Isaac NewtonThe ideas of Newton, which combined the mathematics of axiomatic proof with the mechanics of physical observation, resulted in a logical system of verifiable predictions and set the tone for much of what would follow in the century after the publication of his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
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John Locke Works such as Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), Locke puts forth his optimistic idea that man’s mind is a blank slate and that man can subsequently learn and improve through conscious effort. Locke followed with the work for which he is even better known, Two Treatises of Government (also 1690). Which details Locke’s belief that every man is inherently good but that the necessity of government requires that people compromise on some issues for the betterment of the whole. Locke’s ideas for an ideal representative government and makes suggestions that would eventually be elaborated into ideas such as separation of powers
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Thomas HobbesIn Leviathan, Hobbes elaborates on the nature of man and justifies absolutist rule. He argues that human nature is inherently bad and that humans will remain in a constant a state of war, vying for power and material resources, unless awed by a single great power. However, Hobbes also claims that any group of men who ascend to positions of great power will be prone to abusing it, seeking more power than necessary for the stability of society. Thus, he reasons, a single absolute ruler is better than an oligarchy or democracy; because that ruler’s wealth and power is largely equivalent to the wealth and power of the nation, he will seek to lead the nation on a stable and prosperous course. Hobbes claims that this sovereign’s main duty is to provide protection to the citizens and that if he fails at that task, allegiance may be transferred to another.
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Mary WollstonecraftWollstonecraft is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), in which she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education. She suggests that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and imagines a social order founded on reason
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