The Enlightenment Dbq Essay

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The Enlightenment took place during the 17th and 18th Century in Europe. It was a time in which philosophes questioned social norms and found their voice. These three philosophes argued that all individuals both men and women should have more freedom. The Enlightenment was a time period in which people questioned the government, religion, and gender. John Locke, one of the four philosophes was a huge figure in the Enlightenment as he questioned the ways of the government and how it run. For example Locke, argued that people should be allowed to choose their own government, as it will have a greater chance of not failing. Locke said, “The people are at liberty to provide for themselves, by erecting a new legislative,... for the society can never,... lose the native and original right it has to preserve itself, which can only be a done by a settled legislative and a fair and impartial execution of the laws made by it” (Document A). John is stating that it shouldn't be the government who makes all the decisions but the people as it is their right to do so. John Locke was just one of the four figures in the enlightenment that made an impact. …show more content…

He said, “If one religion only were allowed in England, the government would very possibly become arbitrary; if there were two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all live happy and in peace,” (Document B). Voltaire believed that it was important to have a multitude of religions so that people would have more than one option to choose from, giving them a chance to have a voice and be heard. Religion is an very important and sensitive topic, and having the ability to choose whether you are a part of a religion or not is a choice in which everyone should be able to make, it’s an characteristic of