Western civilization had just shifted from the medieval to the modern period, from a strongly religious time with social stability provided by the Catholic Church to the contemporary crisis of authority. This eventually leads to the Enlightenment, an era of secular humanism in which scientific knowledge and reason becomes a source of authority, and a new emphasis was placed on human liberty and equality. This transition away from tradition in the 1650s was applied not just to the knowledge of the physical cosmos, but also to society. John Locke, a 17th-century intellectual, believes that the government's purpose was to safeguard its citizens’ natural rights. He develops the notion of the blank slate, in which people are born blank and learn via experience and education. …show more content…
Rousseau, who was another very significant historical figure, appears later in 1762. Rousseau shares the social contract notion but takes a more abstract approach, arguing that the leader should follow the General Will, the spirit of the society, and should be ousted if he does not. Ultimately, John Locke is the most influential person because he helps found the Enlightenment, and his theory of the blank slate, has repeatedly influenced numerous psychological debates today. The second most influential person is Rousseau, a product of the Enlightenment, who has a significant influence on governmental ideologies, which influences ideals in World Wars II. Since Locke stimulated the Enlightenment and consequently the ideas of Rousseau, Locke has a greater overall