ipl-logo

How Did Rousseau Influence The Development Of American Democracy

706 Words3 Pages

Enlightenment philosophers were vital to the development of revolutionary ideas and new governments as they reshaped the way people understood issues such as liberty, equality, and individual rights. Without the values that John Locke, Charles Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau supported, the conditions for the American Revolution and the Constitution that resulted from it would be much different. John Locke’s ideas were extremely influential and I believe that his theories were crucial to the development of American independence. Locke believed that all individuals had natural rights that could not be taken away because they were given by God. As a Catholic, I believe that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, and …show more content…

His idea supported the fact that each individual had natural rights and that a monarch was not able to abuse their power and force any person to give up their rights. Rousseau promoted a civil state where all people enjoyed security, justice, liberty, property, and protection. I believe that Rousseau’s ideas were vital to the development of an American democracy because he supported the idea of giving power to the people and believed that they should vote for their own laws, but I do not agree with his idea of allotting all the political power to the people and having no separation of powers. Ensuring that people have power is crucial so that the voices of the people are heard, but the separation of powers is necessary to prevent any person or part of the government from becoming too powerful. If the political power was simply handed to the people without balance, there could be corruption. Overall, Rousseau inspired people to exercise their rights to speech and vote and his ideas were imperative and demonstrated in the beginning of the U.S. Constitution in the words “We the …show more content…

I believe that Montesquieu’s ideas were crucial to the structure of the government, as the foundation of the U.S. Constitution was based upon his separation of powers theory. Without the creation of the Separation of Powers, one branch of government would become too powerful and a system of checks and balances would not be able to be formed. The ideals that the Founding Fathers used in the creation of the American government and the ideals set in stone today would not have been the same without

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between American And French Revolution

    710 Words  | 3 Pages

    When speaking of The French Revolution, Rousseau another thinker of the Enlightenment implemented the theory of the social contract. The Social contract created during the enlightenment period influenced the French Revolt in a major way. The social contract developed the idea that power of government should remain in the hands of the natives. Rousseau ideas provided the foundation for the stable governments in which the revolution would soon create. His philosophy stressed social equality and freedoms which eventually led to the overthrow of the monarchy of the French government at the time.

    Read More

  • How Did John Locke Contribute To The Enlightenment

    499 Words  | 2 Pages

    His ideas greatly contributed to the Enlightenment in the United States. Locke argued for rights to life and possessions/property, freedom of religion and liberty. Founding Fathers, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, fully supported Locke’s notions and philosophies. John Locke’s ideas became the groundwork for numbers of governments across the world, including America, and provided a numerous amount of people with liberty and freedom. Benjamin Franklin, Found Father and full supporter of John Locke, was a politician, diplomat, statesmen, scientist and an author.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Connection Between The American Revolution And Government

    463 Words  | 2 Pages

    It also emphasized reason over religion in the search of knowledge. There were many great philosophers of the enlightenment and their ideas contributed to today's American government. The major Philosophers consisted of was John Locke who created our natural rights of, life, liberty, and property. He also believed in a constitutional monarchy. Another philosopher was Montesquieu, he created separation of powers and checks and balances which we use in our government today.

    Read More

  • How Did The Constitution Influence The Writers Of The Us Constitution

    863 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Enlightenment was a movement that emphasized a scientific and rational approach to problems. The Enlightenment writers generally believed that the power of reason could be used to improve society. (Pearson) One of the most important writers of this movement was John Locke, an Englishman, who wrote Two Treatises of Government in 1690. His view was that it was government’s job to protect the natural rights of “life, liberty, and ownership of property” (Pearson, ushistory.org).

    Read More

  • How Did Rousseau Influence The Declaration Of The Rights Of Man And Citizen

    482 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rousseau argued for the elimination of privileges and social hierarchies, and the declaration reflects this principle by proclaiming that all citizens are equal in the eyes of the law and entitled to the same rights and protections. This is seen in the declaration in the words “the law must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes (National Assembly 78).” It also speaks about all being equally protected and no one doing anything which would harm another, as seen in the words “ Liberty consists in being able to do whatever does not harm another (National Assembly 77).” It draws a line when others are harmed, protecting all and limiting all to make sure people are not

    Read More

  • How Did John Locke's Ideas That Pushed The American Revolution

    282 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Locke’s ideas were one of the things that pushed the revolution forward. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that the overall power of a country should belong to the citizens of that country. He also believed that government can function only if they have

    Read More

  • How Did The Enlightenment Influence The American Revolution

    1523 Words  | 7 Pages

    This shows Montesquieu's belief in the division of power among different branches of the government. Montesquieu influenced the Bill of Right in amendment ten which shows Montesquieu influence by showing a separation of power that goes to the people and the states. Amendment

    Read More

  • John Locke's Second Treatise On Government

    978 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many laws citizens of America abide by today trace back to the philosophical ideas of Enlightenment thinkers from the 17th century. During this time period, the scientific revolution and absolutism sparked a movement in which new ideas and thoughts promoted challenging the government. People believed that if they could understand human nature, they could form the ideal government to rule over the people. Many different thinkers presented their own thoughts and beliefs on the people and their natural rights, along with how the people should be ruled. Of the many Enlightenment thinkers whose philosophies are found the Constitution, John Locke and Voltaire made the greatest impact due to their contributions in protecting the people’s liberties,

    Read More

  • Jean Jacques Rousseau On Direct Democracy

    922 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Sweden, during the Age of Liberty the power of the state moved from monarch to the parliament where the people were paying taxes, like the farmers were represented in parliament and their power were limited, plus the people that were not paying taxis did not had the right to vote. In 1755 the Corsican Constitution give the right to women and all men above 25 to vote. (56,57 reference democracy w) Jean-Jacques Rousseau that he was sometimes more radical democrat than Locke, in his most important and influential work “The Social contract” (1762) addressed that a democracy is not compatible with representatives and that the moment the people allows themselves to be represented, they are no longer free or exist. Rousseau was a strong supporter of direct democracy and believed that if a political association is not small enough to practice direct democracy then they will be replaced by a nation-state association and as a result will stop been democratic. Furthermore, he wrote that “it is against the natural order for the many to govern and the few to be governed and that where are people of gods then the government is democratic, so perfect government is not for men”.

    Read More

  • Scientific Revolution Dbq Essay

    1137 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rousseau’s main idea is that everyone should feel safe, happy, and equal even if it means sacrificing personal joy for the good of society. If these things are not present then the community does not work. The contract

    Read More

  • How Did The Enlightenment Influence The American Government

    426 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ideas of the Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution and the formation of the American Government. Firstly, The Enlightenment was a philosophical evolution that emphasized the aged ideas of the Greeks and Romans. In addition, the major philosophers of this time period were Voltaire, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Rousseau, Adam Smith and Isaac Newton. Their ideals include having an absolute monarch as a government (T.H), the separation of powers (Mont.), the government should not interfere with a free market economy (A.S), the freedom of speech (Volt.), the government could be overruled (J.L), and the government should rule according to the will of the people. Nevertheless, these ideals are important because they shaped the government that we have today.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Enlightenment And The Great Awakening

    532 Words  | 3 Pages

    Those who were considered as general leaders of the Enlightenment years were thought to be very intellectual and were held by most people in the highest regard throughout the colonial society. Some of the more common names spoken back then were of men such as “John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison” (Sage, 2013, para. 3). Jean-Jacques Rousseau was another prominent thinker as well. He believed that all “individuals had natural rights to life, liberty, and property, which even a king or pope could not deny” (Schultz, 2010, p. 69). Rousseau, along with countless others fought for the rights of the people while insisting that each person is afforded the lawful right to live their own life and to cast aside the authoritativeness of others if they saw fit in doing

    Read More

  • Charles-Louis De Secondat: Montesquieu

    808 Words  | 4 Pages

    His ideas were dominant over other philosophers' about how a government should be run during the beginning of the French Revolution. “Democratic and Aristocratic states are not in their own nature free. Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments; and even in these it is not always found. It is there only when there is no abuse of power. But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to use it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.”

    Read More

  • Rousseau's Influence On Abbe Sieyes

    877 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rousseau, one of the most leading philosophers during the Enlightenment, had indeed left many of legendries behind. Not only his writings had caused many of the reactions at that time, but also influenced many writers’ aspects of the French Revolution and the overall understanding of inequality and the General Will. As one of the chief political theorists during the French Revolution who was also influenced by Rousseau’s ideas, Abbe Sieyes, published the pamphlet, “What is the Third Estate?” in 1789. This pamphlet was one of the documents that changed the world and lit the flame toward the French Revolution, as characterized by Joe Janes, a University of Washington professor (Janes).

    Read More

  • How Did Rousseau Influence The French Revolution

    810 Words  | 4 Pages

    The French Revolution was undoubtedly influenced by the political theorists of the Enlightenment. The ideas of two French political theorists in particular are easily seen throughout the French Revolution, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Baron Montesquieu. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s thoughts and texts, such as the Social Contract, instilled the entitlement of basic human rights to all men. Rousseau’s concepts on rights combined with Baron Montesquieu’s ideas on government provided the backbone of a radical movement in the French Revolution known as the Terror. When one delves into the beginnings of the French Revolution, the motives and actions of the National Assembly, and the Terror of the French Revolution, one can obviously see the influence of two Enlightenment political theorists, Rousseau and Montesquieu.

    Read More

More about How Did Rousseau Influence The Development Of American Democracy

Open Document