A turning point in the way man views government and society was the Enlightenment. During the Enlightenment, philosophers tried to change the traditional order in Europe. The new Age of Reason supported progress and the use of reason contrary to the old order which used religion as the main source for answers to questions. The church and government tried their best to censor the ideas that arose during the Enlightenment, but the ideas which arose in the enlightenment still were able to change the world. The many ideas put out during the Enlightenment changed government, society and changed the world.
Baron de Montesquieu had an idea called as Checks and Balances. This idea was able shape the powers in Europe and contribute to the making of the United States government as it is today. The idea of Checks and Balances is where each branch of government has enough power to override the other parts of government or successfully check the other branched of government, but not enough to take over and rule the nation by it's self.
Portrait of John Locke, by Sir Godfrey Kneller. Oi...
Enlightenment Room, British Museum
Graeme Garrard traces the origin of the Counter-En...This system was also used to keep a balance of power throughout Europe so no one nation could take over all of Europe.
Jean Jaques Rousseau viewed a man as free, but the corruption of soceity and its aspects make him imprisoned in degeneracy. Rousseau said that participatory government is what a good system of government would be, the people would support the government decisions. He also said that the general will of the people is what the leader of a government should listen to. If a single person didn't listen to the general will they would be pressured to by other members of society. His beliefs were used in the Declartaion of Independence and the Constsution. Other Enlightenment ideas were used when...