The Philosophers That Shaped AmericaThomas Paine Voltaire

Montesquieu

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

John Locke Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes• 1588-1679• Based governmental philosophy on Natural Law and Social Contract

• Natural Laws are devised by reason• Protect citizens• Social Contract has three laws• Peace should always be sought• People forfeit rights in order to maintain peace• The first two laws must be upheld• Believed that only three institutions could maintain contract• Democracy• Monarchy• Aristocracy

5

Thomas Paine 1

• 1736-1809• Based governmental philosophy on Separation of Powers and Equality Under the Law

• Philosophy of mixed government and deference led to creation of three-branch government with checks and balances• Executive• Judicial• Legislative• Proponent of protection by law for all citizens• People are created equal and equally free• Government is established to protect rights of people

Voltaire 2

• 1694-1778• Based governmental philosophy on the principle of Religious Tolerance

• Believed that the most gruesome of acts committed by mankind are those carried out with religious convictions• If religions are tolerated, religious acts of violence may be

less likely

Jean-Jacques Rousseau 3

• 1712-1788• Based governmental philosophy on Social Contract and the concept of Liberty

• “Man is born free but everywhere in chains.”• Government has the responsibility to protect citizens• Citizens have the right (or obligation) to forfeit rights in

order to have protection from government• Liberty is the idea that people are granted freedom by birthright

John Locke 4

• 1632-1704• Based governmental philosophy on Moral Law

and Representative Democracy

• Believed that Natural Laws did not exist• Man was bound by Moral Laws to God• Moral Laws are always valid, though not always kept• Society must create laws to limit and punish citizens• Delegates selected by people in order to create laws• Social Contract• Citizens forfeit rights to maintain order by delegates

Montesquieu 6

• 1689-1755• Based governmental philosophy on Separation

of Powers and Strong Judiciary System

• Championed the British Government• Separation of Parliament from Crown• Desired pure democracy with no monarch unless the monarch was chosen by the citizens• Judiciary system must maintain purity of democracy by removing corrupt officials

References1 - http://www.usconstitution.net/philosophers.html#paine2 - http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/PHIL.HTM3 - http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/ROUSSEAU.HTM4 - http://www.usconstitution.net/philosophers.html#locke5 - http://www.usconstitution.net/philosophers.html#hobbes 6 - http://www.usconstitution.net/philosophers.html#mont

Thomas Paine Voltaire Jean-Jacques Rousseau

John Locke Thomas Hobbes Montesquieu