The Enlightenment: Influencers

Time period in Europe during the 17th & 18th Centuries when Philosophers began applying the concept of reason to the political environment and challenged absolutism (unlimited government).

• Scientific Revolution

• Renaissance

• Enlightenment

• Middle Ages

An Unlimited Government where the king or queen have unlimited power

• Constitutional Monarchy

• Absolute Monarchy

• Democracy

• Dictatorship

Philosopher who believed in natural rights and a social contract in order to have government. Believed the job of government was to protect peoples’ natural rights.

• Locke

• Montesquieu

• Rousseau

• Voltaire

Locke's natural rights. Everyone is born with these.

• Life, liberty, property

• Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness

• money, cars, houses

• work, religion, freedom

The concept that people have to agree to be governed. If the government fails to protect their rights, people can revolt and abolish the government.

• Separation of powers

• Freedom of speech

• Freedom of religion

• Social Contract

Philosopher who believed that government should have separation of powers and checks and balances.

• Locke

• Montesquieu

• Rousseau

• Voltaire

Dividing power between different branches. Each branch as a separate job, and no one branch becomes too powerful.

• Freedom of Religion

• Popular Soverignty

• Separation of powers

• Capitalism

The ability of branches of government to limit the power of other branches.

• Capitalism

• Separation of Church and State

• Freedom of Religion

• Checks and Balances

The belief that the government should not support one religion over any other. Increases the freedom of religion.

• Separation of Church and state

• Checks and balances

• Natural rights

• Capitalism

Enlightened thinkers believed that _____ could lead them to the truth.

• feeling

• reason

• experiments

• government