What makes a successful government?

Enlightenment
Age of Reason
Learning Target
1.15 Develop a context of the Enlightenment
How Enlightenment relates to past lessons
- Scientific Revolution- question the world
- English Civil War- Religion and government
- Absolutism- How not to run a government
What’s the Enlightenment?
-Philosophers were trying to shed light on issues

-People became educated about themselves and the

world around them
Why did it happen?
Result of the Renaissance

Reaction to Absolute Monarchs

Revolutions in Science

Any Questions?
Enlightened about what?

Religion Government Society

What did they talk about?
● Enlightenment thinkers were concerned with natural rights and
how people should live together in society

● Reason can explain all aspects of life

Any Questions?
Questions asked during the Enlightenment
Read over these questions. What surprises you about
these? Why were these questions being asked?

1. What is the best form of government?

2. Should there be religious toleration?
3. What role should women play in society?
4. Should the government control the economy?
5. What kinds of freedoms do individuals have?
 3.8 Analyze Enlightenment
Learning Target primary sources to find a central
theme and support that claim with
Activity evidence from the text.
Time Breakdown- 30 minutes
- 25 min - Read the 3 excerpts from Locke, Voltaire, and Wollstonecraft and
determine central governmental theme of each reading and provide
textual evidence to claim (Page 5)
- Don’t read the next text until you respond take notes on and find textual evidence
to the reading before it
- Feel free to mark up your documents
- 5 min - Discuss with group about these philosophers
- What did they believe about government? Humanity? Religion?
- Do you agree with their thoughts?
- In what ways are these philosophers ideas present today
- Homework is page 6 and 7
How do we think about government
Talk in groups for 5 minutes about the following
questions and be ready for full class discussion

1. Why would the basic nature of humans be a topic of discussion?

2. Why would this be important for developing a concept for an ideal form
of government?
3. How would these writers have come up with their point of view?
4. Which thinker do you believe had the right idea?