The Enlightenment Influencers: Montesquieu & John Locke

The founding fathers were creating a country like no other. They looked for inspiration from [blank_start]Enlightenment[blank_end] philosophers to solve the following issues: 1. Creating [blank_start]Governments[blank_end] 2. Writing [blank_start]Constitutions[blank_end] 3. [blank_start]Establishing[blank_end] rights 4. Creating a country and getting rid of the [blank_start]British[blank_end].

The [blank_start]Age of Enlightenment[blank_end] (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of [blank_start]Reason[blank_end]) was an era from the 1620s to the 1780s in which cultural and intellectual forced in western Europe emphasized reason, analysis, and individualism rather than traditional lines of authority.

In other words, during the enlightenment, people began to think about how [blank_start]life[blank_end] could be better. This included how [blank_start]government[blank_end] could be better.

The [blank_start]natural world[blank_end] and [blank_start]human behavior[blank_end] is governed by laws.

Government should reflect [blank_start]natural law[blank_end].

One of the philosophers the founding fathers turned to was John Locke, who wrote a famous book “[blank_start]Two Treatise of Government[blank_end]”.

Locke is famous for his ideas on a “[blank_start]State of Nature[blank_end]”. He questioned what life would be like if there were no governments.

Locke said people are by nature [blank_start]good[blank_end] but greedy, and without [blank_start]rules[blank_end] they take advantage of each other

According to John Locke, all people are entitled to certain “[blank_start]Natural Rights[blank_end]” that all governments should protect.

The only purpose of government is to protect [blank_start]life[blank_end], [blank_start]liberty[blank_end], and [blank_start]property[blank_end].

John Locke is also famous for his ideas about the “[blank_start]Social Contract[blank_end]”.

A social contract is an implicit [blank_start]agreement[blank_end] among members of a society to cooperate for social benefits. For example, by sacrificing some individual freedom for state protection.

Thomas [blank_start]Jefferson[blank_end] used a lot of John Locke’s ideas when writing the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson [blank_start]Unalienable[blank_end] rights [blank_start]Consent of the governed[blank_end] Life, liberty, and [blank_start]Pursuit of happiness[blank_end]

Another enlightenment philosopher that greatly influenced the founding fathers was [blank_start]Montesquieu[blank_end].

He gave them the idea of separating the government into [blank_start]three[blank_end] branches.

The colonist thought that King [blank_start]George III[blank_end] of [blank_start]England[blank_end] had too much power.

At the [blank_start]Constitutional Convention[blank_end] they made sure to divide power into three branches, like Montesquieu suggested.

1. Legislative branch = [blank_start]Make[blank_end] laws 2. Executive branch = [blank_start]Executes[blank_end] ([blank_start]enforces[blank_end]) the law 3. Judicial branch = [blank_start]Interprets[blank_end] the law

The framers to the constitution also put “[blank_start]checks[blank_end]” on each branch of government to further limit their power.