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Kade Contrael

Mrs. Makar
World History
3 January 2018

The Enlightenment

Would you copy another person to better yourself? The United States did just that as they

adopted the ideas of the enlightenment philosophers by the ideas of John Locke, Montesquie, and

Voltaire. Although there is no consensus about the exact span of time that corresponds to the American

Enlightenment, we assumed that it occurred during the eighteenth century among thinkers in British

North America and the early United States and was inspired by the ideas of the British and French

Enlightenments. I will prove the ideas of the enlightenment philosophers influenced the United States

by showing examples of John Locke, Montesquie, and Voltaire.

John Locke is among the most influential political philosophers of the modern period.

He defended the claim that men are by nature free and equal against claims that God had made

all people naturally subject to a monarch. He argued that people have rights, such as the right to

life, liberty, and property, that have a foundation independent of the laws of any particular

society. Locke used the claim that men are naturally free and equal as part of the justification for

understanding legitimate political government as the result of a social contract where people in

the state of nature conditionally transfer some of their rights to the government in order to better

ensure the stable, comfortable enjoyment of their lives, liberty, and property. Since governments

exist by the consent of the people in order to protect the rights of the people and promote the

public good, governments that fail to do so can be resisted and replaced with new governments.

(WORLD HISTORY CONNECTIONS TODAY)


Charles-Louis Montesquieu had many political views. Montesquieu holds that there are

three types of governments: republican governments, which can take either democratic or

aristocratic forms; monarchies; and despotisms. Montesquieu believed that the principal of

democracy is political virtue, which is explained as the love of laws and one's country.

Montesquieu found people to be fundamentally insecure. Meaning that we don't have instinct

like animals or the perfect all knowing ability like God. Montesquieu divided political systems

by the following, despotism based on fear, republics based on virtue, and monarchies based on

honor. Montesquieu's views were rather liberal. Because of this montesquieu lacked the approval

of religious leaders. The article also states that Montesquieu, though not believing that all people

were exactly equal, thought that slavery was in need of abolition. Montesquieu's ideas can be

found in The Spirit of Laws. The Spirit of Laws is a comparative study of three types of

governments. One can find that Montesquieu's ideas, as stated in his writings, inspired

America's system of “Cheques and Balances”. (WORLD HISTORY CONNECTIONS TODAY)

Voltaire was very outspoken when it came to any organized religion. His historical

church and state began to separate. While he never openly declared himself to be a non-believer,

he advocated religious perspective known as deism. Deism proposes that there is some kind of

supernatural creator, but it is not associated with any mainstream religion. Open opposition to

religion was a serious offense that landed Voltaire in jail and ultimately, exile. was a strong

advocate of political reform. He declared his own independent stance, saying he belonged to the
"party of humanity." Aside from religion, his other main target was extremism in any form, be it

political or religious. Voltaire directed much of his social and political criticism at the monarchy

and aristocracy, also challenging the judicial system as "irrational and brutal." He had a deep

regard for science and its importance in promoting rational thought over superstition. Since he

still believed in a supernatural creator, he did not subscribe to the emerging idea that living

organisms could spontaneously generate from non-living matter. (WORLD HISTORY

CONNECTIONS TODAY)

As you can see with your own eyes the United States constitution most definentily stole,

copied the philosophers John Locke, Montesquie, and Voltaire's ideas. They were quite

infuencial and persuasive people, and had creative and comprehensive ideas that helped lead the

United States to present success.

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