1. The Enlightenment: An Era of Optimism
... rid of mercantilist monopolies and restrictions would give people more incentive to produce more product. Smith is also responsible for the development of the invisible hand metaphor and early stages of laissez-faire economics. The field of philosophy saw great development during the Enlightenment through the contributions of Voltaire, Helvetius, and Bentham. Voltaire developed his belief that an enlightened monarchy was necessary in order to preserve ... the rights of man, Helvetius introduced his blank slate theory, and Bentham combined Helvetius's ideas with the optimism of the time ...
- Word Count: 1343
- Approx Pages: 5
- Grade Level: Undergraduate