JenniferAshley

W.C.EnlightenmentDBQ
MainIdeasofEnlightenment

Wearebornwithourfreedomandwewouldnothaveittodayformanypastpeople.Voltaire,Adam
Smith,JohnLocke,andMaryWollstonecraftwereallveryinfluentialspeakersforourfreedomduringthe
Enlightenment.Theybelievedforourrightsandspokethemforeverysinglepersontohear.The
Enlightenmentwentonforcenturies,withfourmainideas.Government,religion,economies,andgender
equalityalldealwiththefreedomofthepeople.Thesethingshaveimprovedthesocietythroughindividual
freedomduringthe17thand18thcentury.Government,religion,economics,andgenderequalitywillbe
talkedaboutasthemainideasoftheenlightenment.
ThegovernmentisalwaystherebutJohnLockequestionedtheideaofthegovernmentbeing
dissolvedorgone.JohnLockestates,Whenthegovernmentisdissolved,thepeopleareatlibertytodecide
forthemselves,byerectinganewlegislative(DocumentA).Byhimsayingthis,itshowsthathebelieves
thepeoplecouldallstandtogetherwhilebeingfree.Thatthepeoplecouldbeinchargeandimprovethe
societywithoutthegovernmentcontrollingeverything.
Inthe17thcenturythereweremanydifferentreligions.Voltairetalksaboutthemallcomingtogether
justtohelpmankindindocumentB.Hesays,Butastherearesuchamultitude,theyalllivehappyandin
peace.(DocumentB).IntheEnlightenmentreligionwasabigdeal,especiallyiftherewereonlytwokinds
ofreligion.Butsincetherewassuchavarietyofreligionstheylearnedtocopeandacceptthedifferencesfor
eachonetohelpthesociety.Thispushedpeoplemoreintobelievinginequalrights.
Economicsmakestheworldgoonbutcanalsoimprovethesociety,dependingonwhatcanbe
donewithit.AdamSmithshowshisbeliefinthisbysaying,Aseveryindividual,therefore,endeavoursas
muchashecanbothtoemployhiscapitalinthesupportofhisindustry..(DocumentC).Thissayingshows
thatbyhelpingouttheeconomywithhelpfromthepeoplethentheeconomywillimproveandthepeople
wouldeventuallybepromoted.Again,thisstatementshowsthatthesocietycanstandtogetherbyhelping
eachotherout.
MaryWollstonecraftdecidedtofightforgenderequalityin1792.Shesays,Makethemfree,and
theywillquicklybecomewiseandvirtuous.(DocumentD).Womanwerealwaysplacedundermen,woman
nevergoteducationasmen,whichmeanstheydidnothavethesameknowledge.Thisstatementissaying
thatwomancandojustasmuchasmenifgiventhesamerights.Ifwomenhadequalrankingsasthemen
thenwomenwouldbejustashelpful.Thisbroughtacompletelydifferentviewpointinthewaythepeople
saweachother.
AlthoughtheEnlightenmentwasalongandstrenuousjourneythroughtime,itbroughtanamazing
improvementbetweensocietyandindividualfreedom.Thesefourdocumentsandfourpeopleallbelievedin

equalrightstohelpimprovethesocietyandeverydaylife.Theyspokewhattheybelievedinandmadea
hugeimpactonhowwelivetoday.