Rousseau traveled in France and Italy, educating himself. In , he won an essay contest. His fresh view that man was naturally good and was corrupted by society made him a celebrity in the French salons where artists, scientists, and writers gathered to discuss the latest ideas. A few years later he published another essay in which he described savages in a state of nature as free, equal, peaceful, and happy. When people began to claim ownership of property, Rousseau argued, inequality, murder, and war resulted.
According to Rousseau, the powerful rich stole the land belonging to everyone and fooled the common people into accepting them as rulers. Rousseau concluded that the social contract was not a willing agreement, as Hobbes, Locke, and Montesquieu had believed, but a fraud against the people committed by the rich. In , Rousseau published his most important work on political theory, The Social Contract. Rousseau argued that the general will of the people could not be decided by elected representatives.
He believed in a direct democracy in which everyone voted to express the general will and to make the laws of the land.
Rousseau had in mind a democracy on a small scale, a city-state like his native Geneva. All political power, according to Rousseau, must reside with the people, exercising their general will.
There can be no separation of powers, as Montesquieu proposed. The people, meeting together, will deliberate individually on laws and then by majority vote find the general will. Rousseau was rather vague on the mechanics of how his democracy would work.
There would be a government of sorts, entrusted with administering the general will. Rousseau believed that religion divided and weakened the state. Rousseau realized that democracy as he envisioned it would be hard to maintain. Of the four philosophers discussed in this article, which two do you think differed the most? Which of the democratic forms government proposed by Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau do you think is the best?
How do you think his words relate to American democracy today? Divide the class into four groups, each taking on the role of Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, or Rousseau. The members of each of the role group will need to research why their philosopher would agree or disagree with the debate topics listed below. The groups should then debate the topic from the point of view of the philosopher they are role playing.
Follow the same procedure for the rest of the topics. After all the debates are finished, class members should discuss which one of the four philosophers they agree with the most and why. The best form of government is a representative democracy. Only the president should have the power to declare war. A good way to make laws is for all the people to directly vote on them. Religion should be a part of the government. Wikipedia: Thomas Hobbes. Wikipedia: Leviathan. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Thomas Hobbes.
Malaspina Great Books: Thomas Hobbes. SparkNotes: Leviathan A study guide to the book. Yahoo Directory: Thomas Hobbes. Google Directory: Thomas Hobbes. Open Directory Project: Thomas Hobbes.
Wikipedia: John Locke. Bluplete Biography: John Locke. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: John Locke. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: John Locke. Wikipedia: Two Treatises of Government. No person or government is exempt from following it. The Enlightenment ideas were the main influences for American Colonies to become their own nation.
Some of the leaders of the American Revolution were influenced by Enlightenment ideas which are, freedom of speech, equality, freedom of press, and religious tolerance.
Montesquieu withdrew from the practice of law to devote himself to study and writing. Besides writing works on society and politics, Montesquieu traveled for a number of years through Europe, including Austria and Hungary, spending a year in Italy and 18 months in England, where he became a freemason before resettling in France. He was troubled by poor eyesight and was completely blind by the time he died from a high fever in Montesquieu is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world.
The Spirit of the Laws is a treatise on political theory first published anonymously by Montesquieu in In , Thomas Nugent published the first English translation. Montesquieu spent around 21 years researching and writing The Spirit of the Laws , covering many things, including the law, social life, and the study of anthropology, and providing more than 3, commendations. In this political treatise, Montesquieu pleaded in favor of a constitutional system of government and the separation of powers, the ending of slavery, the preservation of civil liberties and the law, and the idea that political institutions should reflect the social and geographical aspects of each community.
Montesquieu defines three main political systems: republican, monarchical, and despotic. As he defines them, republican political systems vary depending on how broadly they extend citizenship rights—those that extend citizenship relatively broadly are termed democratic republics, while those that restrict citizenship more narrowly are termed aristocratic republics.
The distinction between monarchy and despotism hinges on whether or not a fixed set of laws exists that can restrain the authority of the ruler. If so, the regime counts as a monarchy. If not, it counts as despotism. A second major theme in The Spirit of Laws concerns political liberty and the best means of preserving it. He distinguishes this view of liberty from two other, misleading views of political liberty.
The first is the view that liberty consists in collective self-government i. The second is the view that liberty consists of being able to do whatever one wants without constraint.
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