ENLIGHTENED THINKERS

THOMAS HOBBES

• he was a 17th century thinker
• belived that all people were naturally selfish, cruel, and greedy
• he said that people entered into a social contract, an agreement by which they gave up their freedom for an organized society
• belived that only a powerful government could ensure an orderly societye was from England
• to him, such a government was an absolute monarchy, which could impose order and comple obedience

JOHN LOCKE

• he was an english thinker
• thought that people were basically resonable and moral
• natural rights: ights that belonged to all humans from birth
• argued that people formed governments to protect their natural rights
• he rejected absolute monarchy

MONTESQUIEU

• felt that the best way to protect liberty was to divide the government into 3 branches
• 3 branches of government: legislative, judicial, executive
• thought that each branch should be able to check up on one another

VOLITARE

• an impassioned poet, historian, essayist, and philosopher
• sent to prision twice due to his critisism of French authorites and was banned from Paris
• when freed, he wrote about political and religious freedom

DIDEROT

• made the Encyclopedia
• wanted to change the way of thinking of government, philosophy, and religion

REUSSEAU

• belived that people were basically good
• belived that society put to much pressure on people
• believed that some controls were nessecary but that they should be minimal

SMITH

• argueed that the free market should be allowed to regulate buissiness
• tried to show how manufacturing, trade, wages, profits, and economic growth were all linked to the market forces of suply and demand