Philosophers of the Enlightenment
CE.CG.1.2: Explain how Enlightenment and other theories impacted the DOI, Constitution, & BOR to promote liberty, justice and equality.
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, excerpts:
NATURE hath made men so equal in the faculties of body and mind as that, though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body or of quicker mind than another. …For as to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself.
From this fundamental law of nature, by which men are commanded to endeavour peace, is derived this second law: that a man be willing, when others are so too, as far forth as for peace and defence of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men as he would allow other men against himself. For as long as every man holdeth this right, of doing anything he liketh; so long are all men in the condition of war.
John Locke, Second Treatise on Government (1690), excerpts:
Sec. 131. But though men, when they enter into society, give up the equality, liberty, and executive power they had in the state of nature, into the hands of the society, to be so far disposed of by the legislative, as the good of the society shall require; yet it being only with an intention in every one the better to preserve himself, his liberty and property; …the power of the society, …can never be supposed to extend farther, than the common good; but is obliged to secure every one's property, … And all this to be directed to no other end, but the peace, safety, and public good of the people.
Sec. 222. . . . . Whensoever therefore the legislative shall transgress this fundamental rule of society; by this breach of trust they forfeit the power the people had put into their hands for quite contrary ends, and it devolves to the people, who have a right to resume their original liberty, and, by the establishment of a new legislative…provide for their own safety and security, which is the end for which they are in society.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau,THE SOCIAL CONTRACT(1762), excerpts:
I therefore call any State a republic which is governed by laws, under whatever form of administration it may be; for then only does the public interest predominate and the commonwealth count for something. Every legitimate government is republican [that is, directed by the general will]; I will explain hereafter what government is. …Laws are properly only the conditions of civil associations. The people, being subjected to the laws, should be the authors of them; it concerns only the associates to determine the conditions of association.
Baron Charles de Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws (1748), excerpts:
In every government there are three sorts of power; the legislative; the executive; and the judicial. The power of the legislature is to enact laws, and amend or abrogate those that have been already enacted. The executive establishes the public security, enforces laws, and provides against invasions. The judiciary power punishes criminals, or determines the disputes that arise between individuals.
When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise that tyrannical laws may be enacted, or executed in a tyrannical manner. Again, there is no liberty if the power of judging is not separated from the legislative and executive powers. Were it joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control, for the judge would then be the legislator. Were it joined to the executive power, the judge might behave with all the violence of an oppressor. There would be an end of everything were the same man, or the same body, exercise all three powers that of enacting laws, that of executing the public resolutions, and that of judging the crimes or differences of individuals.