In the chart below summarize the main ideas of the three thinkers in your own words. Focus on their unique ideas, or what they contribute.
John Locke
Charles de Montesquieu
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
John Locke
In his book Two Treatises on Government, Locke refuted the divine right of Monarchy, and established a theory which states that all men are men are born free and equal. Each person should have equal access to the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. No law should limit those three principles and it is a government’s responsibility to uphold the principles. He views once of the government’s main responsibilities is to punish those who break the three principles. He came up with the idea that people, not god, gave the ruler the right to rule, and because of this if ever the government was not doing its job correctly then it is the people’s right to overthrow and change the government.
Charles de Montesquieu
Expanding on the ideas of Locke in his book The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu added the judiciary branch to Locke’s Executive and Legislative branch. He admired the English system of laws, and wrote on the separation of powers. Montesquieu observed three different forms of government: “republican, monarchial, and despotic.” He further divided republican government into democracy and aristocracy. Of which he dismissed a pure democracy as impossible because they easily become corrupted back into despotism or monarchy, when the feeling of equality and fairness evaporate. In order to ensure that does not happen a healthy judiciary branch is important to keep the other two branches of government in check.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
In his book The Social Contract, Rousseau comes up with his theories on government. He believed in what he called “a state of nature” in which people are purely instinctual and harmful, so he says people made a contract with the government to give up some of their individual freedoms in exchange for protection. Since governments get their power from the power it is their duty to do what is best for the general will (that means the most people). To ensure this happens Rousseau calls for a direct democracy where all citizens directly vote on news laws instead of a representative government where elected officials vote.
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To summarize the main ideas of the three thinkers in my own words:
1. John Locke: John Locke was a philosopher who believed in the importance of individual rights, limited government, and the social contract. His ideas stressed the idea that individuals possess natural rights, such as life, liberty, and property, which should be protected by the government. Locke also emphasized that governments should derive their power from the consent of the governed and should be held accountable if they failed to uphold the rights of the people.
2. Charles de Montesquieu: Charles de Montesquieu was a political philosopher who introduced the concept of separation of powers. He believed in the idea of dividing power among different branches of government, such as the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Montesquieu argued that this system of checks and balances would prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful and abusing its authority. His ideas greatly influenced the development of modern democratic systems.
3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Jean-Jacques Rousseau's philosophy centered around the concept of the social contract and the idea that governments should be based on the general will of the people. He argued that the common good should take precedence over individual interests. Rousseau also believed in the concept of popular sovereignty, whereby people had the right to participate directly in decision-making processes. His ideas contributed to the development of democratic ideals and sparked discussions about the role of citizens in shaping government policies.