America and the Enlightenment

The ideas which came out of the Enlightenment helped open peoples minds to fresh ways of persuasion and to not simply accept the ways of the past. These ideas challenged old ways of thinking, questioned the divine right of rule, and taught that people should be able to gain material well-being, social justice, and happiness in this life, not just the next (Ellis, et.al., 1999). The European Enlightenment influenced the American Enlightenment in several ways.
Many of the greatest philosophes of the European Enlightenment believed that people should receive certain separateddoms and liberties. In washbowl Lockes Two Treaties of Government, he states the following ideas, which are reflected in the United States Declaration of Independence: 1) governing is formed to encourage the natural rights of the people, 2) political sympathies should have limited indicants, 3) the type of political science should be accepted by all citizens, 4) governments have an agreement to those it governs, and 5) people have a right to overthrow the government (revolution) if the government fails its obligations or takes away natural rights (Kramnick, 1995).




Montesquieu, in 1748, wrote The aim of the Laws, in which he describes checks and balances on government by dividing the functions of power between three separate branches in an effort to cherish the liberties of the citizen. These ideas are clearly reflected in the Constitution of the United States. Our government has three distinctive branches as a result of his thinking; an Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branch (The Constitution Society, 2008). Other thinkers, like Voltaire, wrote of free speech.
Voltaire helped open peoples eyes to the corruption of officials and aristocrats. For example, his literary works allowed others to see the injustices of the slave-trade and religious prejudice. Our Declaration of Independence reflects corruption at bottom the British government which hurt the American colonies. Voltaire once said, I do not agree with a...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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