John Locke (August 29, 1632- October 28, 1704) was a British philosopher. Locke is considered the first of the British Empiricists, but is equally important to social contract theory. His ideas had enormous influence on the development of epistemology and political philosophy, and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers and contributors to liberal theory. His writings influenced Voltaire and Rousseau, many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American Revolutionaries. This influence is reflected in the American Declaration of Independence. Locke’s theory of mind is often cited as the origin for modern conceptions of identify and “the self”, figuring prominently in the later works …show more content…
One of the figures of the intellectual movement known as the Scottish Enlightenment, he is known primarily as the author of two treatises: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). Smith is also known for his explanation of how rational self-interest and competition can lead to economic well-being and prosperity. His work also helped to create the modern academic discipline of economics and provided one of the best–known rationales for free trade and …show more content…
With his “Confessions” and other writings, he invented modern autobiography and encouraged a new focus on the building of subjectivity that would bear fruit in the work of thinkers as diverse as Hegel and Freud. His novel “Julie, or the New Heloise” was one of the best-selling fictional works of the 18th century and was important to the development of Romanticism. Rousseau also made important contributions to music both as a theorist and a composer. He writes “Discourse on the Arts and Sciences (1750)”, “Discourse on Political Economy (1755)”, “Emile: or, on Education (1762)”, The Social Contract, or Principles of Political Right (1762).
Mary Wollstonecraft (27 April 1759-10 September 1797) was an 18th century British writer, philosopher, and feminist. During her brief career , she wrote novels, treatises, a travel narrative, a history of the French Revolution, a conduct boo, and a children’s book. Wollstonecraft is best known for “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)”, in which she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education. She suggests that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and