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Social Contract : The Blend Of Government And Freedom

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Rousseau Social Contract; the Blend of Government and Freedom Elise Rozenberg Survey of Modern History I July 13, 2015 “Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.”[ ] These words can be applied to the progression of history. Throughout history, there have been many radical thinkers whose ideas, though initially criticized, have become the catalyst of great change. Though, the radical thinkers were met with the criticism and disdain of the people, eventually, their ideas slowly impacted society. The Enlightenment was one of the greatest time periods in history where many ideas and philosophies greatly influenced history as we know it. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that questioned the aspects of the absolutist regime of monarchs such as King Louis 14 of France, and strongly challenged the religious beliefs. In years prior to the Enlightenment, the people sought out answers from positions of authority, such as the church or monarchy. The Enlightenment emphasized an alternative, the use of reason to seek answers. With the emphasis on reason came many social and political philosophies that challenged the preconceived notion of divine right of the monarchy. Many enlightened thinkers, or philosophes, wrote about the natural rights of people and the role of government in society.[ ] From the Renaissance Era through the Scientific Revolution, the Church had slowly lost their influence on

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