The Growth of Democratic Tradition: The Age of Enlightenment http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/growth_of_democratic/index.html
1. Use the space below to write “bullet” style notes that reflect the main ideas of Age of Enlightenment home page:
2. Click on the picture of John Locke and go to his biographical page to respond to the following:
Describe the influence that John Locke had in the formation of American government.
Describe the Social Contract.
In what ways did Locke’s view of government differ from Thomas Hobbes?
Describe Locke’s stance on the rights of women.
3. Click on the picture of Mary Wollstonecraft and go to her biographical page to respond to the following:
What events in Wollstonecraft’s youth most likely inspired her work as an advocate for women?
What events in her adult life furthered her fight for the rights of women?
Describe how Wollstonecraft viewed the role of women living in society during the late 18th Century and what changes she encouraged women to make.
What was Wollstonecraft’s opinion of marriage?
4. Click on the picture of Baron de Montesquieu and go to his biographical page to respond to the following:
Who were the subjects of Montesquieu’s earliest criticisms?
According to Montesquieu, what was the best way to structure a government?
Who did he look to for inspiration and why?
Describe Montesquieu’s ideas for dividing power among three branches of government.
In what ways did Montesquieu’s views differ from other enlightenment thinkers like John Locke or Mary Wollstonecraft?
5. Click on the picture of Jean Jacques Rousseau and go to his biographical page to respond to the following:
Describe Rousseau’s view of the Social Contract.
What is the “general will”?
How did Rousseau view the relationship between politics and morality?
6. Read about the contributions of John Stuart Mill to society in the years that followed The Enlightenment. Which of his ideas or beliefs can you most identify with and why?