Jaclyn Carey                                                                                   September 8, 2005

Mrs. Hartman                                                                                  pp. 629-635

Chapter 22-Section 2

a.                 Hobbes- expressed his views in a work called Leviathan. The horrors of the English Civil War convinced him that mankind was naturally selfish and wicked. He named the act of people handing over their rights to a strong ruler and in exchange gaining law and order the “social contract”

b.                 John Locke - a philosopher who had a more optimistic view of human nature. He criticized absolute monarchy and favored the idea of self-government. Locke believed that people could learn from experience and improve themselves. Thought that all people are born free and equal with three natural rights – life, liberty, and property, and that the government should protect these rights. 

c.                 Voltaire -  most brilliant and influential philosopher, (Francois Marie) used the name Voltaire in his published works. He fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief and freedom of speech, even after being sent to prison twice for his beliefs and writings.

d.                 Montesquieu – influential French writer who devoted himself to the study of political liberty. He believed that Britain was the best-governed and most politically balanced country of his own day. His book was the basis for the idea of “checks and balances” in governments.

e.                 Rousseau – son of a poor Swiss watchmaker. He was a philosopher who won recognition for his essays. Rousseau was very controversial, he was committed to individual freedom, and that the only good government was the one that was freely formed. Inspired many of the leaders of the French Revolution who overthrew the monarchy in 1789.

f.                    Mary Wollstonecraft – published an essay entitles A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, where she disagrees that women’s education should be secondary to mens. She urged women to enter the male-dominated fields of medicine and politics.

DBQ:

1.                  Voltaire is trying to get across in Source A, that African Americans are being horrendously mistreated. Voltaire acknowledged that eating sugar or trying to run away was punishable by cutting off a finger, or a leg for these slaves. While they are being harshly abused, they are also being told by hypocritical missionaries that we are all part of the same “family.” One slave states “The Dutch fetishes [i.e. missionaries] who converted me to Christianity] tell me every Sunday that we are all sons of Adam, whites and blacks alike.” To show us the injustice done to these people then tell us that the slaves are being preached to about their being part of a family reinforces that they are living in a time of constant contradiction. No human yet alone a family member would treat others as ruthlessly and brutally.  

2.                  In Source B the king' reaction about Swift's view of Europe's military technology says that the technology is destructive and harmful in his opinion. He views these machines as being appalling and that their inventor must have been an "enemy to mankind."

3.                  William Hogarth's picture may be difficult for modern audiences to understand because in today the campaigning occurs much differently. It is known to be immoral to offer money or be flirtatious for votes. He was trying to convey political corruption in the government in his painting Canvassing for Votes. The fact that times have changed may make us appreciate that campaigning has become more honest. Still we can understand the paintings standpoint and see its relevance to the time period.