Ginger Gerland

Individual Freedom

John Locke once said, All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to
harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions. This quote encompaces the feelings of
the enlightened philosophers, John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith and Mary Wollstonecraft. The
late 17th and 18th century were times of change. Recent discoveries in science and many
disputes over religion left people questioning the traditional ways of living and knowing. The
philosophers came up with many beliefs, one that they shared was the belief of natural law or
truths that people dont always recognize. Another accepted belief was in peoples ability to use
reason to discover truth, they said that a combination of careful observation and clear-headed
reasoning were the keys to understanding the truth of any and all things. The work of Isaac
Newton inspired the philosophers, they believed that what he learned about planets could be
learned about people and we could find universal laws to mankind. One thing that all of the
enlightenment philosophers made the main idea of their writing was their support of individual
freedom.
John Locke fully supported people being in charge and being equals. In 1690, Locke
wrote the Second Treatise on Civil Government in which he discussed in depth that all people
should carry the power and be viewed as equal. Locke says that all men are naturally free to do
as they please with themselves and their possessions. He adds that while all men can do as they
see fit they must do it within the law of nature. He writes that every creature of the same species
should be equal among each other. When it comes to government, Locke believes that people
should be at liberty to create a new legislative if anything is to happen. He also says that people
have the right to not only get rid of a failed government but also prevent it from every
happening.
Voltaire was born in Paris in 1694 and became a prolific writer, he is among the leading
historical supporters of tolerance. In his writing titled Letters Concerning the English Nation he
explained the Royal Exchange in London, where representatives meet to benefit the people and
trade. Voltaire believed that one of England's best qualities was that it allowed for a multitude of
religions, he said that this allowed everyone to live happy and in peace. The main idea of his
writing was the idea of religious tolerance and being open to all people and their individuality.
Ginger Gerland

The Wealth Of Nations was written by philosopher Adam Smith. He wrote about his
support of individual decision making and every man's freedom to pursue his interests. Smith
believed that most individuals worked for money and their own personal gain, but when pursuing
their gain they end up helping society advance as well. He shares the idea of the invisible hand,
or a force that acts on society if all individuals are going after their own interests and meet their
needs also known as supply and demand. Much like the other philosophers, Smith believes that
decision making should be left up to the people, not the government.
Mary Wollstonecraft stood up for women and their rights. Her writing titled A
VIndication of the Rights of Woman highlighted the importance of giving women the same
opportunities that are given to men. She explained that women were seen as inferior and to make
equality happen you have to give women freedom. Wollstonecraft said that she used reasoning
and experience to reach her conclusions about women's rights. The main point of her writing was
that in order for women to compete with men they needed to be educated the same way, she
believes that women will be an important asset to society.
Each of the enlightened philosophers dealt with different issues including government,
economic, religion, and women's rights. The thing that they all had in common in spite of the
different topics was their want for freedom and equality in order to build a better society. Even in
today's world there is a lot to be learned from the enlightened philosophers.