Enlightenment Dbq Analysis

Did you know that there was philosophers who tried to improve their society during the enlightenment period? One of the philosophers was John Locke, he wrote the “Second Treatise on Civil Government” in 1690 in England. Another philosopher was Voltaire, he wrote the “Letters Concerning the English Nation” on 1726 in Paris. The last philosopher I am going to tell you about is Mary Wollstonecraft, she wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” on 1792. The philosophers main idea was individual freedom. The philosophers wanted everyone to have freedom. This idea was a key part of their enlightenment was in three areas: government, religion, and gender equality. Individual freedom was a major part of John Locke’s ideas on government. John Locke said “(W)hen the government is dissolved, the people are at liberty to provide for themselves, by erecting a new legislative…” (Doc.A). What he means by that is that all citizens should provide for themselves. He also said, “ They have not only the right to get out of a [failed
Mary Wollstonecraft discusses the importance of individual freedom as it regards women's rights when she writes “To render mankind more virtuous, and happier of course, both sexes must act from the same principle;... women must be allowed to found their virtue on knowledge” (Doc.D). She is trying to say that men and women should both get the equal amount of knowledge and that they should both get treated equally. She also said “Make them free, and they will quickly become wise and virtuous” (Doc.D). Basically saying to let women get the same amount of freedom as men and they will be wise and virtuous as the men. It can be argued that individual freedom was the main idea in Mary Wollstonecraft's discussion of gender equality because she wanted men and women to have freedom and equality as men did and also have feminist