People+and+Ideas

=== People and Ideas=== The Enlightenment promoted many new thinkers and ideas, some being extremely radical. Some major philosophers crucial to the American colonies's progression toward the revolution and ideals for the new government are listed below:



[|Benjamin Franklin] (1706-1790) served as a statesman and a diplomat. Also, he aided in the creation of the //Declaration of Independence// and the United States's //Constitution//. In addition to being this remarkable political figure, he also contributed to the new sciences. Some of his inventions include: bifocals, lightning rod, and a kite which helped him understand the laws of electricity. He was also known for his wit and literary contributions (//Poor Richard's Almanack//). "Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead," and "If you're head is waxed, don't walk in the sun," are two of his proverbs.



[|Thomas Jefferson] (1743-1826) was a revolutionary leader and a strong proponent of Americans' rights and liberties. He created the first draft of the //Declaration of Independence.// He also helped to create one of the first political parties (in opposition to the Hamiltonians) in America. Some of his most important beliefs include maintaining power in each of the individual states and representing the lower classes, mostly poor farmers. Under his term as the third President of the United States, he established the University of Virginia and the public schooling system.



[|Thomas Paine] (1737-1809). This English immigrant came to America on the eve of the American Revolution in 1774. His most famous publication was //Common Sense//, a pamphlet that spelled out the reasons for the revolutions. This literary propaganda circulated through the colonies, and was exceedingly effective in promoting colonial patriotism. Some influential essays of his include: //The American Crisis,// //The Rights of Man,// and //The Age of Reason// (part of the Enlightenment). All of these support the want of liberalism, an Enlighenment ideal.

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[|John Locke]// (1632-1704). Though a much earlier English philosopher, this thinker largely impacted the thoughts and ideas of the later philosophers. He developed many ideas about the social aspects of life. He is known for the counter to Hobbes's ideas in saying that a government could only legitimately rule if it obtained the consent of the governed (a strong, patriotic ideal). He believed in protecting the life, liberty, and estate (later changed to "pursuit of happiness" America's //Declaration of Independence//) of each citizen.



[|Jean-Jacques Rousseau] (1712-1778) was probably the largest influence on the French Revolution. He developed the socialist theory (social equality) and the idea of unity under nationalism. He also influenced the arts with his compositions. One of his largest literary accomplishments was the invention of the autobiography. Others of his works were of fiction including //Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse//.



[|Adam Smith] (1723-1790). Though Scottish, this economist created the incredibly radical idea of [|capitalism]. His ideas vastly countered the British idea of [|mercantilism]. His "invisible hand" idea suggested that the economy would regulate itself through competition, and that the government should only be involved in war and controlling certain industries that could never be privately owned as they are necessary to all citizens (like electricity). His most famous work, //Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations//, studied the economic developments in Europe and inspired those in the colonies. His beliefs structure America's modern economy of capitalism, free trade, and libertarianism.

Other important philosophers of the Enlightenment include:
 * [|Kant]
 * [|Voltaire]
 * [|Condorcet]
 * [|Fontenelle]
 * [|Benedict Spinoza]
 * [|Cesare Beccaria]
 * [|Isaac Newton]
 * [|Antoine Lavoisier]
 * [|G.L. Buffon]
 * [|Mikhail Lomonosov]
 * [|Montesquieu]
 * [|Jean le Rond d'Alembert]
 * [|Thomas Abbt]
 * [|Pierre Bayle]
 * [|James Burnett Lord Monboddo]
 * [|James Boswell]
 * [|Edmund Burke]
 * [|Denis Diderot]
 * [|Ignacy Krasicki]
 * [|Edward Gibbon]
 * [|Johann Gottfried von Herder]
 * [|Adam Weishaupt]
 * [|Hugo Kołłątaj]
 * [|Gotthold Ephraim Lessing]
 * [|Leandro Fernández de Moratín]
 * [|Nikolay Novikov]




 * Philosophical Movements**


 * Historical Influence**