Sample 2 Essay

World History
DBQ Essay
The Enlightenment Philosophers: What Was Their Main Idea?
Big change needs big ideas. Back in the 18th century, specifically Europe, a group of
men and women called philosophes did some major thinking about what could make society
and life for everyone better. They thought that reason and observations of nature would help
them gain insight for their ideas. One big idea that was a result of the Enlightenment was about
individual freedom was able to help not only individual people, but also in government,
economics, religion, and greater social equality for women.
In government, John Locke had many ideas that could help improve it. He strongly
believed that men were born free and had the natural right to keep their freedom by coming
together to create a government with a legislature and an executive branch (DOC A). Locke
believed that a government created by free people had the best chance of preserving a free
society. It is both the individual and society that would benefit together through his idea.
In economics, it was Adam Smith who had an idea of how to better improve society for
all. He argued argued that when deciding what to produce or how much to charge for it, free
individuals would make better decisions than government authorities. Smith said there was
something called the invisible hand that caused all the free individual economic decisions to
add up to a strong society (DOC C). In other words, individuals who had the freedom to seek
their own riches would, almost accidently, make the country rich.
A Frenchman named Voltaire made the argument for freedom of religion. If the
government restricted religious freedom you would get people at each others throats (DOC B).
Individual religious freedom resulted in a more peaceful nation.
Finally, there was an English woman named Mary Wollstonecraft who argued for
educational freedom for women (DOC D). Her idea was that educated women were prepared to
be independent. An independent women is a free woman.
Individual freedom always seemed to be at the center of the philosophes thinking. In key
areas of life -- government, religion, economics, and womens rights -- individual freedom had
the double benefit of making happier individual citizens and a stronger nation. You was a twofer.