Individual Rights Dbq Analysis

All for Individual Rights!During the 17th and 18th century, many people lacked in individuality, because of theexcessively controlled government. During the Age of Reason in England, may philosophersspoke out to modify their government for the benefit of the people. The main idea of thephilosophes was individual rights. This idea was a key part of their thinking in three areas:government, religion, and women’s rights. These thinkers included John Locke, Voltaire, andMary Wollstonecraft, which all contributed to the Enlightenment in Europe.To begin, individual rights was an important part of John Locke’s ideas on government.John Locke mentions, “a state of perfect freedom...within the bounds of the law of nature”(DocA).He also stated that, “when the government is dissolved, the people are at liberty to provide forthemselves, by erecting a new legislative...”(Doc A). …show more content…
He also asserted that all people should have the same rights as long as we allcontribute to our governmentContinuing, individual rights was an important part of Voltaire's ideas on religion.Voltaire discusses the importance of individual rights in religion when he writes,”there the Jew ,the muslim, and the christian transact together as tho’ they all professed the same religion”(DocB). That line shows that it is possible for all representatives from different religions to worktogether, that it even seems as if they could all follow the same