In the 1600s new philosophers began to view REASON as the best way to understand human nature and society
This new optimism and time of possibility is called the Enlightenment or The Age of Reason
Reached its peak in Paris 1700s when wealthy women hosted salons, social gatherings, where scientists, philosophers, artists, and writers met to discuss their ideas
Enlightenment thinkers applied reason to understanding the organization of government
Thomas Hobbes- Social Contract: exchange some freedoms for the protection of government
John Locke- disagreed: role of government is to protect citizens' rights. Church and government should be separate and people have the right to rebel against government
Jean-Jacques Rousseau- believed in people's goodness and equality; if government did not protect citizens' rights, liberty, and equality of life, then the social contract was violated
Baron de Montesquieu- government is best under three separate branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. 'No one branch could have all that power...' This idea influenced the way US government is set up.