Enlightenment Dbq Essay

397 Words2 Pages

The Enlightenment philosophers, why are they so famous for their thoughts, writings? The Enlightenment philosophers, wrote about everything life. Nothing really interesting. The Enlightenment philosophers wasn’t really that revolutionary. The Enlightenment philosophers wrote about common everyday things that everyone experiences in a single day. “ Enlightenment is man’s leaving of his self-caused immaturity” [what is Enlightenment? Source 1]. In this case all they are saying is that in order for a man to be considered Enlightened he has to grow up and be a man, no more childish stuff. “ ...laziness and cowardice...freed from alien guidance...gladly remain immature” [what is Enlightenment? source 1] If a man doesn’t grow up even after guidance from other older people, they didn’t Enlighten, or in other words they didn’t grow up and considered childish, they don’t have freedom. The Enlightenment philosophers wrote about intolerance saying some viewed it as a threat. “ ..only crime is that of being that of a different opinion” [ Treatise of Tolerance source 2]. Voltaire says that intolerance was such a problem because it lead to the persecution of those with different opinions, outlook on things. “.. pride and furious fanaticism arouse princes and …show more content…

“..general will alone can direct the State…” [ the social contract source 3]. The general will also known as the common good, can direct the state alone. Meaning people as a whole can direct a state by themselves. “...social contract..one indivisible part of a whole...anyone refuses to obey general well shall be compelled to do so by the whole body”[ the social contract source 3]. If one person doesn’t want to be a part of the general well, the whole body of the general well shall force them to be. The people are supposed to come to a consensus about their will and force it upon others, but their consensus can be hijacked by one