Philosophes

Charles Ensley

Main Ideas of Enlightenment Women's Rights Wollstonecraft – No subjugation to men. Astell – education advocate.

Church criticism Bayle – //Historical and Critical Dictionary// d'Holbach – S//ystem of Nature//, atheist Diderot – //Encyclopedia//, attacked religious superstition.

Humans and Science Hume- //Treatise of Human Nature//- believed in the science of man Fontenelle- //Plurality of Worlds//, communicated scientific knowledge to the public Montesquieu – //Spirit of the Laws//, believed scientific method can be applied to government

Thoughts on Government and Individual Rights Astell – Serious proposal to ladies, women's rights Wollstonecraft – //Vindication of the Rights of Women//, women should not be seen as less than men Voltaire – //Candide//, criticism of government Condorcet – //Progress of the Human Mind//, ten stages of progress, tenth stage is perfection Smith – Wealth of Nations, attacked mercantilism. Presented theory of nations true value. Laissez faire – government does not interfere with decisions regarding the people.

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