John Locke's Ideas During The Age Of Enlightenment

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The Age of Enlightenment was a period of time mainly during the 1700s, in which people in countries across Europe began to question the beliefs of the day in science, literature, mathematics, and government. During this period, many changes occurred in all aspects of education and life. In addition, the American Revolution was sparked by the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers. John Locke was an Enlightenment thinker who believed that everyone had rights to life, liberty, and property; rights that were known as natural rights. His ideas were extremely influential for attaining the rights that we have today. John Locke believed that the reason for government was to protect the public’s natural rights, and if those rights weren't protected, then the government should be overthrown. Locke also disagreed with the claim that monarchs …show more content…
Furthermore, Montesquieu wanted to divide the government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each with their own duty. Montesquieu’s ideas led to the system of checks and balances we have today in our government, ensuring that one branch does not have more power over the other. The Magna Carta was a document made in 1215 that controlled the power of the king by depriving him of the power to take away a person’s life, liberty, or property without a clear reason or law to back it up. The Magna Carta was written in order to give less power to the king, and more power to the people especially in the areas of rights and punishments. The ideas that people have the right to life, liberty, and property unless law comes into play is evident in the Fifth Amendment of the United States. The English Bill of Rights, which was established in 1689, was made to strengthen, expand, and build upon the protections of the Magna