The Enlightenment in Europe

In the wake of the Scientific Revolution, and the new ways of thinking it prompted, scholars and philosophers began to reevaluate old notions about other aspects of society. They sought new insight into the underlying beliefs regarding government, religion, economics, and education. Their efforts spurred the Enlightenment, a new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems. Known also as the Age of Reason, the movement reached its height in the mid-1700s and brought great change to many aspects of Western civilization.

I. Major Ideas of the Enlightenment

Thinker / Idea / Impact
Locke (1632-1704)
England / Natural rights – life, liberty, property / Fundamental to U.S. Declaration of Independence
Montesquieu (1689-1755)
France / Separation of powers / France, United States, and Latin American nations use separation of powers in new constitutions
Voltaire (1694-1778)
France / Freedom of thought and expression / Guaranteed in U.S. Bill of Rights and French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen; European monarchs reduce or eliminate censorship
Beccaria (1738-1794)
Italy / Abolishment of torture / Guaranteed in U.S. Bill of Rights; torture outlawed or reduced in nations of Europe and the Americas
Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)
England / Women’s equality / Women’s rights groups form in Europe and North America
Voltaire / Religious freedom / Guaranteed in U.S. Bill of Rights and French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen; European monarchs reduce persecution

II. In your own words:

Locke is important because . . .

Montesquieu is important because . . .

Voltaire is important because . . .

Beccaria is important because . . .

Wollstonecraft is important because . . .

III. Biography and Ranking

Let’s examine these Enlightenment thinkers’ places on the Biography of the Millennium list.

IV. Primary Sources

John Locke – Second Treatise on Government

Frederick the Great – Essay on Government