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Jennyfer Mejia

Mr. Wisner

World History

24 February 2017

Privilege

Woman dont deserve education... was a common belief in the 18th century. During the

Age of Reason in the late 17th and 18th century John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary

Wollstonecraft all wanted equal rights for their fellow people and wanted them to understand.

They believed that people deserved to be equal and to be able to pursue what they wanted to

accomplish. These enlightenment philosophers thought people deserved individual freedom.

John Locke believed that mankind had the right to create a new government. John Locke

agrees that all men are naturally in, a state of perfect freedom... within these of the law of

nature which means that we are free to do whatever we want. What John Locke wants to say is

that people have the right to do anything they see is fit no matter what it is everyone is born

equal and free. According to him mankind have the right to create a new government if the old

one fails. He appeared to mention both the Legislative and executive branch. Since people have

the right since everyone is equal. Not only does John Locke trust that people have the right to

what they want, but also Voltaire.

Voltaire believed that it was good for England to allow multiple religions. At the Royal

Exchange representatives of all nations meet for the benefit of mankind in London so they can

trade. The reason Voltaire agreed that it was good that England allows multitude religions is

because people can live happy and peaceful. His main idea of religion in society is people should
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be free to practice any kind of religion. Not only did he believe people could be happy with

individual freedom, but also Adam Smith.

Adam Smith supports individual decision making because they are able to pursue their

own interest. According to him he concluded the reason why individuals work is for profit and to

benefit themselves. The result when people pursue their own economic gain lead to happy and

unexpected result to promote society. He mentions an invisible hand that could possibly mean a

force that somehow acts all over society. So if individuals are pursuing their own interest all

need will be meet. His main idea was trade and economic decisions should be made up of

individuals not the government. Adam Smith and other philosophers and activist thought about

the rights for everyone.

During the year 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A vindication of the Rights of Woman

which was also during the French Revolutions. Mary Wollstonecraft believed women were

compared to man as not inferior by ignorance and low desires, as not to deserve to be ranked to

them. What she recommended was the women should be free to participate in the inherent rights

of mankind. She used reson experience to reach her conclusions. Her main idea is women should

be able to be equal to man and education is the key factor. Mary Wollstonecraft, Locke, Smith,

and Voltaire had similar beliefs in individual freedom.

Mary Wollstonecraft, Locke, Smith, and Voltaire; these enlightenment philosophers

believed people deserved individual freedom. Their main idea is people should be equal and able

to pursue what they wanted to pursue. They wanted individual freedom and they found ways to

talk about this to others to understand this belief this was The Age of Reason. People in this day

protest to show that no one is alone and that everyone deserves to be equal to one another no

matter what.
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