... they see things and adopt their ideas. Those leaders decided it was a reasonable way to create a better society. During this enlightenment period, the most commonly heard French philosophers were John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, Thomas Hobbes, Baron Montesquieu, Denis Diderot, and others. They discarded traditional beliefs and began to use reason to explain the world around them. Hobbes based his theories ... on the government on his beliefs than men were greedy, selfish, and cruel. Locke believed that people could be reasonable and moral. Voltaire thought freedom of speech was the bes...

• Word Count: 769
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... who is known for his "broad knowledge and skillfully crafted prose," to write the declaration of independence. Though the whole idea of the declaration of independence was originally john Locke's idea. John Locke stated, "People willingly come together in a social contract. Basically people enjoy "natural rights", to life liberty and property but they needed some ground rules so they developed the declaration ... ...

• Word Count: 236
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate