Carlos Gomez

Mr. Wisner

M/W 2nd period

During the 17th and 18th centuries, philosophers John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and

Mary Wollstonecraft were all regarding the well known scientist Isaac Newton during the

Enlightenment Period on the concept of natural laws; laws that could explain the physical

universe in science. But the philosophers believed that there was a science that could be learned

to understand how people behaved, they regarded this study as social science. They all had ideas

human society and four different areas, which were: government, religion, the economy and the

social role of women. The main idea was that to make society better, people needed individual

freedom.

John Locke was a proponent of changing government through advocating a democracy.

He wrote the Second Treatise on Civil Government in 1690 in which he explained that all men

are naturally in a state of perfect freedom within the bounds of the law of nature which

meant that he believed all people are born equal and free. Lockes main idea was that people

should be free and equal and they should also be able to form a government that represents them.

John Locke was passionate about people being able to represent themselves through their own

government much like how another philosopher, Voltaire, was very passionate about religion.

Voltaire, like John Locke, believe that certain changes were necessary in order to improve

society, but instead of wanting advocate democracy, Voltaire believed that people needed to be

tolerant of other peoples religions in order to prosper. Voltaire mentions this in Letters

Concerning the English Nation (1726) when he writes If one religion only were allowed in

England, the government would very possibly become arbitrary; if there were but two, the people
would cut one anothers throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all live happy and in

peace. which basically means if people respected others views on religion and never dwelled

on it there would be harmony. Voltaire really wanted to stress how people must be tolerant to

grow and evolve. Religion was Voltaire's main stress point along with tolerance.

Adam Smith was another philosopher from the Enlightenment Period who wanted to get

out the idea that people needed to be able to make independent decisions in their own economy

system. In Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations (1776) he states that Without government

interference the obvious and simple system of natural liberty establishes itself of its own accord.

Every man... is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest in his own way.. and what he meant

was that most individuals work to make money and benefit themselves and thats how it should

be, without the government getting into your business, literally, and interfering with your pursuit

of happiness. Adam Smith believed that governments dont know what people want. Smiths

main idea about trading and economic decision making was that everyone should work for the

benefit of themselves.

Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792 where she

acknowledges the fact that women were treated inferior to men because of plain ignorance as she

stated they are now made so inferior by ignorance and low desires, as not to deserve to be

ranked with them.. in which she tried explaining how women are treated lesser than men in

society as a social construct. She believed that men and women should have to same rights to be

able to make independent decisions and help their society. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote about what

she believed was right for the people around her and future generations.

All of these open minded philosophers wanted people to know that in order to make

society better, people need individual freedom. John Locke believed in people choosing a
suitable government in which the people had a say in. Voltaire stressed the idea that tolerance

was the key to harmony for religion in society. Adam Smith said that everyone needed to work

for themselves without involvement of the government. Mary Wollstonecraft wanted gender

equality and thought that it was what was best for improvements in societys structure. All of

these philosophers wanted one thing in common, they all wanted for society to improve by

individual freedom for everyone. It is still important for people to indulge in individual freedom

because whats to stop our country from becoming like 17th and 18th century England if we

never did?