- The philosophers claimed that humans have the ability to perfect themselves and society and that the state has the potential to be an instrument of that progress. Part of their criticism of the existing government was that it impeded such progress in its refusal to surrender power or resources to the people so that they could take control of their lives. The philosophers lamented the social conditions of contemporary England and France, but they remained confident that its people could attain happiness and improve living standards. Armed with these concepts and fortified by science and reason, the philosophers attacked Christian tradition and dogma, denouncing religious persecution and championing the idea of religious tolerance.
THEMES: Superiority of the Intellect - At the center of the belief in the superiority of the intellect was the Enlightenment reaction against traditional authority, namely the Church and the ruling class. The philosophers claimed that rather than depend on these authorities for physical, spiritual, and intellectual needs, individuals could provide for themselves such needs. By using their minds and demanding morality of themselves and others, people could actually change their realities for the better. This idea is evident in Rousseau’s The Social Contract and in the Declaration of Independence.
- The philosophers maintained that people were innately good and that society and civilization were to blame for their corruption. Because people are good, they are fully capable of ruling themselves and collectively working toward the welfare of all. Rousseau asserts this in The Social Contract, as he explains that despite individual differences and priorities, people as a whole will make decisions for the common good. In Emile, Rousseau applies this idea to the education of a child, demonstrating that the purpose of education is not to correct a child or mold the child to exhibit a certain set of characteristics but rather to draw out the child’s unique gifts and goodness. Not all Enlightenment writers emphasized man’s inherent goodness, however; in Candide, Voltaire provides numerous examples of humanity’s cruelty and abuse of power. Once the characters are living peacefully on a farm (outside of civilization), they seem to be less violent, but the theme of humankind’s goodness is diminished here.
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