Question

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Answer 1

We ponder upon the question: What is the cause for the stability in our government, and what occured in the past that influenced such a society? The answer lies in the depths of history and one of the key factors that led to the way we live today is the Age on Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment (1685-1815) was a very important turning point in history and its great thinkers made multiple and lasting effects in our government as well as our society. This historical time period was a make-up of the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution. Enlightened thinkers, such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, helped impact the Age, and this led to the widespread of Enlightenment ideas throughout Europe and established a blueprint for the American government to come and its govermental documents. But of course, it was events that occurred before this Age that lead to its sudden development.



Government before the Age of Enlightenment in Europe was based on an absolute monarchy and divine rights of the kings. The church and state were linked, and certain crimes meant life imprisonment, so most Europeans' daily lives were consumed by the thought of survival. Eventually, people began to question the government and many Enlightenment thinkers arose. They challenged long-held ideas about government and society by arguing against the ideas of "divine right " (a king or a queen to rule in the name of God) and absolutism, by opposing the authority of the Catholic Church, and they aimed to improve the lives and freedoms of ordinary people. Enlightenment thinkers studied forms of government by focusing on three topics: authority (Where does a government get its authority?), rights (What kind of natural rights do humans have?), and responsibility (How are citizens and government responsible to each other?). They also used the scientific method to understand the problems of society and used reason to give hope, prosperity and happiness to the people. The most famous Enlightenment thinkers included: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, François-Marie Arouet "Voltaire", and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.



Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1697) was an English philosopher who disagreed with the divine right and questioned and answered: "Why does man need government?" He believed that humans are selfish and competitive, and if there was no government or an all-powerful king to control them, people would constantly fight. He also believed that both peace and freedom could not be possible together and that goverment should have absolute authority over its people, whom he thought should never challenge the government. Hobbes argued that citizens should form a social contract with their government; that citizens agree to give up some liberty in exchange for cooperation with the government. Many other Enlightenment thinkers disagreed with this Hobbes's point of view. For example, John Locke (1632 - 1704), also an English philosopher, believed that people had certain natural rights including: life, liberty, and property. Yet, Locke agreed that there was no divine right and further built on Hobbes's ideas of the social contract. He suggested that the government should protect these rights, and in return the people will not challenge them. So, if the government fails to protect those rights, the people have a right to rebel. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) proved to be one of the most important French philosophers of the 1700s and he argued against the inequailty set by the government. He hated political and economic opression, and strongly believed that government should be determined by its citizens. François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire (1694-1778), was a French philosopher, writer, and historian who supported freedom of religion and a seperation of church and state. He also supported freedom of the press and speech. Baron de Montesquieu (1689 - 1755), a French philosopher and social commentator, used the scientific method to understand social and political relationships. He proposed the idea of three government branches. He wrote The Spirit of the Laws in 1748 which explained the separation of powers and the use of checks and balances. Separation of powers means dividing government power so that no person or group has too much and a system of checks and balances in which each branch of government has some power over the other. Each of these enlightened thinkers helped influence the spread of enlightenment ideas, causing a massive turn in European history.



The effects of the Enlightenment led to the growth in the belief that people could improve government and society. It encouraged some monarchs to embrace Enlightenment ideals (like Frederick the Great of Prussia) and inspired the American and French Revolutions. It also increased the support for representative government and it allowed common citizens to understand the importance of individual worth. After the Age of Enlightenment, which ultimately gave way to 19th-century Romanticism, there were clear and critical developments in Europe. An example was the idea of limited democracy and providing citizens with their natural rights to Life, Liberty, and Property. The Church no longer had as much influence over the government and there was a significant increase in religious toleration. And generally, life became more pleasant for common folk as well as the newly stabilized government. Learning became more popular, and the fresh idea that everyone deserved to be content with freedom was highly accepted.



Due to the great Enlightenment thinkers and theories, Europe was able to sustain a strong government that satisfied its citizens and its leaders. Its various and ideal ideas eventually reflected into the American government. The U.S. constitution thoroughly consists of many of the concepts that were triggered by the enlightenment, such as popular sovereignty, political and legal equality, and individual freedom. Another example would be John Locke's ideas on securing life, liberty and property and Montesquieu's ideas on separation of powers and checks and balances. Had this era not occured, there would be some major differences in the world today. The American and European governments might not have easily found a balanced government if not for the Age, and would have possibly witnessed numorous revolts from their citizens. This turning point in history has had its major and lasting effects and if Europe had not gone through it, we might not have seen successful governments nor would we have experienced a peaceful life.

Answer 2

@Opcode @Destinymasha @undeadknight26 @PRAETORIAN.10 @Luigi0210 @anybody-else-who-wants-to-help-cx

Answer 3

Francois**

Answer 4

Great amount of information and im glad you went with the enlightenment! :D

Answer 5

Nyce work Butter-brain!!! You get a burrito-style pat on the head from moi.