The Age Of Enlightenment Essay Research Paper — страница 3

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conditions and different national customs, habits, religions, and institutions give each nation a particular character. Unlike Hobbes and Locke, Voltaire (1694-1778) was not a systematic political theorist, but instead a propagandist and polemicist. He felt that freedom consisted in being governed by an established and standard code of law that applies equally to all. Voltaire also stated that, “Power should be used rationally and beneficially” (294). Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) published The Social Contract in 1762. He considered the state to be corrupt and unjust. Rousseau felt the modern state deprived human beings of their natural freedom and fostered a selfish individualism, which undermined concern for the common good. He wanted the state to be a genuine democracy

that bound people together in freedom, equality and civic devotion. At this point in time Humanitarianism became a new outlook on life. It expressed itself on torture, on cruel and unjust punishments for criminals, on slavery, and on war. Many philosophers denounced war as barbaric and an affront to reason. They felt that human nature was essentially virtuous and that human beings were capable of benevolent feelings toward each other. In addition, philosophers continued to view women as intellectually and morally inferior to men. One man however, Condorcet, who wrote Plea for the Citizenship of Women in 1791, argued for female emancipation. He was one of the very few exceptions. Rousseau believed that nature had granted men power over women, and regarded traditional domesticity

as a woman’s proper role. Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Woman protested against the submiss- iveness and subordination of women, and their limited opportunities. Scottish professor of moral philosophy Adam Smith (1732-1790) attacked the theory of mercantilism in The Wealth of Nations (1776). The theory held that a state’s wealth was determined by the amount of gold and silver it possessed. Smith argued that “The real basis of a country’s wealth was measured by the quantity and quality of its goods and services, and not by its storehouses and metals” (301). The concept of laissez faire-that government should not interfere with the market-became a core principle of nineteenth-century liberal thought. The major conflicts of the eighteenth century

were between Britain and France for control of the New World and between Austria and Prussia for dominance in central Europe. In the late 1700’s, the American and French Revolutions broke out and helped shape the liberal democratic tradition. In 1740, Prussia launched a successful war against Austria and was rewarded with Silesia. At the same time, France and England were fighting over their claims in the New World. England’s victory in the conflict (French and Indian War) deprived France of nearly all of its North American possessions. It also set in motion a sum of events that culminated in the American Revolution. In 1775, the quarrel turned to into shear and utter bloodshed, and on July 4th, 1776, delegates from various colonies came together to adopt the Declaration of

Independence. Written mainly by Thomas Jefferson, who applied of Locke’s theory of natural rights, the document declared that “Government derives its power from the consent of the governed, that it is the duty of a government to protect the rights of its citizens, and that people have the right to alter and establish a government that deprives them of their unalienable rights” (303). The ideals of the Enlightenment spread from Europe to America and helped shape the political thought of the Founding Fathers. The Declaration of Independence clearly articulated Locke’s basic principles. Philosophers broke with the traditional Christian view of human nature and the purpose of life. They also expressed confidence in people’s ability to attain happiness by improving the

conditions of their earthly existence, and derived a theory of human progress that did not require divine assistance. Works Cited Western Civilization: A Brief History. Marvin Perry. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, MA. 1997. Nicolaus Copernicus and his Epoch. Jan Adamczewski. Copernicaus Society of America. Philadelphia, PA. 1970. The Universe of Galileo and Newton. William Bixby. American Heritage Publishing Co. New York, NY. 1964. 338