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Enlightenment Ideas
The Enlightenment was a period in Europe characterized by a new wave of social and political thinking. The Englightenment focused on 2 main ideas, humanism and individualism. Humanism encouraged people to think of life in a secular way and think about life as more than simply a precursor to the afterlife. Individualism wanted people to focus on individuals and their ideas instead of only on large groups like the government or Church.
Important Thinkers
Many people became famous for their philosophies during this time.
- John Locke - Locke believed in the social contract. This was an unwritten contract between the government and the people that stated that the government had to protect the rights of the people and that the people had to overthrow corrupt governments.
- Thomas Aquinas - He believed in natural rights, which stated that people were born with certain rights that no government could take away.
- Montesquieu - Montesquieu thought that governments should have checks and balances, so that no person could gain too much power. He thought that to do this governments should be split into 3 branches.
Long-Term Effects
To this day, many governments take ideas from the Enlightenment and apply them to modern government. For example, it was Locke who first said that everyone had the right to life, liberty, and property. This was then amended by the founding fathers to the famous quote: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Additionally, the idea of 3 branches of government can be seen in the United States. Without the Enlightenment, most democratic nations would have a completely different government. Additionally, the Enlightenment helped spread ideas of equality and would later encourage slave rebellions and women's suffrage. Also, the Enlightenment was an important step in the separation of Church and State.