Effects Of Enlightenment Thinkers

Everlasting Effects of Enlightenment Thinkers
The United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Many of the ideas that are seen in the United States society were derived from people in the Enlightenment era. The Enlightenment era was a time period in Europe, where people applied scientific thought to all phases of life and placed an emphasis on reason. These ideas were intended to make society better. However, people did not have to agree with these thoughts. Many people today have ideas and morals based on political, economic, and social systems, which were derived from Montesquieu; who discussed separation of powers, Adam Smith; who stressed the importance of laissez faire in government, and John Locke; with his idea of
Natural Rights.
The United States government has three branches of government, which are the legislative, executive, and judicial. With these three branches, no branch can overpower each other, which results in the separation of powers. These ideas were derived from Montesquieu, and if he had not contributed his notions the present day United States government could be functioning very differently. The stressing of the three branches of government allows checks and balances, which permits each branch to check on each other to make sure no branch has too much power. This ensures that each branch will cooperate with each other and creates compromise. Checks and balances are important for the security of the nation. By allowing each branch to check on each other ensures that no branch can overpower one another. Each branch has an equivalent amount of power thus, preventing tyranny in the government. If there was a tyrant running the government, it could lead to an uprising among citizens due to the fact that citizens wouldn’t have a say in their government. There are many entrepreneurs in the United States. Due to Adam Smith, the United States’ government is a free market, which is vital to the success of the economy. Adam Smith discussed laissez faire, which focused on where the government did not interfere with the economy. The free market economy allows the economy to be successful by allowing people to innovate and create new products as well as allowing the concept of supply and demand. In addition, Smith changed the way many people thought. He created a book based on free exchange, social order based on freedom, psychology of ethics, and self-interest and virtue. His books influenced the thoughts of people by saying that self- reliance is rooted from individual freedom. This allows people to have their own economic property and commerce, which is significant for a productive economy.
When a person in the United States is born, they are born with the Natural Rights, which are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
John Locke was an English philosopher who believed that everyone was born with natural rights. However, he believed that the only way of preserving these rights was for each individual to agree with one another and live under a single government. The ideas of John Locke were vital to the construction of the U.S. government. In the Constitution of the United States, there are various examples of John Locke’s ideas, such as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is significant because it grants United States’ citizens’ rights that the government cannot take away, which is important so citizens can feel protected. Locke also contributed to psychology, which is important to everyday life. Locke and his followers established a doctrine of empiricism, which was the concept that every newborn was born with a blank slate, or tabula rasa. Due to Locke’s contribution, people can study the mental processes and behavior of people, which is crucial to understanding the motives of why people perform certain
actions.
All in all, without the contributions of Montesquieu, Adam Smith, and John Locke the United States’ political, economic, and social systems would be very different.
Montesquieu stressed the importance of having branches of government to ensure checks and balances, which in return prevents tyranny. Adam Smith discussed the importance of laissez faire, which allows people to have a free market and creates an economy that flourishes. In addition, John Locke significantly contributed to the U.S. by giving every citizen's unalienable rights, which establishes a social contract among citizens and their government. The ideas of these brilliant men helped establish the marvelous place millions of people call home, which is the United States of
America.