University Essay: Political Liberalism and Enlightenment Influence

This essay examines the intersection of political liberalism and the Enlightenment, exploring how Enlightenment thinkers reshaped understandings of human nature and political order. It begins by defining liberalism and highlighting the contributions of thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, James Madison, and Edmund Burke. The essay analyzes Hobbes's emphasis on the sovereign's absolute power, Locke's social contract theory, Madison's defense of liberty and property, and Burke's view on social institutions. It discusses how the Enlightenment promoted rationalism, challenged the power of absolute monarchs, and advocated for the separation of powers. The essay further explores the Enlightenment's influence on natural philosophy and the development of ideas about individual rights and government's role in society. The essay highlights the importance of reason, scientific knowledge, and the promotion of new ideas and values that contributed to the growth of political thought. The essay also explores the influence of Jean Jacques Rousseau on the idea that government should serve the welfare of the people.

Running head: POLITICAL LIBERALISM AND ENLIGHTENMENT
Political Liberalism and Enlightenment
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1POLITICAL LIBERALISM AND ENLIGHTENMENT
Liberalism refers to the political doctrine that helps in freedom of an individual in the
society. Liberals believe in the fact that government can help in protecting the individuals and
the laws and the police in the society can help in securing the life of an individual.
Enlightenment was the philosophical movement that started in Europe and in the North
America in late 17th and in the early half of the 18th century. There were thinkers like Thomas
Hobbes, James Madison, John Locke along with the Edmund Burke who contributed to idea
of the political liberalism. This essay discusses about how Enlightenment helped in changing
understanding of the human nature along with the political order.
Hobbes laid emphasis on absolute power of Leviathan sovereign that puts the political
thoughts against the concept of the liberal theory. Hobbes was instrumental in laying
foundation pertaining to liberal view. Hobbes has stated the fact that politics should help in
[reserving the life and the goods of an individual. He believed that role of the government
was to serve the needs of the human beings. Hobbes has laid emphasis on the fact that
individuals in the society retains the natural right of preserving his identity even after entering
into commonwealth. Hobbes believed in the concept of the political liberalism and he had the
idea that the individuals have the inviolable right pertaining to nature and that politics helps
in furthering the pursuit of an individual for the happiness.
John Locke used various elements of the thought of Hobbes in developing his account
pertaining to the political liberalism. The influence of Hobbes can be seen in the account of
Locke of state of the nature. Locke had the idea that the civil society was grounded within a
social contract that had free and the equal men. Locke laid stress on the aspect of the human
rationality and the capacity of an individual of being grounded by the reason. He thought that
reason can help in producing perpetual peace and the tranquillity within the society. They laid
stress on the element of self-interest of an individual.

2POLITICAL LIBERALISM AND ENLIGHTENMENT
James Madison was a defender of the aspect of liberty in the society. Madison
stressed on the tenet of the freedom and ne believed in the fact that the property of a person
extended from the land to the opinions. Property acts as the foundation of liberty in the
society and the liberty of a person is based on the element of property that an individual has.
The liberty that is held by an individual is on the basis of property. James Madison believed
in the fact that individuals within the society should be provided with supply of the
necessities. Edmund Burke held the view that the social institutions were the product of the
historical process that was characterized by the system of the trial and the error. He thought
that the conditions pertaining to the human flourishing can be cultivated with the help of the
forces that can help in sustaining the social order.
The Enlightenment changed the understanding of the human nature along with the
political order. The Enlightenment thinkers thought that human nature acted as a basis
constant within the society. The Enlightenment laid stress on the idea that human condition
can be improved with the help of the formulation of the clear moral absolutes. The
Enlightenment helped in pointing out to the distinction in between the inert and the active
body. A body that was passive was washed away by the turn of the events. It did not take any
kind of initiative on its own and on the other hand active thing helped in the launching of a
movement in the spontaneous manner. The active things had power within them that can help
in initiating changes in the society. Thomas Hobbes believed in the fact that whatever was
happening in universe can be provided with an explanation in relation to the masses of the
small particles.
The Enlightenment was responsible for rearranging the state of the politics and the
state of the government. The Enlightenment was responsible for bringing in a period of the
optimism and the faith. The Enlightenment brought out the idea that government was not at
the whim of the absolute monarch who was all-powerful but the responsibility of the

3POLITICAL LIBERALISM AND ENLIGHTENMENT
government was in carrying out will of the people. The primary responsibility of the
government was in relation to protecting the lives and the liberty of the people. It brought
about the idea of the separation of powers within the government that was instrumental in
protecting the rights of the people.
The Enlightenment was witness to the growth of the natural philosophy by applying
the rational thought and the reason. Enlightenment paved the way for the pursuing of the
rational scientific knowledge that can help the society in making progress. The
Enlightenment created the way for the cultural revolution that helped in the promotion of the
new ideas along with the values in the society. The church helped in sowing seeds for the
revolution which focussed on the elements of individualism along with the freedom. The
Enlightenment brought out the belief that the people within the society have the natural rights
like the right to the life and the liberty. A government that had a great amount of power can
abuse the power. The Enlightenment gave the birth of the idea that the government can be
divided into the various branches and each branch should be relegated with the power that
can help them in fulfilling the function.
The French philosopher called Jean Jacques Rousseau asserted that the government
should carry out action that can help in serving the welfare of the people. He elaborated on
the idea that the people in the society should have the security and the freedom that can help
them in the development of the new skills. It can help in strengthening society and paving the
growth of the society. The Enlightenment had a great amount of influence on the political
thought and it paved the path for the growth of rationalism in the society. The political ideas
of the time laid stress on the idea and the logic that can help in guiding the actions of an
individual in the society. The reason can be on the basis of the knowledge that can be said to
be independent of the sense-experience of an individual.

4POLITICAL LIBERALISM AND ENLIGHTENMENT
Liberalism is indicative of political doctrine that gives importance to the freedom of a
person. The liberals believed in the fact that the government can help in offering protection to
individuals and the agents in the society can protect life of a person. Hobbes was responsible
for laying down the foundation in relation to the liberal views. Politics can play an important
role in the preservation of the sanctity of life of a person. Locke put emphasis on human
rationality and on the aspect of capacity of a person. The reason that an individual has can
help in bringing about tranquillity in the moral order of the society. James Madison played an
important part in defending liberty within the society. He believed in the aspect of freedom
and he felt that property that a person has should extend from land to opinions.
Enlightenment brought about growth pertaining to natural philosophy by taking recourse to
application of rational thought. Enlightenment can help a person in following scientific
knowledge which can be of help for the progression in society. Reason that an individual has
can be said to be independent in relation to sense-experience of a person.