Katie Nguyen

Wisner

World History

26 February 2017

Enlightenment Essay

In order for societies to develop and grow, there has to be people who help start

conversations about the ideologies for an improved society. The people who initiate these

conversations and concepts are called philosophers, or philosophes in French. They were

prominent during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, where new ideas and reason shaped

this era. Figures such as John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft were

primary examples of philosophers during the Enlightenment period. During this period, also

known as the Age of Reason, the philosophers hoped to find natural laws, or truths that people

do not always recognize, about human society and nature. They believed that understanding the

truth of all things meant focusing on an individuals freedoms.

John Locke was a philosopher that covered an individuals freedom in a government

setting. He lived in England during the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. When

Locke was born, Englands form of government was an absolute monarchy where the king and

or queen had power to rule. His belief was that all men should be born free and have

independence. In Second Treatise on Civil Government, Locke explains that there [is] nothing

more evident than that creatures of the same species and rank should also be equal one

amongst another without subordination or subjection (Document A). Since everyone is of the

same species, there is no need for people to be treated unequally. He also felt that the people
have a right to create a new government since society has to preserve its original meaning of

liberty to keep itself from collapsing. He firmly believed in democracy for the people, and that

the individuals freedom to control a government leads to a system of government that is less

likely to fail.

Voltaire was a Paris- born philosopher that believed in an individual's freedom of religion

in human society. He was one of the leading historical supporters of tolerance as well. In Letters

Concerning the English Nation, he states that [i]f one religion only were allowed in England,

the government would very possibly become arbitrary (Document B). Voltaire believes that it is

necessary to have an abundance of religions because people would have less conflict within their

society. His main idea about religion in society is that people should practice tolerance and

diversity to coexist and live peacefully. He concluded that everyone has the freedom to practice

any religion that they choose to. Otherwise, if that freedom was restrained, the status quo of

society would either become unpredictable or there would be complications.

Adam Smith was a philosopher that focused on an individuals own ability to control a

trade and economic system without government interference. Around the time that he was alive,

mercantilism was the most common economic system in Europe. The goal of this economic

system was to make the country rich. Many believed that a monarch should be in charge of

making every economic decision, while the common people were incapable of benefitting the

country. He wrote that [e]very man is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest in his own

way (Document C). This meant that he advocated for a system that centers around the people

rather than a monarch or a single ruler. Smith supported an individuals decision making because

it was not sufficient for a ruler alone to guide the industry. Individuals work for their own profit,
which in turn promotes the interest of society more effectively. He believed that this is true

because individuals are led by a force, called an invisible hand, that acts on all of society so

that if individuals are pursuing their own interests, the needs of society are met too.

Mary Wollstonecraft was a philosopher that concentrated on the social role of women

and their freedom from any boundaries. During the eighteenth century, women were seen as

inferior to men. Society believed that women should only be perceived as beautiful, emotional,

and dependent on men. Women were seen as less intelligent than men, so an educated women

was commonly viewed in a negative light. Wollstonecraft explained in A Vindication of the

Rights of Woman that in order to make society better, women should be educated by the same

pursuits as men (Document D). By doing so, they would be able to make decisions on their

own, formulate their own opinions, and finally be equal to men. Through reason and experience,

Wollstonecraft believed that the only way that women could be viewed differently from how

they were during that time, is for them to be free from all restraints by letting them participate

in the inherent rights of mankind (Document D). She asserted that when women are given the

same opportunity as men to receive an education, women are led to make their own independent

decisions.

For all four of these forward thinkers, they believed in individual freedom. In order to

build a better society, people needed to focus on individual freedom and this message is clear in

these thinkers philosophies. Questions always stimulate conversations and lead to ideas that

help individuals understand and improve their societies. The beliefs that John Locke, Voltaire,

Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft had helped shape the Age of Reason by challenging
traditional ways of living, and the impact of their studies still manages to be relevant in our

modern- day society.