Ethan Tran

Name:__________________________________

Major Enlightenment Figures

Objective: To determine how the Enlightenment thinkers inspired revolutionaries to push for radical change in
government and society.

Review: How did the Scientific Revolution lead to the Enlightenment?

1. Both John Locke and Thomas Hobbes witnessed first-hand the religious violence brought about by the
English Civil War (1642-1651). How did they differ in their views on the role of government?
Hobbes supported an absolute government, while Locke was much more in favor of a state controlled government.
Thinker Major Works Beliefs on Government
Thomas Hobbes
Leviathan Social contracts, give up natural rights for peace
John Locke
Two Treatises of Government Father of Liberalism, social contracts

2. Many Enlightenment thinkers noticed that societies entered a social contract. What is a social contract? What type of
social contract does the United States have today?

Social contracts are the contracts that people follow everyday to help society run as it does. The biggest example of
this today is people following the laws of the society they live in so that there is some level of organization and peace.

Philosophe Major Works Core Beliefs

Baron de Montesquieu
The Spirit of the Laws Constitution, separation of power, checks and balances
Voltaire Candide
Freedom of religion, expression, separate church and state
Denis Diderot
l'Encyclopedie Moral improvement would progress humanity
Rousseau
The Social Contract Classical republicanism, patriarchal superiority
Mary Wollstonecraft
A Vindication of the Rights of Women Feminism, women's rights
Adam Smith
The Wealth of Nations GDP, free markets
Thomas Paine Common Sense; “Radical” Democracy; Deism; Government support of
The Rights of Man the poor