Unit 1 – EQ2 – Enlightenment and Philosophers The four political masterminds that helped shapeAmerica’s Democracy. Before we get to the four masterminds we needto define a couple of words. · Enlightenment (or Age of Reason) – 18th Century European movement in which philosophersattempted to apply the principles of reason and scientific method to all aspects of society
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Natural or unalienable rights - rights that cannot be taken away or given up.
1. ThomasHobbes(Leviathan- 1651)- Believed that absolute monarchy was the best style of government, and he supported his views by the useof natural law. Without an absolute monarchy, Hobbesbelieved that society would become chaotic and disorderly simply becausehumans by nature are violent and unable to rule themselves. His book Leviathan (1651), Hobbesdescribeshow “nasty, brutish” life would be without a government. Even though our government isn’t basedaround his ideas, he still impacted the way the Founding Fathers established our government.
HOBBES= Lack of individual freedoms/ people should live under an absolute ruler. Which government style doesHobbessupport? An unlimited government 2. John Locke (Two Treaties of Government-1690 The First of the Two Treaties of Government strictly dealt with why Divine Rights suppressthe people’s will.)- Hobbesand Locke agreedthat government should be basedaround a contract in order to establish efficiency. According to Locke, men are born equal in their rights to life liberty, and property. Locke believed that any government that destructs theseindividual rights should be abolished. He established that the best form of government is a systemof checksand balances,so that an absolute style of government would never hinder individual freedoms. SOCIAL CONTRACT
Rights
Responsibilities
The Government
Make Laws
Protect our natural rights
The People
Life, Liberty, and property
Must obey laws madeby government
If : The government breaks the social contract (fails to protect our natural rights)… Then: We have the right to rebel.
LOCKE=Individual freedoms/ A Social contract people should live under a systemof checksand balances. What type of government doesLocke support? Constitutional and Limited Overall Influenceof Locke- ThomasJefferson echoedLocke’s ideasin the Declaration of Independence. This is ironic considering the American colonists used British ideasin order to justify their independencefrom Great Britain. 3. Rousseau(French Philosopher)- Unlike Hobbes, He believed that humans by nature were good but civilization and institutions mademen immoral. EXAMPLE- AMC MOVIES COMPARED TO MOVIES OF TODAY. WHICH ONE WOULD YOU WATCH WITH YOUR GRANDPARENTS? To re-establish man in the world, then man would have to return to nature. He argued that man in his primitive state is happier than when it “progresses”. Simply put, man is happy when he is a child but the morehe learns about the world the morehe digresses.
Rousseau’s “Social Contract”- In his writings the “Social Contract”, he addressedthe problemof why governments struggle to maintain civil order. The reason there are so many problemsin society is becausethe government limits and controls it’s citizens natural impulses. The government must be basedaround the will of the people and let them dictate the way the government operates. Rousseau= Humans good by nature but civilization corrupts them. The morethe world believesthey are progressing, they are actually in regression. 4. Montesquieu- He is best known for his two-volumebook called “The Spirit of Laws”. This book was instrumental in formulating America’s systemof checksand balancesinto the constitution. He firmly believed in individual rights and they should be protected with a governmental contract.
Checksand Balances-His writings along with Locke’s inspired JamesMadison to draft the Constitution. Legislative Branch - Makes the Laws Executive Branch - Enforcesthe Laws Judicial Branch - Interprets the Laws What type of government doesMontesquieu support? Limited and Constitutional Constitutional Government assuresthe rights of citizens in two ways 1. It establisheslimits on the power of the government to prevent it from violating its natural rights. 2. Government must be organized in checksand balances.