Enlightenment Thinkers

Enlightenment Thinkers Those who influenced our Founding Fathers…

Enlightenment Thinkers “The Enlightenment, also called the Age of Reason, was a period during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when European philosophers stressed the use of reason as the best method for learning the truth.” From: Eras and Their Highlights - What Was The Enlightenment? http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/eras-their-highlights/what-was-enlightenmenthts - What Was The Enlightenment?

Influences… Just as we are influenced by different people --athletes, musicians, youth leaders, teachers, authors, parents, friends --- The men who sat together to write the Constitution had been influenced by these philosophers.

Machiavelli(1469-1527) • Wrote a book called The Prince • It was about how you get and keep political power. • He abandons morality. http://www.the-spearhead.com/2009/10/30/advice-from-niccolo-machiavelli/

Machiavelli(1469-1527) • “Humans are ungrateful, fickle liars, and deceivers.” • He has influenced many dictators. • PRINCE = POWER

Influence on the U.S. Government • Our founding fathers broke away from the English government because they thought the king was being “Machiavellian.”

Locke(1632-1704) • He had an optimistic view of humanity—people are good. • Government is not really needed except to protect our rights. • The government MUST have our consent to rule. http://www.victorianweb.org/graphics/kneller1.html

Locke(1632-1704) • Everyone has the right to life, liberty and property. • If the government doesn’t keep its end of the bargain, you have the right to rebel. • He supported a democratic government.

Influence on the U.S. Government • Supporting the idea of Democracy • We rebelled against England. • In the Declaration of Independence…we copied his idea of life, liberty but added the pursuit of happiness.

Hobbes(1588-1679) • He had a pessimisticview of ofofofof humanity—life without government would be chaos. • He called life in the state of nature, “nasty, brutish and short.” • He believed in a totalitariangovernment to impose strict control over people. http://www.srvhs.org/staff/teachers/mrodriguez/enlightenment_thinkers.html

Influence on the U.S. Government • We give up certain freedomsfor the good of society. • Like the Patriot Act

Rousseau(1712-1778) • He wrote a book called Social Contract (which was an idea that Locke and Hobbes also talked about) • We give up some freedoms in exchange for a safer place to live. • Like 6yrs old driving http://www.srvhs.org/staff/teachers/mrodriguez/enlightenment_thinkers.html

Influence on the U.S. Government • Our constitution is our contract with our government. • Idea of removing a leader who breaks a rule (impeachment)

Montesquieu(1689-1755) • He said the best government would be where the power was split between 3 groups. It is called “separation of powers.” • Group to enforce laws, a group to make the laws, and a group to interpret the laws • Each branch has separate powers, but equal powers http://www.srvhs.org/staff/teachers/mrodriguez/enlightenment_thinkers.html

Influence on the U.S. Government • We have 3 branches of government • Enforce: Executive (President) • Make: Legislative (Congress) • Interpret: Judicial (Court system)

Voltaire(1694-1778) • Believed in the separation of church and state. • He criticized Christianity and the Catholic church. • Encouraged religious tolerance. http://timesonline.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/12/voltaire.jpg

Influence on the U.S. Government • The first amendment says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”

Thomas Paine(1737-1809) • He knew about all these thinkersand created a document putting their ideas together. • This was a pamphlet called Common Sense. http://askmrmilo.com/

Influence on the U.S. Government • This pamphlet convinced common people that England had broken their “contract” with the colonist and they had the right to rebel.

Questions?

Enlightenment Thinkers