John Locke had a big influence in today's society. John Locke is one of the reason we have natural rights today. The natural rights are life, liberty, and property. Today those rights are protected. That means we have the right to live life the way we want, be free and do what we please that is legal, and the right to property. That also means that your property is protected.
Some people might say that the most influential Enlightenment thinkers were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Voltaire, Baron de Montesquieu, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. I'm only going to be talking about John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Voltaire.
Voltaire's Influence on Today's Society
Who is Voltaire? Voltaire is one of the people who believed in freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Voltaire believed if we had freedom of speech we could speak out against a bad government. Voltaire spoke out and said, "I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." That is a saying that he was known for. In Voltaire's time they had to follow a certain religion or they would be severely punished. This is why Voltaire believed in freedom of religion.
Montesquieu's Influence on Today's Society
Montesquieu was another person who had a major affect on society today. Some people who don't know about Montesquieu might wonder where the concept of separation of powers or the idea of three branches in the government came from. This idea came from Montesquieu. Montesquieu had an idea that there would be three branches but, no one would have too much power or be able to abuse their power. That is where checks and balances come in. Checks and balances is the idea that there are three branches which are legislative, judicial, and executive. These branches keep each other in check so there is equal power.
By: Jalen Francis
Explanation: hear you go
