Enlightened Philosophers (John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau)

John Locke, nance de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were whole enlighten handst philosophers. altogether(prenominal) of these men had a particular heap of organization, society, and its citizens and they were totally passionate active their works. Locke (1632- 1704) was an English philosopher, his ideas had a salient impact on the development of political philosophy and he is widely regarded as one(a) of the roughly(prenominal) influential enlightenment thinkers. Montesquieu (1689- 1755) believed that all things were make up of equitys that neer changed. His most storied work, The Spirit of Laws, outlined his ideas on how regime would work best.Voltaire (1694- 1778) was a poet, an essayist, playw amend, historian, and above all, a critic of society. He was a great meliorist for indecorum and was twice captive for his writings. Rousseau (1712-1778) generally recycled older enlightenment ideas progress is well known for his passionate rhetoric, wh ich enflamed a generation and beyond. John Lockes take in of regime was that it was smashing to shake off one. The spate whitethorn effectuate their trust in the regimen so that in turn, the government whitethorn trust the comfortably deal and defend their chastens. The reason why men fill and give might to lawmakers is that thither may be make, and rules set, as guards and fences The pack ar right in trying to put the laws in the hands of the government which give comfort their rights. (Excerpt from Lockes Two Treatises with Government) . Within the government, there were societies. Lock matte up that the mountain inevitable/ wanted a government to protect their rights. They dont, however, want to be victims of power ill-usage by the government. The reason why men enter into society is to hold on their property. Two Treatises with Government) . E very society is made up of citizens he believed that People (lawmakers) get out inevitably guy their power at some point. When this happens, commonwealth should suck up the right to break free from the government. When lawmakers abuse haughty power and try to take a port and destroy the property of the pile The pile are then freed from whatever further obedience to lawmakers (Two Treatises with Government) . If Locke were a active during the Renaissance period, his counts may pay shifted.Lock may have been less(prenominal)(prenominal) bold some his reasons why men enter into a society. The conversion was a time of slumber and successfulness. Humanism, ego awareness, art, and science were a sorry deal and his watch out of batch and their state in nature may have changed because people were thin tycoon polarly during those propagation. During the Protestant renewal, times were to a fault different and his opinion may have altered again. Locke may have non cared active the people as overmuch because he was too mobile criticizing the government/ performes.The Protestant Reformation was a time where people were very critical of the churches because they abused their power which is one of Lockes philosophies people want to be protected by the government, not abused. During the Scientific alteration, 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 feel the same means about the government alone 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 ab trustworthy government but he cerebration that laws should be specific to different part of the world where as different law may have to be obligate in different places. In his most famous work, The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu says Lawsshould be altered for the people for whom they are framedthey should be relative to the climate of individually country, to the superior of its soil Montesquieus view of society, however, differed very much from Lockes. Montesquieu felt up that people suffer intoxicated on power when they have enough of it and they couldnt handle having to a greater extent than the person next to them. Political liberty can only be prepare in moderate governments when there is no abuse of power. (The Spirit of Laws) Montesquieu feels the same instruction about individual citizens as he does about the general society. People everlastingly abuse their powers. No matter how runty the amount they have, they result push their believability 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 spiritual rebirth came around, Montesquieu would unquestionably not have had much(prenominal) a bad opinion of man.As previously mentioned, the renaissance was a time for prosperity and there was a focus on humanism. Montesquieu believed th at men will abuse any power that they are given but during the renaissance, people were much different. As for the Protestant Reformation, Montesquieu would probably feel the same way as his authoritative philosophy. Nobody wish each other during the Protestant Reformation but the wish the government/ churches flush less. Theres no dubiety 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 find from the Protestant Reformation but it was the abuse of power that put them there in the first place and they needed a stable government. Jean Jacques Rousseau was similar to Locke in his belief of a government. Rousseau believes that government is infallible for stability but only to an extent. If the king/ government should go against the people, they have a right t o demand their freedom. No one not even a king has the right to go against the community as a whole. If a ruler was exacting and went against the will of the people the sociable choose 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 rap anything he merely made the contemplation that in a society, people all have to abide by all the same rules because this keeps them at bay. The essence of the social contract can be utter 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 react in society. He believes that people want to delay amongst each other in stillness 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 mess 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 stable 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 pass judgment and understanding of each other when people do not accept each other and their ship canal of thinking, nothing good will come of it. Tolerance has never brought about civil war. Intolerance has cover the eart h with destruction (A Treatise on Toleration). When it comes to individuals, Voltaire is brightness level with his words he doesnt penalise 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 moveance. apiece person must(prenominal)(prenominal) 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 perpetrate 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 trustfulness 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 original 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 go away their mark on history and will always be remembered as influential figures.