- Philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau proposed the idea of a social contract between the government and the people.
- According to this theory, people give up some of their individual freedoms in exchange for the protection and benefits provided by the government.
2. Consent of the governed:
- The Enlightenment emphasized the importance of the consent of the governed.
- People should have a say in how they are governed and should not be subject to arbitrary rule.
3. Limited government:
- The Enlightenment thinkers argued for limited government.
- The government should only have enough power to protect the rights and freedoms of the people, not to control every aspect of their lives.
4. Separation of powers:
- Enlightenment philosophers advocated for the separation of powers within the government.
- Different branches of government should have different responsibilities and should be independent of each other to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
5. Representative democracy:
- The Enlightenment thinkers believed that the best form of government was a representative democracy.
- In a representative democracy, the people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
6. Individual rights and freedoms:
- The Enlightenment thinkers placed great importance on individual rights and freedoms.
- They believed that all people are entitled to certain basic rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and property.