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Louis Fabbo

Mr. Strzaa

World History period 2

Dec 16 2016

Philosophes During the Enlightenment

People started to become thinkers, real people with big minds and ideas and they all were

opened during the Enlightenment. The enlightenment was an age of reason where people thought

more logically and became less spiritual and did not rely on the church for answers. It was

throughout England, France and went westward. The enlightenment was from 1600s- 1700s, it

was a time for thinking and science. There were many philosophers during the time of

enlightenment. There were many deep thinkers and their ideas heavily affected revolutions and

shaped America today. The two that really stick out to me is Francois Marie Arouet and John

Locke. But, there are a lot of people with different thoughts and Thomas Hobbes was a more

different mind who I do not really agree with. Francois preached defending rights and wanted

religious toleration which we still struggle with today. John Locke supported life, liberty, and

property and believed that the government should protect people's rights. Thomas Hobbes

thought that people should give up rights for safety. John Locke and Francois Marie Arouet are

pro rights and pro liberty when Hobbes think that you should give them up for safety.

Franois Marie Arouet or Voltaire Combats Intolrance was an outspoken French

philosopher. He was born November 21 1694 in Paris. Just like many other people he was

influenced by other philosophers like John Locke and Isaac Newton. The things that stood out

the most to me that really made me like what he stood for was his struggle for religious
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tolerance. Religion has always been a problem. Most of the wars in the world have been wars of

religion. Even today, with every right we have especially stated in the first amendment,

prejudices and preconceived notions are all made and there is not much toleration through

anyone. He also attacked injustice within the nobility, government and the church. He is my

favorite philosopher, mostly for sticking up to a official and this quote, I do not agree with a

word you say but will defend to death your right to say it. In my opinion, rights are useless

when you do not use them properly, so even though theres hate in the world and people not

respecting each other, everyone has the right to say it. Thats why I respect Voltaire the most out

of all the other philosophes.

John Locke shaped our country with his idea of life liberty and property. Even though we

changed it to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it is still very similar. I agree with

everything John Locke had to say like Voltaire except with his concept that everyone is born

good. People are born selfish and greedy. Even if youre helping someone you help them to

make yourself feel good or to get something out of it. Any and everything we do is for ourselves

so in that case it makes us bad people, or just people, with a born instinct to help itself first.

But, John Lockes ideas stood up to the unfair government, which people should do, as a right to

be a person. His ideas inspired revolutions and he was inspired by them too. John Locke has

gone down in history by being one of the most brilliant thinkers in history.

Thomas Hobbes was probably a very smart person, to other people. He is a person I do

not agree with very much. The only thing I love that he said is the opposite of Locke's idea the

people were born good, hobbes thinks that they are born bad. He wrote if the people are not

controlled they would oppress. He preached that people should be under a strong government. A
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government that makes you give up freedoms for more safety. This I do not agree with because

people should have all their freedoms. I am not sure of his intentions or what freedoms should be

gave up but what's life when it isnt and fun and you can't do anything you want. The things he

agreed with, with being more controlled is just something that is uneasy and not what I would

want.

Philosophers have always had an impact on any person who reads their material. If it's

from France or England or wherever it reaches to everyone in the world. No matter what your

beliefs are or what you think, people are always going to be thinkers and some special ones reach

out and become a figure of expression. If it's for equality like Voltaire, if it's for government like

Locke, or for protection like Hobbes. All the ideas come together to become our very diverse and

big world. I agree most with Locke and Voltaire because of their fight for rights but Hobbes,

who thought more of protection even though I think people can take care of themselves at least a

little bit. Those are the philosophers who stuck out to me.