Enlightenment Take Home Notes

7-2.3 Enlightenment Vocabpg 124-1311. Reason

2. Age of Enlightenment3. Absolutism 4. Tabula rasa5. Natural rights6. Social contract7. Declaration of Independence8. Philosophes9. Separation of powers10.Checks and balances11.Civic virtue

Read pg 125-127

• Write 2 important facts about Hobbes• Write 2 important facts about Locke• Write 2 important facts about Declaration of Independence

Hobbes Locke

1. How did Hobbes and Locke differ on their views on human beings?

2. What events did each of them live through that shaped their views?

3. How did they differ on their views on the role of government?4. Write 2 important facts about the Declaration of Independence

3 important facts on each side of this t-chart

Read pg 125-127

7-2.3 John Locke

• State of Nature- positive condition of human existence that preceded social and political organization• Social Contract Theory- government was created as an agreement or

contract between social groups

John Locke’s Beliefs• State of nature was good and social contract was voluntary• All humans born with natural rights (Life, Liberty Property)• Governments job was to protect rights of people• If the government did a bad job then people had the right to

rebel• Consent of the governed: belief that government gets its

approval from the people• His ideas had an influence on American leaders like Jefferson

when writing Declaration of independence

7-2.3 Rousseau and Voltaire• Jean Jacques Rousseau• A limited government should make decisions based on majority

rule• Thought that society corrupted people and government should

protect people• Popular sovereignty: government gets their power based on what

the citizens want• American colonists rejected a lot of his ideas, and his writings

would later influence totalitarian governments

•Voltaire• Focused on civil liberties; freedom of

speech and freedom of religion•Wanted limited government that gave a

lot of rights to the citizens•Wanted a separation of Church and

State

7-2.3 Montesquieu• Focused on government organization• Wanted a separation of powers where each branch of

government checks and balances the power of the other branches• Based his ideas on England's 2 branch limited govt.• Wanted three branches:• Executive: enforces laws (Monarch/President)• Legislative: writes laws (Parliament/Congress)• Judicial: interprets laws (Courts/Judges)

• The US Constitution was designed on his ideas

7-2.5 Enlightenment Effects• The Enlightenment inspired several important events and

documents1. American Revolution• Colonists rights were violated by England• Locke’s theory saying people can rebel motivated them• Jefferson used his ideas in the Declaration of Independence• When fighting was over the US Constitution was written using

Enlightenment ideas to organize our government

2. French Revolution• Enlightenment philosophers had spread

ideas in Paris and people began to like them• Citizens wanted equality and freedoms• France helped the American colonists fight

against England, when the colonists won it inspired French citizens to attack their own government

7-2.5 Constitutions

• Constitution is an agreement between government and citizens that outlines what power the govt has• They limit the govt’s power but also make them legit• What they describe • job of each branch of govt• the job of national and regional govt• the rights of the people• Citizen responsibilities (voting and becoming representatives)

• Enlightenment Ideas found in our constitution• Legislative/Executive/Judicial -> Montesquieu• Bill of Rights -> Locke and Voltaire• Popular Sovereignty -> Rousseau

• Types of Constitutions• Written: a single document (US)• Unwritten: collection of traditions, precedents and

documents (England)

• US Constitution was the first written and used English ideas (Magna Carta)• Sometimes govt’s ignore their constitution