The Enlightenment

• The age of enlightenment was a growth in new ideas and new facts were discovered. This was exciting and people believed these new ideas were a new way of thinking were illuminating the world, allowing humans to escape the darkness of ignorance
• They thought that if everyone followed their own reasoning then they would all come up with similar answers so there could be no disagreement about what is right and wrong.
• John Locke (1632-1704) - English philosopher who argued that government exists to protect individual rights and freedoms. He also said that we are born free but not equal because some have more wealth and power than others.
• Montesquieu (1689-1755)-identified 3 powers; making new laws, enforcing the law, and deciding whether it has been broken. agreed the governments power should be limited
• Jacques Rousseau(1712-1778)-

  focus on who chooses the law

  all men should govern through votes

  make everyone a more virtuous person
• Voltaire: (1694–1778)-

  respected individual

  church and government have nothing to do with each other

  Free speech should be defended
• • the age of enlightenment started in the 17th century
  • there were new ideas and new facts
  • escaping the darkness of ignorance
• • enlightenment thinkers interested in knowledge
  • science showed how reason and experimentation went together
  • new books of Knowledge
• Isaac newton was famous during the enlightenment because of his ideas