Module 4

European Philosophers

John Locke

Thomas Hobbes

Montesquieu

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Hobbes, Rousseau, Locke and the Social Contract

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qixLQ9k8Gf4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
glgU6o4nZQc

Changes in government

●Being under the rule of an absolute monarch was not always a pleasant
experience. You were required to do what the king and/or queen wanted you to
do. You had no real choices to make for yourself and your family to make your
station in life better.

●During the Scientific Revolution (1600’s), scholars began to question, observe
and use reason in several areas, including government. Out of the Scientific
Revolution came the Enlightenment period (1600’s to the 1700’s)- Rene’
Descartes wrote in his famous work, Discourse on the Methods, “I think,
therefore I am.”

●Scholars started to question the authority of the monarchs, which led them to
using reason to decide the best type of government.

What does it mean to be enlightened?

●It means you think logically

●Use reason in your thought process

What is reason?

The power of the mind to think, understand and form judgements by a
process of logic.

Fill in the Blanks

What does Enlightenment mean?

The Enlightenment

Reason applied to law
and government
Also called the Age
of Reason

Encouraged
religious tolerance

Started several
revolutions
American
Revolution
French Revolution

Thomas Hobbes

●Wrote Leviathan, a book that argues for a social contract.

The idea that citizens give up some of their freedoms in order for a strong
government to protect them.

●He believed the state must have central authority to manage behavior.

●He felt humans existed in a primitive state of nature and consent to government
for self-protection.

●He thought all humans were naturally selfish and wicked, and in order to escape
that horrible life, you needed to give control to a strong ruler. He established
the concept of a social contract. Hobbes believed an absolute monarchy was
best because it could impose order and demand obedience

John Locke

Wrote Two Treatises of Government : Locke proposed that government came from the consent of
the governed to protect their natural rights, a social contract (rights that belong to all humans from
birth, to include life, liberty and property). And he believed it was the responsibility of the
government to protect those rights. He went on to say if the government could not protect those
rights, then the citizens have the right to overthrow it. Sound familiar????

Unlike Thomas Hobbes, John Locke hated the idea of an absolute monarch. He believed all people
were born free and equal.

Montesquieu

Wrote The Spirit of Laws.

He believed the best form of government
included a separation of powers.

Sound familiar???

Became the basis for the United States
Constitution

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Wrote The Social Contract.

●Believed government is a contract between the rulers and the people.

●Believed civilization corrupted people’s natural goodness- “Man is born free but
everywhere is in chains.”

●He felt the best government was a government freely formed by the people and
guided by the general will of society- Direct democracy (ex. Switzerland, where
Rousseau was from).

●He concluded all people are equal: status and nobility should be abolished.

●His ideas inspired the leaders of the French Revolution.

Hobbes and Social Contractarianism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Co6pNvd9mc

Voltaire (1694-1778)

●He believed religious tolerance should triumph over religious fanaticism.

●He felt there should be a separation between church and state.

●He fought for tolerance, freedom of religion and freedom of speech. He is well
known for the statement “I do not agree with a word you say but will defend to
the death your right to say it.”

●Published more than 70 books on political essays, philosophy and drama- best
known for Candide

Influence of the
Enlightenment

on American

Political
Thinkers

●Political philosophies from the
Enlightenment fueled
revolutions in the Americas and
France.

●Enlightenment ideas were
incorporated into Thomas
Jefferson’s Declaration of
Independence.

●Ideas were also included in the
United States Constitution and
our Bill of Rights (first 10
amendments in the
Constitution).