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Enlightment thinkers - Coggle Diagram
Enlightment thinkers
Adam Smith
Laissez-faire: He advocated for minimal government intervention in the economy, promoting a free market.
The "Invisible Hand": He introduced the economic concept that individuals pursuing their own self-interest can unintentionally benefit all of society.
Division of Labor: He explained how specializing in specific tasks could significantly increase productivity.
Mary Wollstonecraft
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Moral and Intellectual Equality: She believed that women, like men, were rational beings capable of developing their minds and morals.
Education for Women: She argued that the perceived inferiority of women was due to a lack of education, not a natural state.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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Social Contract: His work described an agreement among people to form a society and government that reflects their shared interests.
General Will: He believed that a society should be governed by the collective will of its people, which aims for the common good.
Montesquieu
Checks and Balances: He proposed that each part of the government should have the power to control the others. This system would create a balance of power.
Influences on Government: He believed that things like a country's climate, culture, and size influence what type of government is best for it.
Separation of Powers: To prevent a leader from having too much power, he suggested dividing the government into three separate parts: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.
Voltaire
Religious Tolerance: He was a strong supporter of different religions living together peacefully. He was against any type of religious persecution.
Reason and Logic: He used reason and logic to criticize injustice and superstition, arguing for a more rational approach to society and government.
Freedom of Speech: He strongly supported the right to say what you think. He is known for a quote that means even if he disagrees with you, he will defend your right to speak.
John Locke
Social Contract: He believed that governments exist by the consent of the people to protect these rights. If a government fails, the people have the right to revolt.
"Tabula Rasa": He proposed that the human mind is a "blank slate" at birth and knowledge is gained through sensory experience.
Natural Rights: He argued that individuals are born with fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property.
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(P. Bishal, 2025) What was the enlightment