Niccolo Machiavelli: Italian, Wrote The Prince, Argued that it is safer for a ruler to be feared than loved, Praised republics as the best form of government, Thomas Hobbes: Believed that a social contract existed between government and the people, Believed people agreed to give up some freedom and be ruled by government to protect their rights, Though people needed a strong leader because they were too selfish to rule themselves, John Locke: Wrote that all people were born equal with natural rights, Believed in a social contract, like Hobbes did, Believed that id the ruler failed to protect the rights of people, the social contract was broken, Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Said that man is born free, yet everywhere he is found in chains, Thought people had the right to decide how they should be governed, Baron de Montesquieu: Developed the idea that the power of government should be divided into branches, No one branch would become too strong and threaten people's rights, Separation of Powers, Voltaire: Believed people should have liberty, Supported freedom of religion and trade,

Enlightenment Thinkers

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