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Tommy Turgeon
LeBlonde

W3

Modern History 10
28 March , 2016

The Enlightenment Philosophers: What was Their Main Idea?

Isaac Newton through his laws of physics or Newtons Laws set the stage for the
Enlightenment also known as The Age of Reason, which occurred in the 17th and 18th century.
If Newton was able to determine laws around planets there could be natural laws around how
people behaved. These laws would be considered universal and through the Enlightenment
period, the philosophers would attempt to discover them. Our society would not be what it is
today if it wasn't for the ideas generated by four philosophers: John Locke, Voltaire, Adam
Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft. They changed our society and formed the capitalist democratic
world that we live in today. These four philosophers ideas changed the future outlook of
individual freedom, freedom in government, religion, economy, and gender equality.

John Locke believe in the right to liberty and that government is there to protect those
liberties. John Locke (1632-1704) was one of the four main philosophers during the
Enlightenment. Locke was born in England during a time when the government was an absolute
monarchy. Parliaments would sometimes give the king or queen advice, but the monarchy held

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the power. In 1689, 87 years before the Declaration of Independence, English Parliament passed
the Bill of Rights, reversing the roles of government making Parliament more powerful than the
king. Locke said that we must consider that all men are in a state of perfect freedom(Doc A).
Locke also states that if the government fails, then the people are the ones who get to create a
new government.

His Two Treatises on Civil Government was published stating that if a

government ruling without the consent of the people should be overthrown.

This brings me to Voltaire (1694-1778), he believed that it is good for England to allow a
multitude of religions. . This way everyone can live in a happy and peaceful environment.
Voltaire was the second of the four main philosophers. Voltaire was well written, spending a
large amount of time writing poems, novels, essays, plays, and thousands of personal letters. His
idea of a better society was freedom

in religion. In his Letters Concerning the English Nation,

Voltaire uses the example of having many religions meeting at the Royal Exchange in London
each professing their religion as though they are the same. Voltaire states that If one religion
only were allowed in England, the government would very possibly become arbitrary; if there
were two, the people would cut one anothers throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all
live happy and in peace. (Doc B). Voltaires idea is similar to John Locke's idea in that people
should have freedom of what they want or like, especially religious freedoms.

Adam Smith (1723-1790) was the third of the four main philosophers; expressing his
beliefs in individual freedom and political economy. Adam Smith lived during the economic

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system mercantilism, where countries would gain wealth through trades with other counties. We
now call it commercialism. In 1776, as the American Colonies were declaring independence
from England, Smith published The Wealth of Nations. He came up with the idea of freedom in
economy. Smiths says Every man is left perfectly to pursue his own interest in his own way
(Doc C). Most people worked for wealth in the support of industry. Smiths main idea was for
people to do what they want to do, and also enjoy their occupation. He is still considered the
most influential philosophers in the field of economics today.

The last philosopher is Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), she believed that everyone
should be seen as equal regardless of gender. Wollstonecraft authored many journals and books,
including the book Vindication of the Rights of Woman. In the 18th century women were
discouraged from educating themselves. Wollstonecraft expressed that women were not
naturally inferior to men but their lack of education made them so. She believed that women
should have the same individual freedom as men; gender equality. It was 1792 when
Wollstonecraft wrote The most perfect education, in my opinion... is to enable the individual to
attain such habits of virtue as will render her independent (Doc D). Wollstonecraft wanted both
men and women to be treated equally.

The ideas of these four philosophers seem like common sense to us today, so Enlightenment or
Age of Reason is a perfect description of the period. Locke, Voltaire, Smith and Wollstonecraft

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are credited for their contributions in the fields of theology, education, economics, religious
freedoms and womens rights.