Enlightened Philosophers (John Locke, Baron de...

John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were all enlightenment philosophers. Each of these men had a particular view of government, society, and its citizens and they were all passionate about their works. Locke (1632- 1704) was an English philosopher, his ideas had a great impact on the development of political philosophy and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential enlightenment thinkers. Montesquieu (1689- 1755) believed that all things were made up of laws that never changed. His most famous work, The Spirit of Laws, outlined his ideas on how government would work best. Voltaire (1694- 1778) was a poet, an essayist, playwright, historian, and above all, a critic of society. He was a great†¦show more content†¦People always abuse their powers. No matter how small the amount they have, they will push their credibility to the edge. â€Å"Constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it and carry it as far as it will go. (The Spirit of Laws) †. As the renaissance came around, Montesquieu would definitely not have had such a bad opinion of man. As previously mentioned, the renaissance was a time for prosperity and there was a focus on humanism. Montesquieu believed that men will abuse any power that they are given but during the renaissance, people were much different. As for the Protestant Reformation, Montesquieu would probably feel the same way as his original philosophy. Nobody liked each other during the Protestant Reformation but the liked the government/ churches even less. There’s no doubt that people would abuse their power and the government should be split in 3 sections. However, during the Scientific Revolution, Montesquieu would feel the same about the people and probably would view the government the same way. During the Scientific Revolution, people were recovering from the Protestant Reformation but it was the abuse of power that put them there in the first place and they needed a stable government. Jean Jacques Rousseau was similar to Locke in his belief of a government. Rousseau believes that government is necessary forShow MoreRelatedThe Age of Enlightenment in Society634 Words   |  3 Pagesover many lands he took away the rights of his people. This caused many philosophers, politicians, artist, writers and any other man who started to question all that each believed in and wanted rights, decided to finally say what they really thought of their king and how he was wrong with what he was doing (SparkNotes). As humans, everyone was born with natural rights that are incredibly important to have control over (John Locke). When they were stripped of their privileges it caused many to thinkRead MoreNegative Effects Of The Enlightenment1356 Words   |  6 PagesThe Enlightenment of the eighteenth century finalized the movement toward contemporaneousness that began with the writers and philosophers of the Renaissance age. The scholars and writers, or philosophes as they were ca lled, of the Enlightenment Age seized these teachings and ideologies and used them to criticize and attack the medieval ruling establishment and to unseat the religious ruling class from their vaulted theological perch. This criticism of the theological sect loosened religions gripRead MoreCauses of the French Revolution3450 Words   |  14 PagesRevolution are a direct result of the Enlightenment. This movement produced two interesting political theories: the liberal theory of Locke, Voltaire and Montesquieu and the democratic theory of Rousseau. John Locke (1632-1704) was the father of the liberal theory. His political ideas are mainly contained in his Second Treatise of Civil Government published in 1690. Locke maintained that originally all men had lived in a state of nature in which absolute freedom an equality prevailed, and there was noRead MoreThe Enlightenment Research Paper Ap Us History2900 Words   |  12 Pagesworld and how to make government and society more fair, free, equitable, and humane. The Enlightenment came after the Dark Ages, so it literally means to bring light to the thinking and analysis of most intellectuals. At the time, intellectuals and philosophers did not see the magnate and the relevance the ideas of the Enlightenment would bring to the North American Colonies which resided a sea away. Always when new things come from England to America there is a huge commotion and changes in culturalRead MoreKants Theory of Enlightenment5012 Words   |  21 Pagesenlightenment.  Traditions and dogmas are acceptable, however only for a short time. One may accept one, but in expectation that if there were a better one, it would be accepted. Kant concludes that he (and at present we also) did not live in an enlightened age. Rather, he says that it is the Age of Enlightenment, that is, that enlightenment is constantly occurring. Kant: Self-Determination in the Age of Reason   The 18th century is often called the Age of Reason or the Age of Enlightenment.