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Jean Jacques Rousseau And Thomas Hobbes

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Recommended: Voltaire and the enlightenment

The Age of the Enlightenment lasted roughly from the 1650’s to the 1780’s. During this period, a group of men known as “philosophers” published their views and ideals. Although they did not all have the same beliefs, they all equally expressed their views on modern western society covering topics such as universal liberty, equality and justice, democracy, science and technology, progress, individualism, optimism, happiness, human life, economic prosperity and market freedom (Zafirovski, 2010, p. 2). Leading thinkers from this era include John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes. Their ideals soon spread from Europe to the rest of the world.

In my opinion, many of their views are still relevant …show more content…

Rousseau believed that social and economic injustices derived from causes such as unequal social conditions in a nation and when a state becomes insufficiently attentive to the wellbeing of its citizens (H. M. Stacy and W. C. Lee, 2013, p.14). He also felt that one of the key factors of the rich being rich was because the poor were poor (Donald Winch, 1996, p.72). Therefore he concluded that the rich should not enjoy special privileges. He stated, “Or rather, let us be more simple and less vain”. This ideal still remains as relevant as ever in the 21st Century. We are living in a world where, First World countries have become fixated on material and cosmetic matter, despite the devastating effects poverty is having in the Third World. Although many charitable organizations have been set up in order to eradicate many issues, it remains blatantly clear that there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. This is work that would involve more than just downloading a Christmas hit or buying a bar of chocolate, when a percentage of profits go to the advertised location. In order to abolish world poverty forever, it would require the cooperation of the entire First World, to become “more simple”. Rousseau’s value for making the world a place with equality for all is a vision that we should, spread and pass down to further generations, to avoid the possibility of poverty rates increasing even

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