Ideas of the Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment refers to a period in which reason was advocated as the primary basis of thought
and authority. Logic and rationality were used to explain the ways in which the world worked as opposed to old
traditions and superstitions. Free speech, individualism, and tolerance for other ways of life also became
important ideas during this time. This period also coincided with the rise of nationalism and introduced great
thinkers who later influenced developing democratic governments including the government of the United
States.

Important People of the Enlightenment

John Locke was perhaps the foremost philosopher of the Enlightenment. He believed that
a government was legitimate only if the people it ruled consented to its authority. He also believed the
government should protect the natural rights of citizens and that all individuals should be equal under the law.
These principles were influential in the development of many movements, including the American Revolution.
American documents such as the Declaration of Independence demonstrate the influence of Locke's ideas.

Charles-Louis Montesquieu was a French political thinker known for his ideas regarding
the government's separation of powers. In his work entitled The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu argued against
one large government structure controlling every aspect of law and instead proposed the idea of separate
branches.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss philosopher, writer, and Enlightenment thinker.

Much of his philosophy influenced the French Revolution. During the Age of Enlightenment, great thinkers saw
how humans were able to establish a new sense of logic and reason. Rousseau argued that every person was
capable of such thinking and therefore could choose his or her own destiny. This idea is expressed in his famous
work Reveries of a Solitary Walker.
 Thomas Hobbes was perhaps the first person to develop social contract theory. He
believed strongly that people naturally give up certain rights to a government in order to maintain social order.
Hobbes' idea of social order was based on the thought that without government structure, people would fight
each other and would never know peace. Hobbes states that "The natural state of men, before they were joined
in society, was a war, and not simply, but a war of all against all." Hobbes believed that the only cure for such a
war was the creation of a strong government with almost absolute power. He believed that people would freely
give up their right to govern themselves in order to know peace.

Voltaire, born Francois-Marie Arouet, was a French writer. Along with his Enlightenment
counter-parts, Voltaire believed in each individual's civil liberties, including free speech and freedom of
religion.

Important Influences of the Enlightenment

The English Bill of Rights

Created in 1689, the English Bill of Rights was influenced by the Magna Carta, an English legal charter that
was issued in 1215. Its basic principle required the king of England to follow the same laws as his subjects. It
also protected the rights of individuals while limiting the power held by the government. The English Bill of
Rights served as a model for the United States Bill of Rights. They share several principles, including the right
to bear arms, freedom of speech, and freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.

Two Treatises of Government

Two Treatises of Government was written by John Locke and was made up of separate parts. The second
part, known as the Second Treatise of Government, discusses how an abusive government can lead to revolution
within a country. The American Declaration of Independence was influenced by John Locke's work.

The American Revolution and the French Revolution

The American Revolution was very heavily influenced by ideas associated with the Enlightenment.
Documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights reflected many Enlightenment ideas.
The American Revolution also showed the world that Enlightenment ideals could be put into action in creating a
democratic government. Benjamin Franklin and other leaders of the American Revolution spent time in France
and helped spread Enlightenment ideals. Inspired by the ideas of the American Revolution, the French
overthrew their monarchy in the late 1700s and established a republic. France's revolutionary government wrote
the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, claiming that all men were free and equal.
The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence stated that the American colonies were separated from Great Britain. It was
influenced by the Magna Carta and Enlightenment teachings. The Declaration listed the abuses by King George
III on the colonies. To the colonists, these abuses justified their breaking away from Great Britain in the
American Revolution. The Declaration asserts that "all men are created equal," that all people have the
"unalienable rights" of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and that any government's power comes
"from the consent of the governed."

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was written during the French Revolution in the 1790s.
It established civil liberties and attempted to preserve the rights and freedoms of its citizens. Its message of
equality even inspired the slaves in French Haiti to rebel against their owners, starting the Haitian Revolution.

U.S. Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution form the Bill of Rights. It shares many principles with the
English Bill of Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Some important amendments in the Bill of
Rights are the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and the Sixth
Amendment, which guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial.

Locke
 People have the natural rights of life, liberty, and property
 Citizens enter into a social contract with their government, in which people give power to the
government in order to have their natural rights protected
 Governments can be overthrown if the natural rights of citizens are not protected
Montesquieu

 Governments should be divided into 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial)

 Governments should utilize the checks and balances system to make sure that one branch cannot become
all powerful (like in absolutism)

Rousseau
 Citizens enter into a social contract
 Governments should govern based on the principal of popular sovereignty (the will of the majority)

Voltaire
 Citizens should have the right to freedom of speech (no censorship) and freedom of religion (no
religious persecution)
Changes in the relationship between citizens & government:
Main Idea:
Citizens began to demand more of a voice in their government, as well as an end to the absolutist regimes that
controlled their countries and limited the rights of citizens. Enlightenment ideas also inspired independence
movements, as colonies sought to create their own country and remove their European colonizers. Governments
also began to adopt ideas like natural rights, popular sovereignty, the election of government officials, and the
protection of civil liberties.

United States
 British colonies are upset with their lack of representation in Parliament, oppressive taxes
 British colonies rebel against their mother country, resulting in the American Revolution
 Connection to Enlightenment:
o Declaration of Independence - Right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness; all men are created
equal; right to overthrow government
o Constitution - Based on popular sovereignty, created a new 3 branch government, used checks
and balances
o Bill of Rights - Protected the rights of free speech, religion, press, assembly
France
 French citizens are upset with the absolute monarchy of the Bourbon family, lack of taxation of the 1 st

and 2n estates
d

 French citizens, motivated in part by the American Revolution, rebel against Louis XVI, which starts the
French Revolution
 Connection to Enlightenment:
o Declaration of the Rights of Man – proclaimed rights to life, liberty, equality; equality of all
citizens, right to resist oppression