws
    • Legislative Branch – Makes the Laws
    • Judicial Branch – Interprets the laws

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Key Ideas:

  • Political Liberty
  • Spirit of Laws
  • Separation of Powers
  • Checks & Balances
  • Anti absolute ruler

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Jean Jacques �Rousseau

  • Believed in a government guided by the general will of society – direct democracy
  • People give up some freedom for the common good
  • Man is born good, but corrupted by society

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Key Ideas:

  • Individual Freedom
  • Direct Democracy
  • Social Contract
  • Anti monarchy
  • Anti oligarchy

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Mary �Wollstonecraft

  • Women deserved an education to be virtuous and useful
  • Urged women to enter male-dominated fields like medicine and politics

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Key Ideas:

  • Gender equality
  • Women should be

educated

  • Against a male

dominated society

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