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Thomas Hobbes's ideas of government vs. society
Hobbes had believed that all people "were naturally selfish and wicked." His idea was that all people should give up "their rights to a strong ruler. In exchange, they gained law and order." Having a monarchy for a government was a one-way ticket to a perfect society in his mind. This prevents a violent war like the English Civil War (pictured), which is what his ideas were based upon. (Pacemaker, 551) -
John Locke's views on our rights.
Unlike Hobbes, John Locke believed "that people could learn from experience and improve themselves." He also believed our three natural rights, life, liberty, and property, were to be protected by the government, rather than treated like prisoners, locking up and taken away from us. The people of society also had the right to overthrow the government if they violated our rights according to Locke. (Pacemaker, 551) -
Voltaire (François Marie Arouet) challenges France
Voltaire fought against many people over his beliefs in the French laws and customs. Voltaire "dared to raise doubts about the Christian religion." He fought for many years for his beliefs, even after fleeing Paris because he was " fearing another unpleasant jail term." He believed in religious freedom, freedom of speech, tolerance and reason. (Pacemaker, 552) -
Baron de Montesquieu's tri-split of the government
Montesquieu was in love with how the British government was run. The king held Executive power, the judges ran the judicial power, and the Parliament held the lawmaking power. He called this "separation of powers." Montesquieu went on to write a book on his version of this idea in which he "proposed that separation of powers would keep any individual or group from gaining total control of the government." (Pacemaker, 553) -
Jean Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract
Rousseau's idea of a better government was one that was created by the people and ran by the "'general will' of society." His way of the "Social Contract" differed from Hobbes by proposing that the government was "an agreement among free individuals to create." Also, "he argued that legitimate government came from the consent of the governed." (Pacemaker,554) His ideas allowed people to create and run the government how they chose. -
Cesare Bonesana Beccaria's new justice system
Unlike other thinkers, Beccaria was focused on the justice systems of government. He believed that "a person accused of a crime should receive a speedy trial, and that torture should never be used." Courts would torture witnesses and suspects to get information. He also argued that the severity of the punishment should depend on how serious of a crime it is. (Pacemaker, 554) -
The Declaration of Independence
Amongst the Revolution between the colonies and Britain, the Continental Congress wanted to create a document to break away from Britain. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and included John Locke's idea of our natural rights-life, liberty and property-in the preamble: "endowed by their... rights;...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." They changed pursuit of happiness to apply to everyone because during this time not every one could one property. (American,1) -
The Creation of the U.S. Government
After winning the American Revolution in 1783, the need for a government was high. The first "national government was weak," so "at the 1787 convention, delegates devised a plan for a stronger federal government." They used Montesquieu's ideas of the three branches of government to ensure that the government didn't revert back to a monarchy. Another system of checks and balances was placed to "ensure no single branch would hold too much power." (The,1) -
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights, created by James Madison, was made to ensure that the Constitution would get ratified. The Bill of Rights has ten amendments, all of which go through our rights as citizens of the U.S.They took the ideas of Voltaire and Beccaria and put them in. Voltaire's ideas of religious freedom and speech were included in the first amendment. Beccaria's ideas were put in the sixth amendment which states "the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy...trial." (Bill,1) -
Source A
"American Revolution History." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 29 Apr. 2017. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history. -
Source B
Pacemaker World History. Shoreview, MN: Pearson AGS Globe, 2008. Print. -
Source C
"Bill of Rights." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01 May 2017. http://www.history.com/topics/bill-of-rights. -
Source D
"The U.S. Constitution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01 May 2017. http://www.history.com/topics/constitution.
