Enlightenment~The enlightenment was a time when reason and logic were highly valued. The age of enlightenment occurred during the eighteenth century, simultaneously throughout many parts of Europe and the New World. This movement was inspired by many scientific successes, such as the development of a smallpox vaccine. It is thought that the writers of the Declaration of Independence were inspired by the ideas and movement of the Enlightenment, showing the importance and effect it had on the future of the world.
Scientific Revolution~In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, philosophers and scientists began to discover new theories and information like never before. Later, in 1939, Alexandre Koyre named this period the scientific revolution. The scientific revolution began the ideas of modern science apart from those of ancient philosophers. New findings in medicine, biology, physics and many other sciences encouraged the revolution and people had a hunger for knowledge. The discoveries they made then are still being used today.
Copernicus~Copernicus was one of the great scientists of the Renaissance. He was known for many things, such as being a mathematician, physician, classical scholar and artist. He is most widely known for being a astronomer. Copernicus was the first astronomer to recognize that the universe revolves around the sun, not the earth. This discovery is known as heliocentric cosmology. He is also well known for his book, which is titled On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres. Copernicus contributed much knowledge and discoveries to many different fields of science and he helped the development of the knowledge of the world.
John Locke~John Locke helped pave the way for the enlightenment in the seventeenth century. He lived through the English Civil War, and had an optimistic view of human nature. In his opinion, all people were born with the natural rights of life, liberty and property. Locke thought that governments were formed to protect peoples rights, and that to succeed, they must have limited power and also be accepted by all citizens. He said that governments have obligations to their people, and if they fail to protect ones natural rights, then the people have the right to overthrow the government. His ideas went on to influence the writers of the Declaration of Independence, therefore extremely affecting the future of the world.
Montesquieu~Baron de Montesquieu was a French man who took part in the Enlightenment. He studied many different types of government from many different countries, and studied ancient cultures. He strongly disliked absolute monarchy. He published his own book in 1748, which was entitled The Spirit of the Laws. In it, he talks about his studies of the different governments throughout history. He thought that the best form of government is when it is divided into three separate branches; legislative, executive and judicial. According to his theory, the different types of government should use a system of checks and balances to keep power in check. This idea would later influence America's founding fathers.
Jean Jacques Rousseau~Jean Jacques Rousseau is also a French man who lived in the eighteenth century. He believed that people were naturally good, but that society corrupted them, especially through the unequal distribution of wealth and property. Many people agreed with his theories. He published his work, The Social Contract, in 1762, and it is based on his theories about society and corruption. In his opinion, people only needed minimal control by the government of their lives, and that the government should be elected. His ideas and values have influenced many politicians since his death, and they would inspire many revolts of economical and social oppression in the future.
Voltaire~Francois-Marie Arouet, who later renamed himself Voltaire, is one of the most widely known of the French philosophes. He lived a very controversial life, for he did not regard what others thought of him as important. Voltaire was extremely outspoken, and he often wrote of his hate for corrupt officials, idle aristocrats, inequality, injustice, superstition, slave trading and religious prejudice. Although his words were often offending, he did not care, and therefore he made enemies with the Catholics and the French government. After being forced into exile, he continued to fight for the right of freedom of speech.
Thomas Paine~Thomas Paine was born in England, but he moved to the United States in the eighteenth century and went on to become one of our founding fathers. He was an author, radical, and inventor among other things. He is best known for his pamphlet, Common Sense. He wrote many other pamphlets as well, and became somewhat of a hero among the French. In 1792, he was elected to be in the French National Convention. Paine was arrested and then later released in France for promoting freewill and thinking. Years later, he returned to America where he died, but his ideas and beliefs, as well as there outcomes (America, free from Britain) live on today.
Thomas Hobbes~Thomas Hobbes helped pave the way for the enlightenment in the seventeenth century. He lived during the same time as John Locke, although their ideas were radically different. Hobbes wrote the work of literature, Leviathan. In his work, he proposed the notion that people are cruel, greedy and selfish, and he had a rather pessimistic view of society in general. He argued that people enter a social contract, where they enter an organized society by giving up their freedom. Hobbes believed that the best form of society was an absolute monarch. His ideas were quite different than Locke's, but they still affected the society that they lived in as well as our own.
Common Sense~Common Sense is one of the famous pamphlets written by Thomas Paine in the mid eighteenth century. The pamphlet series was written anonymously during the American Revolution. It helped convince the colonists that independence from Britain was what they needed at the time. Unlike most authors of the Enlightenment era, Paine wrote in a way that common people could understand, which also helped the popularity of his work. Some examples of his ideas included the thought that it is ridiculous for an island to rule a continent, America was composed of all nations of Europe, not just Britain, and that it was obvious that Britain did not have Americas best interests in mind. These are just a few of the reasons that convinced the colonists to revolt, thus changing the history of our country forever.
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