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What Were The Main Ideas During The Enlightenment Dbq

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In Europe in the late seventeenth to eighteenth century, The Enlightenment took place. The Enlightenment was a time when people began to question the status quo. Many creative philosophers -who were well educated people- would gather and talk about how things are and how they could be. Topics of discussion included views about the economy or government. Three of the most well known and influential philosophers during this time were John Locke, Voltaire, and Mary Wollstonecraft. John Locke was an English philosopher who thought that the government had too much control. He thought that if the government wasn’t so persistent in people's’ everyday lives, then society would become much better for everyone. Voltaire was a French philosopher …show more content…

John Locke’s main idea was that the government should only be there to protect and provide for the people. He thought that society would be better if the government wasn’t so persistent in the lives of citizens. He also believed that people should deserve natural rights. It was his belief that people were born with these rights and that these rights should never be violated by anyone, including the government. He stated “[men are in] a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature…” (Doc. A). In other words, this quote shows that Locke believes that humans have natural rights and that people should be free to use them however they please. Therefore, he believed that no one, especially the government, should have power over peoples’ natural …show more content…

Her main idea was for men and women to be treated equally. She believed that women were just as important as men and that they could be very valuable to society. She also thought that by giving women an education and a job that they would definitely be a benefit to society. She wrote “To render mankind more virtuous, and happier of course, both sexes must act from the same principle…” (Doc. D). This quote proves Wollstonecraft’s passion for equal rights. She clearly believed that by making females and males equal, it will be very beneficial. Therefore, she believed that equal rights was extremely important in

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