Enlightened Philosophers Essay

John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were all in all enlightenwork forcet philosophers. Each of these men had a particular visual modality of governing body activity, society, and its citizens and they were all passionate just about their works. Locke (1632- 1704) was an face philosopher, his ideas had a great impact on the development of political school of thought and he is widely regarded as unitary of the most influential skill thinkers. Montesquieu (1689- 1755) believed that all things were do up of laws that never changed. His most famous work, The face of Laws, outlined his ideas on how disposal would work best.Voltaire (1694- 1778) was a poet, an essayist, playw remediate, historian, and above all, a critic of society. He was a great crusader for liberty and was in two expressions imprisoned for his writings. Rousseau (1712-1778) generally recycled older nirvana ideas but is well cognize for his passionate rhetoric, which enflam ed a generation and beyond. John Lockes tidy sum of presidential term was that it was beloved to subscribe one. The throng whitethorn put their trust in the governance so that in turn, the government may trust the deal and protect their rights.The reason why men choose and give strength to lawmakers is that there may be make, and rules set, as guards and fences The plenty are right in trying to put the laws in the hands of the government which leave behind protect their rights. (Excerpt from Lockes Two Treatises with Government) . Within the government, there were societies. Lock matte that the populate imply/ treasured a government to protect their rights. They wear upont, however, want to be victims of military force misapply by the government. The reason why men interject into society is to preserve their property.(Two Treatises with Government) . E actually society is made up of citizens he believed that quite a little (lawmakers) entrust inevitably abuse th eir situation at some point. When this happens, people should shake the right to break costless from the government. When lawmakers abuse absolute ply and try to take a bureau and set aside the property of the people The people are then freed from any make headway obedience to lawmakers (Two Treatises with Government) . If Locke were alive during the Renaissance period, his views may overhear shifted.Lock may have been less bold about his reasons why men enter into a society. The renascence was a time of peace and prosperity. Hu valet de chambreism, egotism awareness, art, and science were a big deal and his view of people and their kingdom in nature may have changed because people were thinking opposite than during those times. During the Protestant reclamation, times were also different and his opinion may have altered again. Locke may have not cared about the people as much because he was too busy criticizing the government/ churches.The Protestant Reformation was a t ime where people were very critical of the churches because they abused their major power which is one of Lockes philosophies people want to be protected by the government, not abused. During the Scientific Revolution, however, people were big on science and the people not so much the churches/ government so Lockes view may have changed again. He probably would tactile sensation the identical way about the government but less harsh about the people. As times change, so do peoples opinions. Baron de Montesquieu believed in a government slightly different than Lockes.Montesquieu still believed in a central government but he thought that laws should be specific to different part of the world where as different law may have to be enforced in different places. In his most famous work, The core of Laws, Montesquieu says Lawsshould be adapted for the people for whom they are framedthey should be copulation to the climate of all(prenominal) country, to the quality of its soil Montesq uieus view of society, however, differed very much from Lockes. Montesquieu felt that people become intoxicated on power when they have enough of it and they couldnt handle having more than the person side by side(p) to them.Political liberty can only be found in moderate governments when there is no abuse of power. (The Spirit of Laws) Montesquieu smells the said(prenominal) way about individual citizens as he does about the general society. People al ship canal abuse their powers. No matter how small the amount they have, they will push their credibility to the edge. Constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it and carry it as far as it will go. (The Spirit of Laws) . As the renaissance came around, Montesquieu would unimpeachably not have had such a bad opinion of man.As previously mentioned, the renaissance was a time for prosperity and there was a focus on humanism. Montesquieu believed that men will abuse any power that they are attac hed but during the renaissance, people were much different. As for the Protestant Reformation, Montesquieu would probably feel the same way as his original philosophy. Nobody liked each former(a) during the Protestant Reformation but the liked the government/ churches horizontal less. Theres no doubt that people would abuse their power and the government should be split in 3 sections.However, during the Scientific Revolution, Montesquieu would feel the same about the people and probably would view the government the same way. During the Scientific Revolution, people were recovering from the Protestant Reformation but it was the abuse of power that put them there in the first place and they needed a shelter government. Jean Jacques Rousseau was similar to Locke in his belief of a government. Rousseau believes that government is necessary for stability but only to an extent. If the king/ government should go against the people, they have a right to demand their freedom.No one not e ven a king has the right to go against the federation as a whole. If a ruler was tyrannical and went against the will of the people the social sign on is broken and the people had a right to demand their freedom (The Social Contract). Rousseaus view of society was also good in that he did not criticize anything he merely made the observation that in a society, people all have to endorse by all the same rules because this keeps them at bay. The essence of the social contract can be stated simply each individual surrenders all his rights to the community (The Social Contract). Rousseaus view of citizens basically adds onto his view of how they pit in society. He believes that people want to live amongst each other in peace they want to be protected and live by certain guidelines to ensure prosperity. During the Protestant Reformation, Rousseaus ideas would have changed drastically. People were definitely not living in peace and the government/churches were what got them into a p ush-down storage in the first place. During the Protestant Reformation people were basically at war with the church and anyone who disagreed with their opinion.During the Scientific Revolution, people need a st open government because of what happened during the Protestant Reformation. However, people also wanted to live in peace with the government and their neighbors and whoever else. Rousseau would have felt the same about the government and about how people were living their lives during the Scientific Revolution as he would have from his original philosophy. Voltaire does not seem to care much for the government, He was a great crusader for liberty and was twice imprisoned for his writings. His view of society was that people should be accepting and understanding of each other when people do not accept each other and their ways of thinking, nothing good will come of it. Tolerance has never brought about civil war. Intolerance has covered the earth with destruction (A Treatise o n Toleration). When it comes to individuals, Voltaire is transport with his words he doesnt penalize them for his distaste in the government. Voltaire believed that people should have certain unalienable rights that cannot be revoked unless they are causing some sort of a public disturbance.Each person must be permitted to believe and to think that which he rightly believes in. Each person should be able to speak freely as long as it does not disturb the public order. Each person must be able to freely practice any religion which he believes in (A Treatise on Toleration). Voltaire would have the same feelings about the government and about the people during the Protestant Reformation. It was a time when nobody liked the government/ churches and the people wanted their rights because they were losing faith in religion.During the Scientific Revolution people wanted their rights because they werent big on religion anymore, so, Voltaire probably would have felt the same way as his or iginal writings. In conclusion, each philosopher had their own ideas and ways of thinking about the government, different societies, and its citizens. Each man may have also been influenced differently by the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, or the Scientific Revolution. These enlightenment philosophers have left their mark on history and will always be remembered as influential figures.