• The Enlightenment is a period of new ideas about government and rulers.

• Philosophe – Philosophers who created Enlightened ideas.

• Rationalism was a popular philosophy.– Truth can only be reached through logic.

• Natural Law – Philosophes believed society followed the laws of nature.– Survival of the fittest.

• Enlightened Despot – King who ruled according to Enlightenment ideas.

The Philosophes

• Cesare Beccaria.

• Italian lawyer.

• Opposed torture as a way to get accused to confess.– Felt it led to false confessions and innocent

deaths.

• Advocated “Innocent until proven guilty”.

Cesare Beccaria

• Baron de Montesquieu.

• French writer.

• Hated monarchies.

• Felt that government should exist to serve the people.

• Government should fit the needs of the people.

• Advocated a separation of powers in government, to prevent dictatorship.

Baron de Montesquieu

• Adam Smith.

• Scottish economist.

• Felt economics was key to improving society.

• Advocated free enterprise, where people can enter any business they want.

• Advocated free market economy, where people go into business to make money.– Consumers determine value of goods and

services.

Adam Smith

• Voltaire.

• French writer.

• Went against Catholic Church.

• Felt that you can’t count on God for happiness.

• People must work to improve their lives and society.

Voltaire

• Denis Diderot.• French writer.• Believed knowledge was key to improving

society.• An educated society can identify problems

and find solutions.• Wrote “Encyclopedie”, a collection of all

knowledge, filled with Enlightenment ideas.

Denis Diderot

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

• French writer.

• Believed people were naturally good, but society corrupted them.

• Felt that government should be made up of people who worked for the common good.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Mary Wollstonecraft.

• English writer.

• Only female Philosophe.

• Advocated women’s rights.– Felt that women were as smart and capable

as men.– Unsuccessful.

Mary Wollstonecraft