During this time Enlightenment thinkers, like John Locke, saw no reason why kings should rule rather than having people rule themselves. They believed that a more logical system was one in which the government existed by the consent of the people. They believed that a democracy was the best government that able to protect their natural rights and not take advantage of them. They realized that a monarchy would not protect them or live up the needed standards to be successful. Locke and many others believed that the government's’ duty was to guard and protect the natural rights of humans, life liberty and property.
Paine’s deistic viewpoints allowed him to write about government actions without being influenced by religious beliefs. He maintained that government should be based on reason, not faith. He strongly claimed that there should be a distinct separation between church and state. He thought that the only role government should have in religion is the protection of religious freedom. Paine commonly used Enlightenment language when he speaks of God and appeals to ordinary people, as opposed to the educated elites.
The Enlightenment placed great emphasis on the individualism and secularism. For example, John Locke introduced ideas of natural rights. These natural rights were to be protected by the government, and if they were not, the people had the right to overthrow the government. For the first time, colonists were given the opportunity to have power and a say in government. Power came from the individual rather than a religious authority like it previously was before.
First argument that Paine has made was about distinction between society and government. Paine made it clear that he mainly did not love government, whose individual value he thought lies in "restraining our vices" (Paine, 1776). For Paine, the natural state of man is to live without government, and government's existence is needed only to solve its problems created by this usual, revolutionary way of life. If a government is unsuccessful in improving society or, even worse, it is actively initiates other troubles so it is not essential to be ruled by that government.
Both the English Bill of Rights and Thomas Paine's Common Sense displayed interesting and creditable views regarding how to develop and maintain a well-functioning society through a well-structured government. The English Bill of Rights aligned a list of basic rights granted to individuals which included fair taxation and forbid cruel and unusual punishment. Common Sense is a well articulate essay that urges for the independence of the thirteen colonies from the British. In his text, Paine noted the importance of differentiating society and government, and condemned the practices of British monarchies (Paine, 62). Both documents theorized that political authority over the people should be fluid and well-constructed through a fair and equal governing body in order to ensure a equal and well-functioning society .
Furthermore, he claims that “it is impossible to establish any thing that combines principle with opinions and practice, which the progress of circumstances … will not in some measure derange, or render obsolete (Paine, 594),” and that it is the duty of every man to discuss and point out the defect of such laws (Paine, 545). Paine argues that it is important that government be open to improvement, and that “it is best to provide the means of regulating them as they occur (Paine, 594).” Without improvement the circumstances of each generation are not being accommodated which can dramatically weaken the ability for a government to successfully execute its main function. He believed that “no one man is capable, without the aid of society, of
I believe that the Enlightenment Thinkers would have the most impact on future governments because. Voltaire believed in freedom of thought, freedom of religion, and freedom of expression. Locke believed in natural rights, including life, liberty, and owning property. Montesquieu believed that one person should not have power.
Thomas Paine’s characterization of America from Rights of Man is formulated around the idea that the government, which was conceived "on the principles of society and the rights of man," is responsible for the country's prominent social, political and economic equality. America is often thought of as a land of opportunity, equality and freedom. While Paine’s characterization of America today does not necessarily utilize all of those ideals, it is mainly centered on a country where everyone is treated as equals regardless of their social, political and economic standing. Many would agree that Paine’s idea is an absurd one, even Paine could not have been completely honest with himself, speaking about a utopia where all are treated equal when
Enlightenment was a time period that revolved around philosophy, science, and society, and is less focused on religion. Enlightenment includes a concept proposed by the philosopher John Locke that all humans, when they are born, are entitled to basic human rights. The Enlightenment also includes the thought that things in the universe are constant, leading away from such a strong reliance on God. The concept of Enlightenment inspired many proceeding declarations, including the USA’s declaration because it encouraged equality to all men. John Locke was an Enlightenment thinker who proposed that as humans, we are entitled to basic rights and that when we are born we are blank canvases and are thereafter altered by our surroundings.
Above all, the Enlightenment played crucial role in educating people in the American societies. Although the Enlightenment initially started in Europe, it was prevalent out to America. The definition of Enlightenment means to “reimbursement or clearing up” and it is a very helpful term since it assists to give proper information about what the Enlightenment is and what they tried to fulfill that time. Furthermore, the Enlightenment had hugely impacted on the American Revolution. The most well known Enlightenment theorists in America were Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, I think.
Enlightenment Thinkers: Government Reformation The Enlightenment Era was a time of social reformation where the ideas of social issues were refurbished and the ways of life began to modernize. While many different categories were brought up, many of the ideas centered around the way the government should treat people according to their gender, businesses, well-being, and religion. Although they all may not have agreed with one another on all of the issues, they all crafted their ideas and shared them with the world.
Since the dawn of civilization, there have been many empires and nations in which power was held by a small set of individuals. Monarchs and emperors often claimed to rule by divine right or, in some cases, they simply claimed to be divine. These regimes would oppress the people and create extreme gaps in social status. In the 18th century, the Enlightenment movement ran directly counter to ideas of absolutism that many rulers practiced. Revolutions become very common in the late 18th century as people were very unhappy with their government.
The Enlightenment went against the political views, and morals of the Age of Absolutism. The Enlightenment challenged the views of the Age of Absolutism because it questioned the traditional authority established during this period by taking away the idea of single power, that had benefited the monarchs and the wealthy, and introducing the new idea of ruling for the good of the people instead. During the Age of Absolutism, rulers believed in the idea of single power, but during the Enlightenment, people started to challenge this idea and introduced a new form of government free of tyranny. Document 1, a primary source written by Machiavelli in the 15th century, states, “Men have less hesitation in offending a man who is loved than one who is feared . . .
Thomas Paine’s influential essays, titled The Rights of Man and Common Sense, argue that humans are born with natural rights. Paine views human natures as essentially good, but capable of evil. In order to contain this evil there needs to exist an over-arching institution that would provide stability and peace. Paine argued that the government would play this role. However, he viewed the government as a necessary evil.
During the Renaissance people began to stray away from the Catholic Church, and began thinking for themselves. While doing so people began to reconnect to old Roman traditions. Subsequently, the Enlightenment was born soon after. The Enlightenment was a new way of thinking also known as The Age Of Reason. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes are two famous philosophers from the Enlightenment that are known for having two different view on government.
