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Ideas of the Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment refers to a period in which reason was advocated as the primary basis of thought and authority. Logic and rationality were used to explain the ways in which the world worked as opposed to old traditions and superstitions. Free speech, individualism, and tolerance for other ways of life also became important ideas during this time. This period also coincided with the rise of nationalism and introduced great thinkers who later influenced developing democratic governments including the government of the United States.
Important People of the Enlightenment
John Locke was perhaps the foremost philosopher of the Enlightenment. He believed that a government was legitimate only if the people it ruled consented to its authority. He also believed the government should protect the natural rights of citizens and that all individuals should be equal under the law. These principles were influential in the development of many movements, including the American Revolution. American documents such as the Declaration of Independence demonstrate the influence of Locke's ideas.
Charles-Louis Montesquieu was a French political thinker known for his ideas regarding the government's separation of powers. In his work entitled The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu argued against one large government structure controlling every aspect of law and instead proposed the idea of separate branches.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss philosopher, writer, and Enlightenment thinker. Much of his philosophy influenced the French Revolution. During the Age of Enlightenment, great thinkers saw how humans were able to establish a new sense of logic and reason. Rousseau argued that every person was capable of such thinking and therefore could choose his or her own destiny. This idea is expressed in his famous work Reveries of a Solitary Walker.
Thomas Hobbes was perhaps the first person to develop social contract theory. He believed strongly that people naturally give up certain rights to a government in order to maintain social order. Hobbes' idea of social order was based on the thought that without government structure, people would fight each other and would never know peace. Hobbes states that "The natural state of men, before they were joined in society, was a
