The Enlightenment

Front 1

Hobbes

Back 1

Thomas Hobbes was a English philosopher.
He wrote an influential book called Leviathan;
Men are not equal.
They all want (and have a right to) the best in life.
They fear death over all.
Thus war is not in man’s best interest.
Civilized Government is born of greed.
It’s leader should be absolute.
This has become the back bone of political philosophy.

Front 2

Locke

Back 2

(1632-1704)
John Locke was a English philosopher.
He believed in man’s right to govern itself.
Every thing one needed to know could be found through their senses.
Faith and religion has nothing to do with science.
He believed that men were equal.
None hold the right to harm another’s “life, health, liberty or possessions.”
The mind is a blank slate.
He inspired many people and led to the popularity of democracy as an alternative form of government.

Front 3

Montesquieu

Back 3

Charles de Secondat, the baron of Montesquieu, was a French philosopher.
He saw three classes in France.
Monarchy (nobles), Aristocracy (wealthy) and Commons
He saw three major forms of government each supported by a principle.
Monarchies are supported by honor.
Republics (democracies) are supported by virtue.
Despotisms (dictatorships) are supported by fear.
He saw and believed in the separation of powers.
His works were well received in the British Colonies and thus inspired our country’s founding fathers.
"The Persian Letters"

Front 4

Voltaire

Back 4

(1694-1778)
Francois-Marie Arouet was a French writer-philosopher.
He wrote many works of fiction in addition to his beliefs.
Some of these mocked religion.
He didn’t believe absolute faith is necessary to believe in God.
He didn’t believe in true equality though he claimed differently.
He was racist and anti-Semitic.
But he still fought for and promoted religious freedom and a right to a fair trial.

Front 5

Rousseau

Back 5

(1712-1778)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss philosopher.
He believe that society changes the normally neutral man.
Society is artificial.
The arts and sciences can’t be truly beneficial an the are not human needs.
He doesn’t really believe in private property.
Sovereignty should be in the hands of the people.
Sovereignty is different from government.
Rousseau believed in a direct democracy rather than a representative one.
These ideas influenced the French Revolution, and through his rejection of great complexity and ownership, comunisism.

Front 6

Wollstonecraft

Back 6

(1759-1793)
Mary Wollstonecraft was a British feminist.
Believes women play a submissive role to men only because they lack education.
Led to belief in educating female children.
Wrote a primer for girls
She supported herself off her writings.
This encourage the feminist movement in a time where there was none.

Front 7

Diderot

Back 7

Denis Diderot was a French philosopher and writer.
He was the editor in chief of the Enclyclopedie.
The Encyclopedie was a early encyclopedia.
It took advantage of free speech.
It was shut down by the government.
Inspired others to follow his lead.

Front 8

Marie-Therese de Geoffrin

Back 8

Marie-Therese de Geoffrin (1699-1777)
Marie-Therese de Geoffrin was a French Socialite.
She held dinners (salon) attended by some of the greatest minds of her day.|
These gatherings influenced it’s attendees who would influence the world.

Front 9

Quesnay

Back 9

(1694-1774)
Francois Quesnay was a French economist.
His Tableau économique may have been the first writing to analyze economy.
It showed how wealth that should be gained from agriculture is distributed in other ways.

Front 10

Margaret Cavendish

Back 10

She was a feminist Philosepher. She was one of the first women to write an autobiography. She wrote about Scientific Method and advocated for women's and animal rights.

Front 11

Anna Maria Schurman

Back 11

She had great talent in art music and writing.
She wrote a controversial book encouraging the education of women.