Enlightenment Quotes: Challenge
WORLDHISTORY PROJECT1750 / LESSON 2.2CLOSERENLIGHTENMENT QUOTES: CHALLENGEUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Enlightenment Quotes: Challenge”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1PurposeThe Enlightenment can be difficult to fully understand. By analyzing a set of quotes from authors who were either inspirations for, or products of, the Enlightenment, you’ll learn more about their perspectives, which will help you understand the viewpoints of people who lived during that time. You’ll also see how these Enlightenment ideas still influence us today.Process1.Read eachquote in its original form(column 1). Next, read the everyday-language translation(column 2), and think about its significance. 2.Respond to the questions using the quote comparisons. Quote 1Original quoteEveryday translation“Whensoever, therefore, the legislative shall...either by ambition, fear, folly, or corruption, endeavor to grasp themselves, or put into the hands of any other, an absolute power over the lives, liberties, and estates of the people, by this breach of trust they forfeit the power the people had put into their hands...and it devolves to the people, who have a right to resume their original liberty, and by the establishment of a new legislative...provide for their own safety and security, which is the end for whichthey are in society.” John Locke, The Second Treatise on Civil Government(1689)If the government—either out of desire for power, fear, corruption, or foolishness—tries to take absolute control over the lives, rights, or properties of citizens, they violate the trust of the people and lose the power the people had given them. The power then returns to the people, who have a right to take back the freedoms and privileges they had before and create a new government. And this government should provide for the safety and security of the people, which is their purpose in society.
WORLDHISTORY PROJECT1750 / LESSON 2.2CLOSERENLIGHTENMENT QUOTES: CHALLENGE2SourceDo you agree or disagree with the reasoning? Why or why not?How does this quote showcase the ideas of the Enlightenment? How does this connect to events today? #1 Mary Wollstonecraft#2 Benjamin Franklin#3 Jean-Jacques Rousseau
WORLDHISTORY PROJECT1750 / LESSON 2.2CLOSERENLIGHTENMENT QUOTES: CHALLENGE3Quote 2Original quoteEveryday translation“...men are equal all; From virtue only true distinction springs...” Voltaire, Mahomet(1741)Men are born equal—it is only the way that we act that distinguishes us.“Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights...Oh women! Women, when will you cease to be blind? What advantages have you gathered in the revolution?” Olympe de Gouges, Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen(1791)Yes, we acknowledge to be true the fact that women are equal to men... But women, open your eyes! The revolution has done nothing to actually change the status of women.“When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.” Thomas Paine, Common Sense(1776)When we are planning for the future, we should remember that honesty and righteousness are not inherited traits.SourceDo you agree or disagree with the reasoning? Why or why not?How does this quote showcase the ideas of the Enlightenment? How does this connect to events today? #1 Mary Wollstonecraft
WORLDHISTORY PROJECT1750 / LESSON 2.2CLOSERENLIGHTENMENT QUOTES: CHALLENGE4#2 Benjamin Franklin#3 Jean-Jacques RousseauQuote 3Original quoteEveryday translation“Political liberty is to be found only in moderate governments; and even in these it is not always found. It is there only when there is no abuse of power: but constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carryhis authority as far as it will go. To prevent this abuse, it is necessary, from the very nature of things, that power should be a check to power...When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person...there can be no liberty...there is no liberty if the judicial power be not separated from the legislative and executive.” Montesquieu, Spirit of the Laws(1748)The right for citizens to freely participate in the political process is only found in governments that are not extremist; and even then, it is not guaranteed. Political liberty exists only when there is no abuse of power. But history shows us that those who have power are likely to abuse it, and to try to expand that power as far as possible. To stop the abuse of power, it is inherently necessary to divide it. That is, political freedom cannot exist when the power to make and carry out laws is in the handsof the same person. Similarly, there can be no political freedom if the power to judge the fairness of laws is not separated from the people who make and carry out the laws.
WORLDHISTORY PROJECT1750 / LESSON 2.2CLOSERENLIGHTENMENT QUOTES: CHALLENGE5SourceDo you agree or disagree with the reasoning? Why or why not?How does this quote showcase the ideas of the Enlightenment? How does this connect to events today? #1 Mary Wollstonecraft#2 Benjamin Franklin#3 Jean-Jacques Rousseau