Ryan Yeager

Because the times before the 18th century were so depressing for many of the lower and middle class, they needed something that would make their lives better. The whole enlightenment movement spread hope and optimism throughout Europe. Voltaire was one of foremost philosophers that believed in religious toleration. More rights were given to the people in John Lockes political views. The figure that led to the most optimism was Joseph II of Austria, one of the first enlightened monarchs. New ideas proposed by enlightenment thinkers challenged traditional views and instilled optimism throughout Europe. Known as one of the original enlightenment thinkers, Voltaire had many views on a variety of subjects including religious toleration. It was not so much religious toleration that Voltaire is big on, just skepticism of religion as a whole. He acknowledges the need for faith in a higher being, but believes there is no way of knowing what is true and what is not, so for a monarch to force one religion upon his people is both wrong and unjust. Voltaire states, For the true worshiper there is but one faith, equal tolerance to all mankind, to express his view on openmindedness within religion. Since the fall of Rome, religion had an extreme influence in peoples lives and often determined the way they would lead their lives. What Voltaire proposes is that religion will no longer be forced upon a person and no one will be persecuted based on his or her beliefs. Optimism comes with the relief of no longer having to worry about true feelings and being able to live the way a person wants.

John Locke was one of the thinkers responsible for the shift to modern day theories and beliefs. Locke argues that every person is born with a blank mind and that a persons knowledge is derived from his environment, not from heredity or faith. This infuses them with the optimism that each person to establish themselves in society no matter their birth. Locke also believed in a set of unalienable rights that a person was born with and could not be taken away, including freedom of speech, religion, and right to own property. This idea impacts most of the common people. If the government adapted these philosophies, people would no longer be discriminated against or treated unjustly. All it would take for these ideas to become reality was a strong ruler who shared the same opinions and wanted to advance his nation. Although he was not a philosopher or author like many enlightenment thinkers, King Joseph II of Austria embodied these values in the ruling of his country. It does not take much guts to sit in your secluded chateau in the French countryside writing letters, but putting ones country and reputation on the line for ideas that are not yet widely accepted takes a lot of nerve. He expressed his view asserting, I have made philosophy the lawmaker of my empire; her logical applications are going to transform Austria. He abandoned economic restraints, abolished serfdom, and ended the death penalty. He also tried to give Jews more rights by freeing them from nuisance taxes and allowed them more freedom of movement and job opportunities. His practices and reforms spread optimism throughout Europe that maybe people would have more rights and rulers would be more open-minded. Even though Austria seemed overwhelmed by the restructuring

of the government and many changes were undone after his death, it was still leaders like him that paved the way for future enlightened governments. By establishing new rights for humans, certain enlightenment thinkers gave people the hope they needed. With religious tolerance and inalienable rights people were no longer suppressed by tyrannical dictators who chose how they wanted their people to live.