1. Enlightenment Overview
A summary of major
Enlightenment ideas and thinkers

2. How is the Enlightenment a change
from previous thought?
The Enlightenment brought about many ideas that were different
from previous beliefs/philosophies. Prior to the Enlightenment it
was generally believed that women were inferior to men, children
were small adults, and that common person should be loyal to the
leader regardless of how they were treated.
Leaders were mostly absolute monarchs who believed they ruled by
divine rights and therefore felt they could rule in whatever way
they desired.
Education was something for wealthy men only, and the church
played a huge role in almost every aspect of people's lives.

3. Thomas Hobbes on People
• Hobbes had a very
negative view of people
and humanity.
• He believed all people
were born/evil and
needed to be controlled
by a strong leader.
• Hobbes believed if people
were left to their own
devices they would live
like savages.

4. Thomas Hobbes on Government
• Since Hobbes believed
people are basically
savages he believed they
should have little to no
say in government.
• Hobbes felt the best
hope for ruling a country
would be to have one
strong leader who would
have complete control
over the people.

5. John Locke on People
• Locke was the opposite of
Hobbes, he believed that
people were born
good/pure.
• Locke believed that since
people were generally good
that they should be allowed
more rights and freedoms.
• Locke believed people were
entitled to natural rights
which he defined as life,
liberty, and property.

6. John Locke on Government
• Locke believed that people should have a say in
government.
• He also believed that the role of the leader is to
protect the people's natural rights.
• Locke also believed in a form of the social
contract - he believed if the leader was not
protecting the people's natural rights than the
people had the right to overthrow the leader.

7. Jean - Jacques Rosseau on People
• Rousseau believed that people weren't born good or
bad, but that they were born blank slates and that
their life experiences would determine the kind of
person they would become. (This is known as tabula
rasa).
• Rousseau also believed that every male deserved an
education regardless of their social class.
• He also valued children/childhood and felt that
children should be treated differently than adults. He
believed that the primary role of a woman was to be a
mother, and that a woman should only receive enough
education to raise a decent son.

8. Jean-Jacques Rousseau on
Government
Rousseau also believed in the social
contract which he said was an
agreement between the people and
the government. Rousseau believed
without the consent of the people
the government could not exist, and
it was the government's job to serve
the people. If the government was
not doing it's job then the people
had the right to overthrow the
government.

9. Denis Diderot
• Diderot had similar beliefs
to Rousseau in that he felt
people were mostly shaped
by experience.
• Diderot advocated a
separation of church and
state.
• Diderot spent most of his
life putting together the
Encyclopedie an encyclopedia
of ideas from various
Enlightenment thinkers.

10. Voltaire
• Voltaire believed in
separation of church and
state too.
• Voltaire also believed people
should have freedom of
speech and freedom of
religion/leaders should have
religious tolerance.
• He frequently used satire in
his works and mocked
monarchies and religion.

11. Baron Montesquieu
• Montesquieu believed in
separation of powers
meaning that government
should be separated into
three branches so no one
part of government
became too powerful.
• Montesquieu believed
monarchies were not
good governments
because there was no
checks and balances.

12. Adam Smith
• Adam Smith believed in
laissez-faire economics,
meaning that governments
should let businesses
regulate themselves (this is
the foundation of
capitalism).
• Smith believed
government's shouldn't
interfere in the functioning
of the economy.

13. Key Points
• Many new ideas about government/society/life
emerged during the Enlightenment.
• These ideas represented a break from past thoughts
on these subjects and were inspirational to many
people and leaders.
• Enlightenment ideas were spread through books,
pamphlets, and salons gatherings typically held by
wealthy French women in which Enlightenment
thinkers would share ideas.
• Although these ideas were exciting to many people
society and government did not rapidly undergo
change.